


V';.- 































( 

HISTOEY 



INDIANAPOIvIS • 



MARION COUNTY, 



INDIANA. 



X 



B. R. SULGROVE. 




II-.LTJSTI2.j^TE!ID. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
I^. H. EVERTS & CO 



1884.. 



l\v 



PREFACE. 



In a history mainly composed of the incidents that indicate the growth of a community, 
and the direction and character of it, where few are important enough to require an extended 
narration, and the remainder afford little material, it is not easy to construct a continuous narra- 
tive, or to so connect the unrelated points as to prevent the work taking on the aspect of a pre, 
tentious directory. To collect in each year the notable events of it is to make an excellent ware 
house of historical material ; but, however authentic, it would hardly be interesting. Like the 
country boy's objection to a dictionary, " the subject would change too often." To combine, as 
far as practicable, the authenticity of an annuary like that of Mr. Ignatius Brown in 1868, 
' which has been freely used, or the compilation of statistical and historical material made by Mr. 
Joseph T. Long for Holloway's History in 1870, which has furnished valuable help in this 
work, with some approach to the interest of a connected narrative, it has been thought best to 
present, first, a general history of the city and the county up to the outbreak of the civil war, 
throwing together in it all incidents which have a natural association with each other or with 
some central incident or locality, so as to make a kind of complete affair of that class of incidents. 
For instance, the first jail is used to gather a group of the conspicuous crimes in the history of 
the county, the old court-house to note the various uses to which it was put during the city's 
progress through the nonage of a country town to the maturity of a municipal government. 
Since the war the history was thought more likely to be made intelligible and capable of reten- 
tion and reference by abandoning the form of a continuous narrative interjected with groups of 
related incidents or events, and divide it into departments, and treat each fully enough to cover 
all the points related to it that could be found in an annuary, or a separation of the events of 
each year to itself. Thus it has been the purpose to throw into the chapter on schools all that is 
worth telling of what is known of the early schools, besides what is related of them in the gen- 
eral history, with no special reference to the date of any school, while the history of the public 
schools is traced almost exclusively by official reports and documents. In manufactures it would 
have been impossible to present a consecutive account if a chronological order had been followed, 
for the facts are scattered through fifty years, from 1832 to 1882. By taking the whole subject 



PREFACE. 



apart from the events with which its various parts are associated by date, it is possible to group 
them so as to present a tolerably complete view of the origin and progress of each part and of 
the whole. The military rosters contain all the names of Marion County soldiers in the civil 
war who enlisted for three years. The list of civil officers of the county is complete and accu- 
rate, and was compiled for this work. It is the first ever published, as is that of the township 
and city. The entries of land from 1821 to 1825 will be found an interesting feature of the 
work, and will recall the name of many an old settler who is almost forgotten now. Mr. Now- 
land's interesting reminiscences and those of the late Hon. O. H. Smith have been freely used, 
as well as the memories of some old settlers, as Mr. Robert B. Duncan, Gen. Coburn, William 
H. .Tones, Daniel Noe, and the writer's own occasionally. The histories of the townships have 
been compiled substantially from the accounts of the oldest and best-known settlers in each. 

B. R. S. 

Indiakapolis, Feb. 14, 1884. 



^A ' 




CQNTEISrTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

FASE 

Location of Marion County — Topographical and General 
Description — Geology of the County — The Indian Oc- 
cupation l 

CHAPTER II. 

Special Features of the City of Indianapolis — Area and 
Present Condition — General View and Historical Outline 10 

CHAPTER III. 

First Period — Early Settlements — Organization of Marion 
County and Erection of Townships — Erection of Public 
Buildings — Notable Brents and Incidents of the Early 
Settlement and of Later Tears — Opening of Koads — 
Original Entries of Lands in the County 21 

CHAPTER IV. 

Social Condition of the Early Settlers — Amusements — Re- 
ligious Worship — Music — General Description of Pio- 
neer Life in Marion County — Diseases once Prevalent 
— -Causes of Diminution 68 

CHAPTER V. 
Second Period — The Capital in the Woods 96 

CHAPTER VI. 
City op Indianapolis 132 

CHAPTER VII. 

City or Indianapolis {Continued). 
Commercial and Mercantile Interests of the City 151 

CHAPTER VIII. 

City of Indianapolis (Continued). 

The Bench and Bar 169 

CHAPTER IX. 
City op Indianapolis (Continued). 
'■'". Banki rs, and Insurance. ., 215 



CHAPTER X. 

City of Indianapolis ( Continued). 



The Press. 



CHAPTER XI. 
City op Indianapolis (Continued). 
Public Buildings— Public Halls— Theatres— Lectures- 
Concerts— Musical and Art Societies — Literary and 
other Clubs— Hotels 249 

CHAPTER XII. 

City of Indianapolis (Continued). 

Medical Practice and Practitioners 274 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Military Matters. 
Military Organizations in Indianapolis— Marion County 
in the War of the Rebellion 300 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Marion County in the War of the ReBSLLioN. 
Sketches of the Services of Regiments— Roster of Officers 
and Enlisted Men from Marion County serving in the 
Several Regiments ^^2 

CHAPTER XV. 
Orders, Societies, and Charitable Institutions of In- 
dianapolis ^^^ 

CHAPTER XVI. 
Churches op Indianapolis 387 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Schools and Libraries of Indianapolis 417 

CHAPTER XVIII. 

MANUPACTTjRiNa Interests op the City of Indianapolis 440 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER XIX. 




CHAPTER XXIV. 






PAQE 




PAGE 




.... 486 


Peeey Township 

CHAPTER XXV. 


575 


CHAPTER XX 








.... 501 




596 


CHAPTER XXI. 




CHAPTER XXVI. 




Decatur Township 


.... 506 


Warren Township 


613 


CHAPTER XXII. 




CHAPTER XXVII. 






.... 519 




623 


CHAPTER XXIII. 




CHAPTER XXVIII. 






.... 534 


Watne Township 


647 




ILLUSTRATIONS. 



PAGE 

''Aston, George W facing 603 

Atkins,E.C " 470 

« Atkins, B.C. & Co., Works of. " 469 

Ayres, Levi " 606 

«3^nk of Commerce 218 

Bates, Hervey facing 35 

Beaty,David Sanford " 154 

Bell, "W. A 426 

Eessonies, J. F. A 410 

Bird, Abram facing 155 

Blake, James *' 86 

Bobbs, John S " '281 

Brown, Hiram 171 

Brown, S. M facing 296 

Butler, John M " 204 

Butler, Ovid " 176 

Canby, Samuel " 502 

Carey, Jason S , *' 461 

Carey, Simeon B "' 159 

Caven, John " 209 

.Chamber of Commerce 167 

Comingor, J. A facing 284 

Compton, J. A " 288 

Cooper, John J "'' 218 

_ Dean Brothers, Works of " 467 

Defrees, John D " 240 

Douglass, John 235 

Dumont, Ebenezer 308 

Duncan, Robert B 174 

Edson, H. A ; facing 398 

"Emigrant Scene 73 

tjEvans, I. P. & Co., Manufactory of facing 482 

Fletcher, Calvin, Sr " 169 

Fletcher, M. J " 440 

Fletcher, S. A., Jr " 468 

Fletcher, S. A., Sr " 219 

Fletcher, W. B " 285 

Funkhouser, David " 279 

Gall, Alois D " 293 

Gordon, J. W " 180 

Griffith, Humphrey " 161 



PAOX 

Hannah, Samuel facing 216 

Hannaman, William " 163 

Harvey, T. B " 282 

Haughey, Theo. P 227 

Haymond, W. S facing 290 

Henderson, William " 205 

Hendricks, Thomas A " 200 

Hetherington, B. F " 466 

Holland, J. W 154 

Holliday, William A facing 392 

Holmes, W. C " 226 

Howard, Edward " 291 

Howland, E. J " 605 

Howland, Morris " 595 

Hyde, N. A 414 

Indianapolis in 1820 facing 30 

Johnson, James " 665 

Johnson, Oliver " 646 

Johnson, William 158 

Jones, Aquilla facing 474 

Kingan & Co between 444, 445 

Lilly, J. 0. D facing 48P 

Macy, David , " 229 

Malott, V. T , " 224 

Mansur, Isaiah *< 225 

Marion County Court-House " 250 

Marion County Court-House in 1823 251 

McCarty, Nicholas facing 99 

McDonald, J. E " 202 

McGaughey, Samuel " 297 

McKernan, J. H " 166 

McLaughlin, 6. H... " 40( 

McOuat, R. L " 160 

Merritt, George " 478 

Moore, John " 503 

Moore, Thomas " 504 

Morris, Morris " 217 

Morris, T. A " 301 

Morton, Oliver P " igg 

Mothershead, John L " 278 

National Road Bridge over White River 108 

vii 



ILLUSTRATIONS. 



New, George W facing 292 

Norwood, George " 442 

Palmer, N. B " 215 

Parry, Charles " 276 

Patterson, S. J " 441 

Pattison, C. B " 157 

Peck, B. J " 156 

Perkins, S. E " 182 

Piel, William F " 452 

Porter, A. G " 206 

Ramsay, John F " 165 

Ray, James M ^. " 105 

Ritzinger, Frederick " 230- 

Rockwood, William " 472 

Root, Deloss " 465 

Schooley, Thomas " 533 

Sharpe, Thomas H " 220 

Site of Union Passenger Depot in 1838 137 

Sinker, E. T facing 464 

Spiegel, Augustus " 456 



PAOE 

Streight, A. D facing 314 

Sullivan, Wm " 178 

Thomas, John " 471 

Talbott, W. H " 162 

Todd, R. N " 283 

Tomlinson, Geo " 596 

Toon, Martin S " 534 

■-tJnited States Arsenal " 305 

Vance, L. M " 153 

'Wagon-Train on National Road 95 

Walker, Isaac C facing 286 

Walker, Jacob S 164 

-Walker, John C facing 294 

^Washington Street, Views of 266 and 267 

Wood, John 152 

»Woodburn "Sarven Wheel" Co facing 460 

Woollen, Wm.W " 214 

Wright, C. E " 287 

Yandes, Baniel , " 100 



BIOGRAPHICAL. 



PAGE 

Atkins, E. 469 

AjreSf Levi 506 

Barbour, Lucian 214a 

Bates, Herrej 35 

Beaty, David Sanford 153 

Bell, W. A 426 

Bessonies, J. F. A 409 

Bird, Abram 155 

Blake, James 86 

Bobbs, John S „ 281 

Bradley, John H 214b 

Brown. Hiram 171 

Brown, John G 505 

Brown, S. M 296 

Butler, John M 204 

Butler, Ovid 175 

Canby, Samuel 503 

Carey, H. & 228 

Carey, Jason S 461 

Carey, Simeon B 159 

Caven, John 209 

Coburn, John 214c 

Comingor, J. A 284 

Compton, J. A 288 

Cooper, John J 217 

Culley, David V 236 

Defrees, John D 239 

Douglass, John 235 

Dumont, Ebenezer 308 

Duncan, Robert B 174 

Edson, H. A 397 

Elliott, B. K 214d 

Finch, F. M 214d 

Fletcher, Calvin, Sr 169 

Fletcher, M. J 440 

Fletcher, S. A., Sr 219 

Fletcher, S. A., Jr 468 

Fletcher, W. B 285 

Fu--" houoer, David 279 

Alois D 293 

), J. W 180 



Griffith, Humphrey 

Hannah, Samuel 

Hannaman, William 

Harrison, Gen. Benjamin., 

Harvey, T. B 

Haughey, Theodore P , 

Haymond, W. S 

Henderson, William 

Hendricks, A. W..... 

Hendricks, Thomas A 

Hetherington, B. F 

Hines, Judge 

Holland, J. W 

Holman, John A 

Holmes, W.C 

HolUday, William A 

Herd, Oscar B , 

Howard, Edward 

Howland, E. J 

Howland, Morris 

Hyde, N. A 

Jameson, Patrick H 

Johnson, James 

\Johnson, Oliver 

Johnson, William 

Jones, Aquilla 

Knefler, Fred 

Lilly, J. 0. D 

Macy, David 

Malott, V. T 

Mansur, Isaiah 

McDonald, J. E , 

McCarty, Nicholas 

McGaughey, Samuel 

McKernan, J. H 

McLaughlin, G. H , 

McOuat, R. L 

Merritt, George 

Moore, John 

Moore, Thomas 

Morris, Morris 



PAGT. 

161 

215 

162 

214l 

282 

226 

290 

205 

214p 

199 ] 

i6o 

154 

186 
226 
392 ) 



158 

474 

214e 

480 

229 

223 

225 

201 

.•^97 
165 
' 399 
160 
4'78 
503 
504 



BIOGRAPHICAL. 



"irton, Oliver P 186 

lorris, T. A 301 

ifothershead, John L 278 

Neweomb, Horatio C 214a 

'•', w, George W.. 292 

New, John C 214F 

Norwood, George 442 

O'Neal, Hugh 214a 

"aimer, N. B 215 

Parry, Charles 276 

Patterson, S. J 441 

Pattison, C. B 157 

Perkins, S. E 182 

Peek, E. J 156 

Porter, A. G 206 

liel, William F 453 

Quarles, William 214a 

Kamsay, John F 163 

Bay, James M 105 

Ritzinger, Frederick 230 

Boot, Deloss 465 

Rockwood, William 472 

fchooley, Thomas 533 



PAOX 

Sharpe, Thomas H 220 

Sinker, E. T 464 

Spiegel, Augustus 456 

Streight, A. D 314 

Sullivan, William 178 

Talbott, W. H 162 

Taylor, N. B 214o 

Thomas, John 471 

Todd, R. N 283 

Tomlinson, George 596 

Toon, Martin S : 533 

Vance, L. M 153 

Walker, Isaac C 286 

Walker, Jacob S 164 

Walker, John C 294 

Wallace, David 203 

Wallace, William 214b 

Wishard, William W 594 

Wood, John 152 

Wright, C. E 287 

Woollen, William W 213 

Yandes, Daniel 100 



HISTOEY 

or 

INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



CHAPTER I. 

Location of Marion County — Topographical and General De- 
scription — Geology of the County — The Indian Occupation. 

Marion County, in which is the city of Indian- 
apolis, the capital of Indiana, occupies a central posi- 
tion in the State (as is mentioned more particularly 
hereafter), and is bounded on the north by the coun- 
ties of Boone and Hamilton, on the east by Hancock 
and Shelby, on the south by Morgan and Johnson, 
and on the west by Hendricks County. Its shape 
would be almost an exact square but for an inac- 
curacy in the government survey, which makes a pro- 
jection of four miles or sections in length by about 
three-fourths of a mile in width at the northeast 
corner into the adjoining county of Hancock, with a 
recess on the opposite side of equal length, and about 
one-fourth of the width, occupied by a similar pro- 
jection from Hendricks County. The civil townships 
of the county follow the lines of the Congressional 
townships in direction, except at the division of the 
townships of Decatur and Perry, which follows the 
line of White River, taking off a considerable area of 
the former and adding it to the latter township. 
The area of the county is about two hundred and 
sixty thousand acres. 

Topography and General Features. — Indian- 
apolis, which is the county-seat of Marion as well as 
the State capital, lies in latitude 39° 55', longitude 
86° 5', very nearly in the centre of the State and 
county. Mr. Samuel Merrill makes it two miles 
northwest of the centre of the State, and one mile 
1 



southwest of the centre of the county. Professor 
R. T. Brown's Official Survey, in the " State Geol- 
ogist's Report,'' regards the entire county as part of a 
great plain, nowhere, however, actually level over any 
considerable areas, with an average elevation above 
low water in the river of about one hundred and sev- 
enty-five feet, and of eight hundred and sixty above 
the sea-level. Occasional elevations run to more than 
two hundred feet above the river-level, and probably 
to nine hundred above the sea. The West Fork of 
White River, running for twenty-two miles in a 
very tortuous course twenty degrees east of north snd 
west of south, divides the county unequally, the 
western fraction being little more than half as large 
as the eastern, or one-third of the whole area. The 
river valley varies from one to four miles in width, 
presenting a bluff ou the west side of fifty to two 
hundred feet through most of its extent, and qn 
the east side a gentle slope. Where the bluff comes 
up to the water on one side the " bottom" recedes on 
the other, sometimes swampy, and frequently cut up 
by "bayous" or supplementary outlets for freshets. 
The current is on the bluff side, usually deep, swift, 
and clear. Occasionally the low "bottom" land comes 
up to the water on both banks, but not frequently. 
There are many gentle slopes and small elevations in 
and ai'ound the city, but nothing that deserves the 
name of hill, except " Crown Hill," at the cemetery 
north of the city, and one or two smaller protuber- 
ances a mile or two south. All the streams that drain 
this undulating plain flow in a general southwesterly 
direction on the east side of the river, and south- 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



v 



easterly on the west side, proving, as the first secre- 
tary of the State Board of Health says, that Indian- 
apolis lies in a basin, the grade higher on all sides 
than is the site of the city, except where the river 
makes its exit from the southwest. 

Subordinate Valleys. — Dr. Brown says that " the 
'acial action, which left a heavy deposit of transported 
joiaterial over the whole surface of the county, has at 
the same time plowed out several broad valleys of 
erosion, which appear to be tributary to the White 
River Valley." The most conspicuous of these comes 
down from the northeast, between Fall Creek and 
White River, is about a mile wide at the lower end, 
narrowing to the northeast for six or seven miles, and 
disappearing near the northern line of the county. 
The grinding force has cut away the surface clay, and 
in places filled the holes with gravel and coarse sand. 
South of the city and east of the river are two other 
valleys of the same kind. One, about a mile wide, 
extends from White River, a little north of Glenn's 
Valley, about five miles to the northeast, with well- 
defined margins composed of gravel terraces. The 
other lies chiefly in the county south of Marion, and 
between it and the first-mentioned is a ridge called 
Poplar Hill, composed of sand and gravel on a bed of 
lue clay. West of the river there is but one of these 
lleys. It begins in Morgan County, and running 
little north of east enters Marion County, passing 
tween West Newton and Valley Mills, and connect- 
with White River Valley near the mouth of 
llarhide Creek. A water-shed between the tribu- 
taries of the West Fork of White River and the East 
Fork, or Driftwood, enters the county two miles from 
the southeast corner, passing nearly north about 
twelve miles, makes an eastward bend and passes out 
of the county. Unlike water-sheds generally, this 
one is not a ridge or considerable elevation, but a 
marshy region overflowed in heavy rains, when it is 
likely enough the overflow runs into either river as 
chance or the wind directs it. These swampy sections 
lying high are readily drained, and make excellent 
farming land. 

Streams. — Except Eagle Creek and its affluents, 
there are no considerable streams entering the river 
in the county on the west side. There are Crooked 



Creek north of Eagle, and Dollarhide Creek south, 
and several still smaller and unnamed, except for 
neighborhood convenience, but they are little more 
than wet weather " branches," or drains of swampy 
sections. Dr. Brown explains this paucity of water- 
courses by the fact that a large stream called White 
Lick rises northwest, flows along, partly in Hendricks 
and partly in Marion Counties, parallel with the course 
of the river, and enters the latter in Morgan County, 
thus cutting oflF the eastward course of minor streams 
by receiving their waters itself On the east side of 
the river, which contains nearly two-thirds of the area 
of the county, a considerable stream called Grass Creek 
runs almost directly south for a dozen or more miles 
very near the eastern border of the county, and finally 
finds its way into the East Fork. It has a half-dozen 
or more little tributaries, as Buck Creek, Panther 
Run, Indian Creek, Big Run, Wild Cat and Doe 
Creek. Of the east side streams tributary to the 
West Fork of White River — far better known as 
White River than the short course of the combined 
East and West Forks to the Wabash — Fall Creek is 
much the most considerable. Except it, but a single 
small stream called Dry Run enters the river north 
of the city. Fall Creek enters the county very near 
the northeast corner, and flowing almost southwest- 
erly enters the river now near the northwest corner 
of the city. It formerly entered west of the centre 
of the city, but a " cut-ofi"" was made nearly a mile 
or more farther north for hygienic and economic 
reasons, and the mouth has thus been shifted con- 
siderably. The main tributaries of Fall Creek are 
Mud Creek on the north, and North Fork, Middle 
Fork, Dry Branch, and Indian Creek east and south. 
The duplication of names of streams will be observed. 
There are two Buck Creeks, two Dry, two Lick (one 
White), two Indian, and two Eagle Creeks in the 
county. As few of these names are suggested by 
any special feature of the stream or countrj', except 
Fall Creek, which is named from the falls at Pendle- 
ton, and Mud and Dry Creeks, the duplication may 
be set down to the whims of the pioneers. South of 
the city, on the east side of the river, the streams 
flowing directly into the river are Pogue's Creek, 
passing directly through the city; Pleasant Run, 



TOPOGEAPHY AND GENEKAL FEATURES. 



mainly east and south, but cutting into the southeast 
corner of the city (Bean Creek is tributary to the 
latter), Lick Creek, and Buck Creek. 

Bottom Lands. — The valley of White River, says 
the OflScial Survey, is divided into alluvium or bottom 
land proper and the terrace or second bottom. In 
that portion of the valley that lies north of the mouth 
of Eagle Creek it consists chiefly of second bottom, 
while the first bottom largely predominates in the 
southern portion. Much of this latter is subject to 
overflow in times of freshets, so that while the soil is 
exceedingly fertile and easy of cultivation a crop is 
never safe. Levees have been made for considerable 
distances below the city, on the river and on some of 
the larger creeks, to remedy the mischief of overflows, 
but, the Survey says, with only partial success. The 
primary difficulty is the tortuous courses of the 
streams, and of the river particularly, that runs a 
distance of sixteen miles to the lower county line, 
which is but nine in a straight line. This not only 
diminishes the fall per mile, but the water, moving 
in curves and reversed curves, loses its momentum, 
the current becomes sluggish, and when freshets 
come the accumulation overflows the low banks, and 
covers large districts of cultivable and cultivated 
land, to the frequent serious injury of crops, and the 
occasional destruction of crops, fences, and stock. 
A straightened channel would increase the fall and 
the strength of the current, and in the sandy forma- 
tion of the beds of most of the streams would soon 
cut a way deep enough to secure the larger part of 
the land against overflow. This would be cheaper 
than making levees along a crooked course that re- 
quired two miles of work to protect one of direct 
length, but it would have to be carried out by a con- 
cert of action on the part of riparian proprietors, 
which would be hard to efi"ect, and it would also di- 
vide a good many farms that are now bounded by 
original lines of survey terminating at the river, 
which was made a navigable stream by law but not 
by nature. Changing the bed would confuse the 
numbers of sections, and possibly disturb some land 
titles. This objection is presented to this policy in 
Professor Brown's Survey, but an act of the Legisla- 
ture might open a way for concerted action, and pro- 



vide against the confusion of lines and disturbance of 
rights. 

Flora. — The central region of Indiana was a favor- 
ite hunting-ground of the Indian tribes that sold it 
in 1818. Its woods and waters were unusually full 
of game. There were no prairies of any extent and 
not many swamps. The entire surface was densely 
covered with trees. On the uplands, which were 
dry and rolling, the sugar, white and blue ash, black 
walnut, white walnut or butternut, white oak, red 
beech, poplar, wild cherry prevailed ; on the more 
level uplands were bur-oak, white elm, hickory, white 
beech, water ash, soft maple, and others ; on the first 
and second bottoms, sycamore, buckeye, black wal- 
nut, blue ash, hackberry, and mulberry. Grape- 
vines, bearing abundantly the small, pulpless acid 
fruit called " coon" grapes, grew profusely in the 
bottoms, covering the largest trees, and furnishing 
more than ample stores for the preserves and pies of 
the pioneer women. Under all these larger growths, 
especially in the bottoms, there were dense crops of 
weeds, among which grew equally dense thickets of 
spice-brush, — the backwoods substitute for tea, — 
papaw, wahoo, wild plum, hazel, sassafras, red and 
black haw, leatherwood, prickly ash, red-bud, dog- 
wood, and others. The chief weed growths, says 
Professor Brown, were nettles and pea-vines matted 
together, but with these were Indian turnip, — the 
most acrid vegetable on earth probably,- — ginseng, 
cohosh, lobelia, and, in later days, perfect forests of 
iron-weeds. There are a good many small remains of 
these primeval forests scattered through the county, 
with here and there patches of the undergrowth, and 
not a few nut-trees, walnut, hickory, and butternut, 
but the hazel, the spicewood, the sassafras, the plum 
and black haw and papaw are never seen anywhere 
near the city, and not frequently anywhere in the 
county. The Indian turnip is occasionally found, 
but ginseng has disappeared as completely as the 
mound-builders, though in the last generation it was 
an article of considerable commercial importance. 

Fauna. — The principal animals in these primeval 
woods were the common black bear, the black and 
gray wolf, the bufialo, deer, raccoon, opossum, fox, 
gray and red squirrels, rabbits, mink, weasel, of land 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



quadrupeds ; of the water, otter, beaver, muskrat ; 
of birds, the wild turkey, wild goose, wild duck, wild 
pigeon, pheasant, quail, dove, and all the train of 
wood birds which the English sparrow has so largely 
driven off, — the robin, bluebird, jaybird, woodpecker, 
tomtit, sap-sucker, snowbird, thrush. For twenty 
years or more laws have protected the game birds, 
and there is said to be a marked increase of quail 
in the last decade, but there is hardly any other kind 
of game bird, unless it be an occasional wild pigeon, 
snipe, or wild duck. Buzzards, hawks, crows, owls, 
blackbirds are not frequently seen now near the city, 
though they were all abundant once. Flocks of black- 
birds and wild pigeons occasionally pass along, but 
not numerously enough to attract the hunter. In 
fact, there is very little worth hunting in the county, 
except rabbits, quail, and remote squirrels. For fish 
the game varieties are almost wholly confined to the 
bass and red-eye. Water scavengers like the '■ cat" 
and " sucker" are thick and big in the off-flow of the 
city pork-houses, and in the season form do inconsider- 
able portion of the flesh-food of the class that will 
fish for them, but game fish must be sought for from 
five to ten miles from the city. In early days, and 
for the first twenty-five years of the existence of the 
city, the river and its larger affluents supplied ample 
provision of excellent fish, — bass, pike, buffalo, red- 
eye, salmon rarely, and the cleaner class of inferior 
fish, as " red-horse," suckers, cats, eels ; but the im- 
providence of pioneers, who never believed that any 
natural supply of food could fail, and the habits ac- 
quired from them, particularly the destructiveness of 
seining, has reduced the food population of streams 
till it needs stringent laws, and the vigilance of asso- 
ciations formed to enforce the laws, to prevent total 
extirpation. Even with these supports it will take 
careful and prolonged efforts at restocking to repro- 
duce anything like the former abundance. 

Mineral Springs. — Although they form no con- 
spicuous feature of the topography of the county, 
and have never been used medicinally, except by the 
neighbors, it may be well to note that there are a few 
springs of a mineral and hygienic character in the 
county, where the underground currents of water rise 
through crevices in the overlying bed of clay. One 



of these, called the Minnewa Springs, in Lawrence 
township, a mile and a half northeast of the little 
town of Lawrence, was talked of at one time as ca- 
pable of being made a favorite resort, and some steps 
were taken in that direction, but nothing came of 
them. Another very like it is within a half-mile of 
the same town. Southwest of the city is one on the 
farm of an old settler that has been famous in the 
neighborhood as a " sulphur spring" for fifty years. 
A couple of miles nearer the city is another on the 
farm of Fielding Beeler, which Professor Brown 
says is the largest in the county. " It forms a wet 
prairie or marsh of several acres, from which by 
ditching a large stream of water is made to fiow." 
The water of all these springs contains iron enough 
to be readily tasted, and to stain the vessels that are 
used in it, and this peculiarity gives it the misname 
of sulphur water. 

Swamps. — There were once considerable areas of 
marshy land, or land kept wet by the overflow of ad- 
jacent streams, but many of these have been entirely 
drained, and considerable portions of others larger 
and less convenient for drainage. With them have 
measurably disappeared the malarial diseases that in 
the first settlement of the city, and for a good many 
years after, came back as regularly as the seasons. 
There is not, probably, a single acre of land in the 
county that is not cultivable or capable of being 
made so. Between three and four miles southwest 
of city lay a swampy tract, nearly a mile long by a 
quarter or more wide, entirely destitute of trees, 
which was long known in the vicinity as " the prairie," 
the only approach to a prairie in the county. 

Geology of the County.^ — Marion County rests 
on three distinct geological members, two of them be- 
longing to the Devonian formation and one to the 
Carboniferous. Neither, however, shows itself con- 
spicuously on the surface. Upon these lies a deposit 
of drift, or ti'ansported material, from fifty to one 
hundred and fifty feet thick. This forms the surface 
of the country, and moulds its general configuration. 
But the rock foundation, in spite of the depth of the 

1 Condensed from Professor R. L. Brown's Official Survey, in 
the Report of Professor John Collett, State Geologist. 



GEOLOGY OF THE COUNTY. 



drift upon it, aflfects the face of the country some- 
what, most obviously along the line where the Knob 
sandstone overlaps the Genesee shale. The line of 
strike dividing the geological members traverses the 
county on a line from the south thirty degrees north- 
west. This line, as it divides the Corniferous lime- 
stone from the Genesee shale or black slate, passes 
between the city and the Hospital for the Insane, 
two miles west. Borings in the city reach the lime- 
stone at a depth of sixty to one hundred feet. It is 
the first rock encountered in place. At the hospital 
forty feet of shale was passed' through before reach- 
ing the limestone. This shows the eastern part of 
the county as resting on the Corniferous limestone, 
and the western on the Delphi black slate or Gen- 
esee shale. Under a small area of the southwestern 
corner of the county the Knob or Carboniferous 
sandstone will be found covering the slate. On a 
sand-bar in the river, a short distance north of the 
Johnson County line. Professor Brown noticed after 
a freshet large pieces of slate that had been thrown 
out, indicating that the river had laid bare that rock 
at some near point. This gives the level of the bed 
of the river in the lower half of its course through 
the county. But a short distance west of the west 
line of the county some of the small tributaries of 
White Lick lay bare the lower members of the 
Knob sandstone. There are indications both on 
Pogue's Kun and Pleasant Run that the limestone 
lies very near- their beds, but it is not likely that stone 
can ever be profitably quarried in the county. Geo- 
logical interest attaches to the deep deposits of drift 
that cover the stratified rocks. 

Drift. — The drift that covers our great Western 
plains, continues Dr. Brown's Survey, is foreign in 
character and general in deposition. . It is not a pro- 
miscuous deposit of clay, sand, water-worn pebbles, 
and bowlders, like the Eastern glacial drift. These 
are all found in it, but with nearly as much regu- 
larity and order as is usually found in stratified rocks. 
At the base of this formation is almost invariably 
found a very compact lead-colored clay, with but few 
bowlders, and those invariably composed of quartzite, 
highly metamorphosed or trap rocks. Occasionally 
may be found thin deposits of very fine gray or yel- 



low sand, but they are not uniform. Between the 
clay and the rocks on which it rests is generally in- 
terposed a layer of coarse gravel or small silioious 
bowlders, from three to six feet thick. Sometimes, 
but rarely, this is wanting, and the clay lies directly 
upon the rock. In Marion County this clay-bed 
ranges from ■ twenty to more than a hundred feet 
thick, and is very uniform in character throughout, 
except where the light strata or fine sand occur. 
Chemically it is an alumina silicate in a very fine 
state of division, and mechanically mixed with an 
exceedingly fine sand, which shows under the micro- 
scope as fragments of almost transparent quartz. It 
is colored by a proto-sulphide of iron. A small por- 
tion of lime and potassa and a trace of phosphoric 
acid can be discovered by analysis. Above this is 
generally found a few feet of coarse sand or fine 
gravel, and on this is twenty or thirty feet of a true 
glacial drift, of the promiscuous character of the 
glacial drift described by Eastern geologists. In and 
upon this drift are large bowlders of granite, gneiss, 
and trap, which are not found in their proper place 
nearer than the shore of Lake Superior, whence they 
have been carried, as is attested by the grooves and 
scratches in the exposed rock surfaces over which 
they have passed. In this upper drift are the gravel 
terraces, from which is obtained our best available 
material for road-making. The mass of it is a yellow 
or orange-colored clay, with a considerable quantity 
of sand, and lime enough to make the water passing 
through it hard. There is an astonishing number 
and size of bowlders in and upon this clay-bed. Two 
were measured by Dr. Brown which were nearly ten 
feet long by five wide, with four feet exposed above 
ground, and nobody knows how much below. In a 
few places bowlders are so thickly scattered as to ob- 
struct cultivation. In the central and northern por- 
tions of the county they are almost invariably of 
granite, in the south generally of gneiss or trap. 

Gravel Ten-aces.^The gravel terraces are gen- 
erally found in a succession of mound-like elevations, 
ten to fifty feet above the level of the surrounding 
plain, and usually rest on a compact clay. They are 
frequently arranged in lines running north, a little 
northeast and southwest. North of these mounds is 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



generally found a considerable space of level and 
often swampy lands, indicating the position of a 
mass of ice, under which a torrent has rushed with 
great force, excavating the clay below, piling up the 
heavier gravel and sand, and carrying the lighter clay 
and finer sand to be distributed over the country. 
When the ice disappeared the excavation would be a 
little lake, finally filled up with the lighter material 
borne from other terraces farther north. These ter- 
race formations, or " second bottoms," bordering the 
river on one side or the other nearly everywhere, 
have almost the same character and history as the 
gravel-beds of the uplands. They consist of deposits 
of gravel and coarse sand, resting on the lower blue 
clay, into which the river has cut its present channel. 
Formerly these plains, frequently three or four miles 
wide, were regarded as lake-like expansions of the 
river which had been silted up by its sediment, but 
an inspection of the material shows that the water 
from which the deposit was made was no quiet lake, 
but a current strong enough to bear onward all 
lighter material, leaving only the heavier gravel and 
sand behind. 

Lower Blue Clay. — The Official Survey concludes 
that the lower blue clay was deposited before the 
strata of clay, sand, and gravel that rest upon it, and 
are clearly traceable to glacial action, and that the 
conditions of its deposit were very different from the 
rush and tumult of water pouring from a melting 
glacier, though evidently deposited from water. The 
greater part of the material is very fine, and could 
have come only from very quiet waters, and from very 
deep waters too, as its compactness and solidity prove 
the existence of great pressure necessary to the pro- 
duction of those qualities. Besides the superposition 
of the glacial strata, the precedent deposition of the 
lower blue clay is indicated by the fact that the 
glacial action, exhibited over the whole surface of the 
country, made excavations in it by undermining cur- 
rents from dissolving glaciers which now form the 
small lakes so numerous in the northern part of the 
State. The southern end of Lake Michigan rests on 
this clay, and is excavated into it to an unknown 
depth. Another fact attesting the deposit of the 
lower clay anterior to the grinding and crushing era 



of moving mountains of ice, is the discovery at the 
bottom of it of the unbroken remains of coniferous 
trees, probably cypress or hemlock. In digging wells 
in the county logs ten to fifteen inches in diameter, 
well preserved, have been found. Glacial action ac- 
companying or following the deposit of these trees 
would have crushed them. Dr. Brown suggests a 
theory of the deposition of this clay-bed. If the 
glacial era was preceded by an upheaval that raised 
the region of the Arctic Circle above the line of per- 
petual congelation, there would necessarily have been 
a corresponding depression south of the elevation, 
which would be an inland sea of fresh water. During 
the whole period of the progress of this upheaval 
north and sinking south (in our region) torrents of 
water loaded with sediment would have rushed down 
and filled the huge hollow. As the waters became 
quiet the sediment would be slowly deposited. The 
color of the clay, caused by the combination of sul- 
phur and iron, proves that these waters were originally 
charged with sulphurous gases produced by volcanic 
agencies. The presence of these gases explains the 
absence of life in this fresh-water sea till the sulphur- 
tainted sediment was entirely deposited, when the in- 
creasing cold would cover it with an impervious crust 
of ice, cutting ofi' all access of air and the possibility 
of life. There are no fossil remains in the clay. With 
the end of the Ice Age came a reversal of conditions, 
the northern regions sinking, those about here rising 
and pouring their waters southward into the Gulf of 
Mexico in furious torrents strengthened b}' the melt- 
ing of great masses of ice, thus furnishing much of 
the material of the Mississippi delta, and leaving 
marks of denudation on the hills of Kentucky, Ten- 
nessee, and Alabama. 

Economical Service of the Clay -Bed. — This lower 
clay stratum when exposed to the air for a few years 
undergoes chemical changes which make it the basis 
of a very fertile soil. Frost breaks down its adhe- 
siveness and makes it a mass of crumbling, porous 
earth. The oxygen of the air converts the sulphur 
into an acid which unites with the potash and lime 
accessible to it and makes slowly-soluble salts of them, 
which supply valuable elements of fertility for years 
of cultivation, needing only organic matter to be 



GEOLOaY OF THE COUNTY. 



available at once for use. It is an excellent absorbent 
owing to the fineness of its material, and might be 
advantageously used in composting manures, as it 
would retain ammonia as sulphate. Of greater value, 
at least to the city, than its fertilizing quality is its 
action as a filter,- securing an inexhaustible supply of 
pure water in the bowlders and gravel beneath it. In 
a region as level as Marion County, and as prolific of 
vegetation, the surface water must become charged 
with organic matter, which the porous upper strata of 
soil, sand and clay, but imperfectly retain, so that 
the water of springs and shallow wells is rarely so 
pure as to be suitable for domestic use. These im- 
purities are, of course, increased in the vicinity of 
residences, barns, and stables, and still more in cities, 
where there are large quantities of excrementitious 
matter. Surface water more or less tainted in this 
way is readily absorbed by the porous soil, and may 
reach the bottom of wells of twenty feet in depth. 
Against the inevitable and incalculable evil of a cor- 
rupted water supply, as that of Indianapolis would be 
if there were no other resource than the surface water 
of shallow wells, this blue clay stratum is an ample 
and admirable provision. It acts as a filter to the 
reservoir in the gravel and bowlder bed beneath it. 
The water there is free from organic matter, though 
always sufficiently tainted with iron to be easily tasted 
and to color vessels used in it. This iron taint is an 
invariable characteristic of the water filtered through 
this blue clay, and gives the popular reputation of 
mineral water to springs of it that rise through fis- 
sures in the clay to the surface. The best known of 
these springs have been already referred to. In the 
city and several places outside of it wells have been 
sunk to the sub-clay water through sixty-seven to one 
hundred and eight feet, the water rising to various 
distances from the surface from eight to forty feet. 
The blue clay stratum runs from eight to sixty feet 
in thickness. The reservoir of water under this clay 
has no outlet except through openings in the clay^ 
and in consequence can never be exhausted by natural 
drainage. To a large manufacturing centre like In- 
dianapolis the power derived from water in stream or 
steam is indispensable, and that, says the Survey, " we 
have under every acre of land in Marion County." 



Character of Soil. — The glacial drift furnishes 
the material for a soil that meets every demand of 
agriculture. Says the Survey, " Being formed by the 
decomposition of almost every variety of rock, it 
holds the elements of all in such a state of fine divis- 
ion as to give it excellent absorbent properties, and 
enables it to retain whatever artificial fertilizers may 
be added. In its natural state the soil of the county 
generally has but one prominent defect, — the very fine 
material of which it is made lying so nearly level is 
easily saturated with water, and having no drainage 
below, except by slow filtration through the clay, is 
kept wet longer than usual. This necessitates the 
escape of a great part of it by surface' evaporation, 
and this, especially in spring, delays the warming of 
the soil and its early preparation for summer crops. 
The condition of saturation has an unfavorable effect 
on the vegetable matter in the soil, excluding it from 
free contact with the air, and arresting its rapid de- 
composition, often changing it into humic acid, a 
chemical product injurious to crops. In the first and 
second bottom lands this defect is remedied by a 
stratum of gravel or coarse sand a few feet below the 
surface, which rapidly passes the water downwards 
and relieves the saturated surface. The same effect 
is produced on the clay uplands by a system of tile 
drainage. 

Ideal Section of the County. — The following 
measurements of the different strata of an ideal sec- 
tion of the county are given by Dr. Brown from natu- 
ral sections, borings, and excavations made in different 
parts of the county. Beginning with the most recent 
formations, we have : 

Transported Material. 

1. Alluvium, or bottom land.... from 10 to 20 feet. 

2. Terrace formations, gravel 

and sand from 50 to 100 feet. 

3. True bowlder clay (glacial) . from 40 to 110 feet. 

4. Blue sedimentary clay and 

sand from 20 to 120 feet. 

5. Bowlders and gravel from 5 to 15 feet. 

Roch in Place. 

6. Knob sandstone (Carboniferous) 25 feet. 

7. Genesee slate (Devonian) 80 feet. 

8. Corniferous limestone (Devonian) 50 feet. 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



The oorniferous lime.stone has been penetrated 
fifty feet, but its entire thickness at this point is 
undetermined, as its eastern outcrop is concealed by 
the heavy drift deposit. Nos. 1, 2, 6, and 7 underlie 
only portions of the county ; the other members are 
general in their distribution. 

The Indian Occupation, — The State of Indiana 
formed the central and largest portion of the terri- 
tory " held by the Miami Confederacy from time im- 
memorial," as Little Turtle, who led the Indians in 
St. Clair's defeat, told Gen. Wayne. There were but 
four tribes in this Confederacy, the leading one being 
the Miamis, or, in early times, the Twightwees ; but 
divisions of four others quite as well known by his- 
tory and tradition were allowed entrance and resi- 
dence, — the Shawanese, Delawares, Kickapoos, and 
Pottawatomies. The Delawares occupied the region 
in and around Marion County, but the abundance of 
fish and game made it a favorite hunting-ground of 
all the tribes from the valley of the White Water, or 
Wah-he-ne-pay, to the valley of the White River, 
the Wah-me-ca-me-ca. On this account it was ob- 
stinately held by the Confederacy, and only surren- 
dered by the treaty of St. Mary's, 1818.^ One of the 
principal Delaware towns stood on the bluff of White 
River, at the Johnson County line, where, says Pro- 
fessor Brown, was the residence of Big Fire, a lead- 
ing Delaware chief and friend of the whites. A 
blunder of ignorance or brutality came near making 
an enemy of him in 1812, as Cresap or Greathouse 
did of Logan in 1774. A band of Shawanese, an 
affiliated tribe of the Confederacy, but residing far- 
ther south, between the East Fork of White River 
(the Grun-da-quah) and the Ohio, acting doubtless on 
the hostile impulse imparted by the great chief of 
the tribe, Tecumseh, massacred a white settlement at 
the Pigeon Roost, in Scott County, in 1812. The 
Madison Rangers in revenge penetrated to Big Fire's 
town, on the southern line of the county, and de- 
stroyed it. It would seem that there should have 
been little difficulty, to men as familiar with the loca- 
tions and modes of warfare of the Indians as these 
rangers, in ascertaining whether the war party of 

• With a reserv,ation of occupancy till 1821. 



the Pigeon Roost massacre came from the north or 
not ; but whether there was or not no discrimination 
was made, and it required all Governor Harrison's 
diplomacy to keep Big Fire and his tribe from joining 
the forces against the government. " But few remains 
mark the site of this ruined town," says the professor. 
In Washington township, on the east side of the 
river, tradition places the site of another village older, 
— how much it is impossible to say or guess, further 
than the vague direction of conjecture by the fact 
that the place is overrun by a wood of sixty years' 
growth. Near the river is an old cemetery of the 
tribe, and near it are some unique remains of Indian 
residence, both uncovered occasionally by floods. 
These remains are " pits or ovens excavated in a very 
compact clay," as Professor Brown describes them, 
about two feet and a half in diameter and the same 
in depth, and burned on the inner surfaces like brick. 
In them have been found coals and ashes, and around 
them fragments of pottery. Their condition and con- 
tents would indicate that they were a sort of earthen- 
ware kettle, constructed by the ready process of dig- 
ging out the inside clay and burning the surface of 
the outside, instead of taking the clay for each in a 
separate mass, and moulding it and burning it and 
putting back in its new shape in the hole it came 
from in its old one. The Indians of this fertile 
region all cultivated corn and beans aod pumpkins, 
and made sugar of " sugar water" in the early spring, 
by freezing it during the night and throwing away 
the ice, which contained no sugar, afterwards boiling 
it down and graining it. Flint arrow-heads, stone 
hatchets, chisels, and other implements of the 
" Stone Age" are found occasionally in the soil 
and gravel, especially in the southern part of the 
county, near Glenn's Valley, and these are said by 
Professor Brown's Report to be made in many cases 
of talcose slate, a rock found no nearer this region 
than the Cumberland Mountains or the vicinity of 
Lake Superior. The curious forms of some of them 
make it impossible to determine their use. The 
Official Survey reports no mounds or earthworks of 
the mound-builders or other prehistoric race in the 
county except these relics of the " Stone Age." 
There may be none now, but forty-five years ago 



THE INDIAN OCCUPATION. 



there were two considerable mounds in the city near 
the present line of Morris Street, one near the inter- 
section of the now nearly eiFaoed canal and Morris 
Street, and the other a little farther east. The exca- 
vation of the canal opened one of them, and some 
complete skeletons and scattered bones and fragments 
of earthenware were found and taken possession of 
by Dr. John Richmond, then pastor of the only Bap- 
tist Church, as well as a practicing physician. The 
other was gradually plowed down, probably after 
being opened at the same time the first was, but no 
record or definite memory settles the question. 

For a number of years the agency of the Indians 
of Central Indiaaa was held at Conner's Station, 
some sixteen miles north of the city and about four 
beyond the present county line. William Conner, the 
first settler of the White River Valley, established 
himself there about 1806, after spending most of his 
youth and early manhood among the Indians, a num- 
ber of whose dialects he spoke fluently, and whose 
names and customs and modes of life he understood 
as well as if he had been one of the race. He was 
well acquainted with all the chiefs of the Shawanese, 
Miamis, Delawares, and other tribes, and was fre- 
quently employed as an interpreter and guide by 
Gen. Harrison. He was the guide of the army in 
the campaign that ended with the battle of Tippe- 
canoe, and in that made memorable by the " massacre 
of the Raisin River." He accompanied Gen. Har- 
rison in the march into Canada that was triumphantly 
concluded by the battle of the Thames and the death 
of Tecumseh, the greatest of all the Western Indian 
leaders, except possibly Pontiac. 

This particularity of reference to him is not im- 
pertinent, for his settlement was closely connected 
with that of the county, and he was long in active 
business as a merchant in the city. It may, there- 
fore, be apt as well as not uninteresting, to present 
the reader a fact almost wholly unknown in connec- 
tion with the death of Tecumseh. Vice-President 
Col. Richard M. Johnson, of Kentucky, was long 
credited with the honor, such as it was, of killing 
the Shawanese hero, but it was later claimed for one 
or two others, and the famous question " Who struck 
Billy Patterson ?" was hardly a burlesque on the idle 



babble, oral and printed, that worried the world as to 
who killed Tecumseh. Mr. Conner could have set- 
tled the question if he had been disposed to thrust 
himself in the face of the public. But he was not, 
and the information comes now from Robert B. Dun- 
can, a leading lawyer of the city, who was clerk of the 
county for over twenty years, and when a lad lived 
with Mr. Conner as early as 1820. To him Mr. Con- 
ner told what he knew of the death of Tecumseh. 
He, as usual, was Gen. Harrison's guide and inter- 
preter. After the battle of the Thames was over the 
body of a chief, evidently of great distinction from 
his dress and decorations, was found, and Mr. Conner 
was sent for to identify it. He said it was Tecum- 
seh's, and he knew the chief well. The situation, 
as he described it to Mr. Duncan, showed that the 
chief had been killed with a very small rifle-ball, 
which fitted a small rifle in the hands of a dead youth, 
who apparently had been an aid or orderly of a major 
who lay dead near him, killed by a large ball, appar- 
ently from Tecumseh's gun. The solution of the case 
was, probably, that Tecumseh had killed the officer, 
the boy had killed the chief, and one of the chief's 
braves had killed the boy. 

The payments made to the Indians of this county 
and the adjacent territory by Mr. Conner at his 
agency were made in the spring, always in silver and 
always with strict honesty, but not always with ade- 
quate security, or any at all, against the payments 
getting back to the agent's hands in four prices for 
buttons and beads and calico, and more for whiskey. 
The process of payment was peculiar and curious. 
The Indians sat in a circle, each family in a separate 
group. The money came in due proportions of 
amount and denomination to pay the man in dollars, 
the wife in half-dollars, and the children in quarters, 
each getting the same number. Each recipient was 
given in advance a number of little sticks equal to 
the number of coins he was to get, and as he received 
a coin he was to give back a stick, and when his sticks 
were all gone he knew he had got all his money. 

By the treaty of cession of 1818 the Indians re- 
served the occupancy of the ceded territory, or " New 
Purchase," till 1821 ; but a few lingered about the 
streams, trapping and fishing, till the spring of 1824, 



10 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



when a company of freebooting whites, remnants 
of the old days of incessant Indian warfare, consist- 
ing of a leader named Harper, Hudson, Sawyer and 
son, and Bridge and son, killed two families of 
Shawanese, consisting of nine persons, — two men, 
three women, two boys, and two girls, — to rob 
them of their winter's collection of skins. The mas- 
sacre was on Fall Creek, where the Indians had been 
trapping through the winter, a few miles above the 
present county line. It alarmed the early settlers of 
the county greatly, for such murders had made local 
Indian wars, and brought bloody reprisals often, just 
as they do to-day. All but Harper were caught, 
the older murderers hung, young Sawyer convicted of 
manslaughter, and young Bridge of murder, but par- 
doned by Governor Ray on the scaifold under the 
rope that had killed his father. These are said to 
have been the first men executed in the United States 
by due process of law for killing Indians. The paci- 
fication of the irritated tribes was complete, and this 
is about the last ever seen or known of Indians in or 
about Blarion County, except the passage of the 
migrating tribes through the town in 1832. For 
many years there was visible a trace of Indian occu- 
pancy in a deep " cut" made in the bluff bank of the 
old " Graveyard Pond," near where Merrill Street 
abuts upon the Vincennes Railroad. It was believed 
to have been made by a military expedition from 
Kentucky, on its way to the Wabash or the Wea 
settlements, for the convenience of getting baggage- 
or ammunition-wagons up the precipitous bluff, but 
nobody appears to have been sure of either its pur- 
pose or its constructors. 

Though not particularly relevant to the matter of 
this history, it will not be uninteresting to its readers 
to know, as very few do know, that the celebrated 
speech of Logan, the Cayuga (sometimes called the 
Mingo) chief, which has been admired in all lands for 
its manly and pathetic eloquence, beginning, " I ap- 
peal to any white man to say if he ever entered 
Logan's cabin and he gave him not meat, etc.," was 
made to John Gibson, the Secretary of State of In- 
diana Territory with Governor Harrison, and the 
second Governor. In his deposition on the subject, 
quoted in Dillon's " History of Indiana," he says 



that when Lord Dunmore, of Virginia, was approach- 
ing the Shawanese towns on the Scioto in 1774, the 
chief sent out a message, requesting some one to be 
sent to them who understood their language. He 
went, and on his arrival Logan sought him out, 
where he was " talking with Cornstalk and other 
chiefs of the Shawanese, and asked him to walk out 
with him. They went into a copse of wood, where 
they sat down, and Logan, after shedding abundance 
of tears, delivered to him the speech nearly as re- 
lated by Mr. Jefferson in his ' Notes on Virginia.' " 
It may be remarked, in conclusion of this episode, 
that Logan, in consequence of the cruelty practiced 
upon him, joined Cornstalk and Red Hawk in lead- 
ing the warriors in the battle at the mouth of the 
Big Kanawha, in September, 1774, which was a 
bloodier battle to the whites, though a less decisive 
victory, than the much more celebrated battle of 
Tippecanoe. 



CHAPTER IL 



Special Features of the City of Indianapolis — Area and Present 
Condition — General View and Historical Outline. 

Special Features of the City. — The general 
contour of the surface of the city site and vicinity 
in Centre township is in no way different from that 
of the other parts of the county. It is level or 
gently undulating, except where the bluffs bordering 
the " bottoms" of streams make more abrupt eleva- 
tions, and none of these are considerable. Following 
the eastern border of the valley of Pogue's Run, 
which divides the city from northeast to southwest, 
is a ridge, or range of swells rather than hills, from 
the extreme southwest corner to near the northeast 
corner, where it leaves the present city limits, and 
these are the only " high grounds" in the city. In 
improving the streets these little elevations have been 
cut down and the hollows filled, till in hardly any street 
can be discerned any change from a level, except a 
slight slope or depression. For the past thirty years 
or so, before any considerable improvements had been 
made on the natural condition of the site, several 



SPECIAL FEATURES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



11 



bayous, or " ravines," as they were generally called, 
traversed it through a greater or less extent, two 
being especially noticeable for volume and occasional 
mischief. They drained into the river the overflow 
of Fall Creek into a large tract of swampy ground 
northeast of the city, from which, at a very early 
period, a ditch was made by the State into Fall 
Creek at a point a mile or two farther down. The 
smaller or shorter of these ran through the eastern 
side, in a slightly southwesterly direction, crossing 
Washington Street at New Jersey, where the former, 
a part of the National road, crossed on a brick cul- 
vert, and terminating at Pogue's Creek. The other 
passed nearer the centre of the city, turning west a 
little above the State-House Square, and passing 
along the line of Missouri Street, afterwards the line 
of the Central Canal, from near Market to Mary- 
land, and thence curving southward and again west- 
ward and northward, entered the river at the site of 
the water-works, where some indications of its exist- 
ence can still be seen, and about the only place 
where there is a relic of this once prominent and 
very troublesome feature of the city's topography. 
In several low places, mainly north and east of the 
centre, there were considerable ponds, the drainage 
of heavy rainfalls, and in the south was one or two, 
but these have all been improved out of existence 
many a year. The only one of these that was 
perennial and distinguished by a name was the 
Graveyard Pond, near the old cemetery, formed by 
the retention of overflows of the river in a bayou 
following the blufi' of the river bottom. The whole 
site of the city, both the original mile square and all 
the outlying " donations" and all the " additions," 
were at first densely covered with woods and weeds 
and underbrush, of which there remain only one or 
two trees in Pogue's Creek Valley in the eV , and 
a few sycamores and elms near the creek mouth at 
the southwest corner. Fall Creek and Pleasant Run 
may be regarded as the northern and southern limits 
of the city now. 

Divisions. — Pogue's Creek divides the city, leaving 
one-third or more on the southeast side, the remainder 
on the northwest side. The latter contains the bulk 
of the business and population. A small tract west 



of the river was added to the site selected on the 
east to compensate for a part of one of the four sec- 
tions cut ofi' by a bend of the river. This, called 
Indianola, forms part of one of the city wards. A 
still smaller area south of this, on the west side, has 
been added to the city, but the greater part of the 
tract west of the river and south of Oliver Avenue 
has been organized into an independent town gov- 
ernment by the name of West Indianapolis. North- 
west is another suburb, but not attached to the city, 
called Haughsville. Farther to the north is North 
Indianapolis, also independent, while northeast is 
Brightwood, unattached ; and east, nearly five miles, 
is the handsome little town of Irvington, mainly oc- 
cupied by residents whose business is in the city, and 
by the faculty and students of Butler University. 
Southeast is the little suburb of Stratford. A num- 
ber of city additions have separate names, as Oak 
Hill, Brookside, Woodlawn, Woodrufi" Place, but 
none, except the last, is in any way distinguishable 
from the city adjacent to it. 

The Creek. — -More pertinently here than elsewhere 
may be noticed the connection of the two streams 
that enter the city, Pogue's Creek and the river, 
with its history. The former was named for the 
traditional but disputed first settler on the city site, 
George Pogue. It rises about a mile east of the 
northeast corner of Centre township, flows south- 
westerly through almost the whole diagonal length 
of the city, and enters the river at the angle formed 
by the southern city boundary and the river. Until 
street improvements turned a large part of the town 
drainage into it the water was clear, well stocked with 
the same sort of fish as other streams, and a favorite 
swimming resort for school-boys. The bottom was 
heavily wooded, subject to frequent overflows, and 
often swampy. Gradually, as the town grew, and 
manufactures and general business followed railroad 
enterprises, the vicinity of the creek became the site 
of foundries, machine-shops, mills, and other indus- 
trial establishments, and a little later of the gas- 
works, and these, with the flow of street gutters, 
turned the clear little woods stream into an open 
sewer. Worse still, the rapid inflow of street drain- 
age, with other less artificial influences, made it sub- 



12 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ject to violent and sudden overflows, which in the 
last twenty years have done so much mischief that 
suits have been repeatedly brought against the city 
for indemnity. Very recently a judgment for ten 
thousand dollars was obtained on one of these suits 
by a large wholesale house. The current has been 
obstructed and diverted by the piers and abutments 
of street and railway bridges, by culverts and the 
arches of the foundations of large buildings, and in 
some places "washes'" have cut away the banks so as 
to seriously impair the value of adjacent lots, and 
even to imperil houses, and the result of all these 
co-operating evils has been the recent appointment of 
a committee of the City Council and Board of Alder- 
men, in conjunction with several prominent private 
citizens, to devise a complete and uniform system of 
protection from overflows, washes, and all forms of 
damage. As it follows the line of lowest level in 
the city, draining the site from both sides, it has 
sometimes been proposed to deepen its bed, wall and 
arch it in, and make a main sewer of it. A very 
large portion of it on both banks has been wailed in, 
and many hundreds of feet arched in by street cul- 
verts and other works, and it is not improbable that 
it will sooner or later be covered throughout, and 
made to carry oif the whole natural flow as- well as 
the street drainage not diverted to other sewers. But 
very little of it is left in its old bed, its crooks having 
been straightened into angles and right lines. Occa- 
sionally it runs dry in long droughts. 

Tlie Canal. — Although no natural feature of the 
city's topography, and a considerable portion of it is 
effaced, the canal is still conspicuous enough both in 
its topographical and economical relations to require 
notice. The section from the feeder-dam in the river 
at Broad Ripple, some eight or nine miles north, to 
the city is all that was ever completed of the " Cen- 
tral Canal," which was one of the system of public 
improvements begun by the State in 1836. In places 
it was almost completed for twenty-five or thirty 
miles south of the city, and nearly as far north, but 
nothing was ever done with it but to leave it to be 
overgrown with weeds and underbrush, except a 
short stretch three miles south, where its bed was 
very level, and the country people used it for a race- 



course. Until within ten years or so the completed 
section from Broad Ripple passed clear through the 
city, mainly along the line of Missouri Street to 
Merrill Street, and in early times was used for fishing, 
swimming, skating, ice-packing, occasional baptisms 
by churches, and semi-occasional cargoes of wood in 
flat-boats. The State sold it a few years after its 
completion to the " Central Canal Hydraulic and 
Water-Works Company," and that sold to others 
till it came into the hands of the company which 
established the water-works, and used it as a motive- 
power, some dozen years ago. Then the portion south 
of Market Street was deepened, and a sewer built in 
it, connecting with the Kentucky Avenue trunk 
sewer, and it was filled up, graded, and partially 
improved, and is now a street. Above Market 
Street it continues in its former condition, used 
for boating and ice-packing by permission of the 
proprietary company, and for bathing without it. 
Below the line of Merrill Street to the city limits 
the canal passed through private property, which 
has reverted to the original owners or their assigns, 
who have left hardly a visible trace of it. When 
first completed, an enlargement or basin was made 
on the site of the present steel-rail mill, and' a culvert 
was made over the creek that occasionally broke and 
made trouble. The culvert is almost the only relic 
of the lower end of the city section. On each side 
of Washington Street, on the east bank of the canal, 
a square basin opening into it was made, each about 
two hundred feet square. These have long disap- 
peared, and with them a ditch along the south side 
of Washington Street, extending east to within a 
short distance of Mississippi, then turning directly 
south to Maryland Street, and there turning west . 
entered the canal at the Maryland Street bridge. The 
bridges were all made with " tow-paths" beneath 
them on the west side. These disappeared with the 
basins and ditches. A couple of wooden locks were 
built at the south line of the " donation," but never 
finished. They became a favorite fishing-place, as 
did the place where the water, while it lasted, emptied 
into Pleasant Run, near the river. Water never 
passed farther south. A stone lock was built at 
Market Street, and used a few times. From this 



GENP]RAL FEATUEBS OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



13 



lock an arm of the canal ran west two blocks or so, 
a few feet north of Market Street, where it entered 
a basin some four or five hundred feet long, extend- 
ing north into the " Military Ground." From the 
north end of this basin a "tumble" let the water 
down a dozen feet into a race-way that turned south, 
crossed Washington Street, and entered a sort of 
natural basin, formerly one of the old " ravines," 
whence the water fell by another tumble into the 
river at the site of the present water- works. The 
water was let into the canal at the feeder-dam in the 
spring or early summer of 1839, and the State im- 
mediately leased water-power to one woolen- and one 
oil-mill, and to two each of grist-, saw-, cotton-, and 
paper-mills. These were located at the Market 
Street lock, on the river bank, where the race-way 
fell into the river, and at the south end of the basin 
in the Military Ground. Some years later a grist- 
mill south of the donation obtained its power from 
the canal. The water-woi'ks company now owning 
it have recently replaced the decayed aqueduct over 
Pall Creek with one of the most substantial charac- 
ter, and have at one time or another greatly im- 
proved the feeder- dam. Its present use is mainly to 
supply power to the pumping-engines of the water- 
works. 

TJie Hiver (the Wa-me-ca-me-ca). — From the 
upper to the lower bridge of the Belt Railroad the 
river may be considered a part of the city site, 
though but a small portion bounds the site on the 
west, and a smaller portion divides it from the In- 
dianola suburb. This section is pretty nearly three 
miles long in a straight line, and nearly four following 
the banks. Originally it was a stream of considera- 
ble volume, averaging probably four hundred feet in 
width, and, except upon a few shoal spots, too deep 
to be fordable. There was a ford a little way below 
the " Old Graveyard," near the present site of the 
Vineennes Railroad bridge, and in use till some 
dozen or fifteen years ago, when an iron bridge was 
built a few hundred feet above it. Another ford on 
the Lafayette wagon-road was a good deal used later, 
and known as " Crowder's" and " Garner's Ford." 
Another iron bridge has superseded it. In the town 
communication was kept up with the west side by a 



ferry a little below the National road bridge. Di- 
rectly west of the " Old Graveyard," and three or 
four hundred feet above the site of the present iron 
bridge, was a low sandy island, containing a couple 
or three acres, and covered with large sycamores and 
elms, called " Governor's Island." At the head of 
it, where a narrow " chute" separated it from the 
high and heavily-wooded ground of the cemetery, 
was a huge drift that was for many years a favorite 
fishing-place of the towns-people. A little above 
this, on the west side, a considerable " bayou" ran 
out, circling irregularly around an extensive tract, a 
perfect wilderness of woods and weeds, spice-bush 
and papaw, and re-entered the river a half-mile or 
so lower. A wing-dam at the upper mouth con- 
verted it into a race-way for a grist-mill erected on 
the south bank, near the present line of the Belt 
Railroad, in the year 1823. This was one of the 
first mills built in the county. A little way east of 
it, nearer the river, the first distillery in the county 
was established near the same time, turning out for 
several years a small quantity of " forty-rod" whiskey 
that was known as " Bayou Blue." Some remains 
of the mill were discernible a dozen years ago, but 
all are gone now, and the bayou itself is measura- 
bly effaced by plowing and naturally drying out. 
" Governor's Island" has entirely disappeared too. 
The river, during the freshets that have almost an- 
nually occurred ever since the first settlement was 
made, has cut away the eastern bank along the 
" Old Graveyard" line until its entire volume is now 
east of the site of the island, and that once con- 
spicuous feature is merged in the broad low sand-bar 
that fills the old bed. The channel has shifted at 
this point, as may be seen by the west bank, four 
hundred feet or more. A like change, and even 
greater, has taken place below, where the current has 
cut the west bank, and filled in on the east side a 
wide swampy tract of several acres below and along 
the Graveyard Pond site, and at the foot of what 
used to be called the High Banks. Within a few 
years freshets have cut through a sharp elbow on the 
west side at this same place, and instead of whittling 
away the point piecemeal as before, the future action 
of the water seems likely to take the main volume 



14 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



bodily some hundreds of feet inland. The same 
agencies have cut a number of small channels through 
the " bottom" a little lower, and threaten to make a 
tolerably straight course from near the old ford down 
to a point a little below the lower mouth of the old 
bayou. These are the most notable changes in the 
river-bed in or near the city. 

There has come, with the clearing of the country, 
the drainage of swamps, and disappearance of little 
springs and rivulets, the same change that has come 
upon all the streams of the country and of the world 
under the same conditions. The volume of water is 
smaller, low-water mark is lower, the freshets more 
sudden and evanescent. It happens frequently now 
that in protracted droughts the volume of water is 
reduced to that of a very modei-ate creek, not ex- 
ceeding fifty or sisty feet in width in very shoal 
places, and the tributary streams. Eagle and Pleasant 
Run, go dry altogether near their mouths. Fall Creek, 
however, is not known to have ever been so greatly 
reduced. Before settlement and cultivation had 
changed the face of the country so greatly the an- 
nual freshets,- — sometimes semi-annual, — usually in 
the latter part of winter or spring, were used to carry 
some of the country's products to market down on 
the lower Ohio and Mississippi. This was done in 
flat-boats, measuring fifty or sixty feet long by 
twelve to fifteen wide, covered in with a sort of 
house, the roof of which was the deck, where long, 
heavy side-oars and still longer and heavier steering 
oars were managed. The current, however, was the 
motive-power. In this floating house was stored, ac- 
cording to the business or fancy of the shipper, baled 
hay, corn, wheat, or oats, whiskey, pork, poultry, 
these chiefly. They were run out at the height of 
a freshet, so as to pass over a few dams that stood in 
the way, and were the source of the greatest peril to 
these self-insured shippers. This sort of commerce 
was maintained at intervals for probably twenty 
years, but most largely from about 1835 till the 
Madison Railroad offered a better way out, in the 
fall of 1847. During the first few years of the 
city's existence occasional cargoes of corn and game 
were brought down the river by the Indians, and up 
the river in keel-boats by poling and " cordelling," or 



hauling along with ropes, in canal-boat fashion. Not 
much of either was ever done, however, the new 
settlement depending mainly on land transportation 
from the White Water and on its own products. 

The prominent event in the history of the city's 
connection with the river is the attempt to make it or 
prove it what Congress had declared it to be, a navi- 
gable stream. A full account will be given in another 
place, but it may be noted here that a survey was 
made in 1825 which maintained the practicability of 
navigation three months in the year for a distance of 
four hundred and fifteen miles at an annual expense 
of fifteen hundred dollars. A reward of two hundred 
dollars was ofiered to the first steamer's captain who 
should bring his boat to the town, and in 1830 one 
came as far as Spencer, Owen Co., and another 
came up about the same distance or a little nearer, 
but in the spring of 1831 the " Robert Hanna," 
bought for the purpose, it was said, of carrying stone 
from the Blufi's of the river for the piers and abut- 
ments of the National road bridge, came clear up to 
the town, raising a great excitement and high antici- 
pations of river commerce. She remained a couple 
of days, ran upon a bar going back, and stuck a 
month or two, and finally got into safe water some 
time during the fall. This was the last of the navi- 
gation of White River, except by the flat-boats re- 
ferred to and a little pleasure steamer in 1865, that 
made a few trips during the year and was wrecked 
the next summer. Within the present year a little 
picnic steamer has been built at Broad Ripple, but it 
can hardly be deemed an exception to the universal 
failure of White River navigation. 

There have been a few freshets in the river so high 
and disastrous that they deserve special notice. The 
first was in 1828, following an unusually wet spring. 
During that rise an old hunter paddled his canoe 
through the fork of a large tree on Governor's Island, 
a height of overflow that has probably never been 
equaled since. The "bottom" lands for many miles 
were seriously damaged, fences washed away, stock 
drowned, crops in store injured, though, as suggested 
by Mr. Ignatius Brown, less damage was done than 
by smaller floods following when the country was 
better settled. The Lea;islature made some relief 



GENERAL FEATURES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



15 



provision for the sufferers by remitting taxes. The 
nest great flood was early in January, 1847. The 
water then for a time threatened the National road 
bridge. It broke through the little suburb of In- 
dianola, or " Stringtown" as it was then called, from 
its being strung out along the National road, and cut 
two deep gullies through the solidly-graded and 
heavily-macadamized pike, churning out on the south 
side in the soft, loose soil of the river bottom huge 
holes nearly a hundred feet in diameter and twenty or 
more deep. Several houses were washed away, and 
one was left on the slope of one of the big holes, 
where it remained tilted over and apparently ready 
to fall for several months. The third big flood was 
in 1858. In 1875 came two nearly equal to that of 
1847, the first in May, the next in August, both 
reaching about the same height. But for the levees 
then built along the west bank for a mile and more 
the whole of the country west of the river to the bluff 
of the " bottom" would have been drowned. In the 
early part of February of this year (1883) the 
highest flood ever known, except possibly that of 
1847 and that of 1828, occurred, filled a large num- 
ber of houses in Indianola, driving out the occupants 
and damaging walls and furniture, and sweeping clear 
over the National road for the first time since 1847. 
It was more than a foot higher than either flood of 
1875. Levees now protect the west side — the only one 
endangered by floods to any extent within the limits of 
costly improvements — for nearly three miles south of 
the Vandalia Railroad to a point opposite the mouth 
of Pleasant Run. These will be extended in time 
parallel with the levees on the east side below Pleasant 
Run. These are the chief levees on the river. Some 
small ones have been made along the south bank of 
Fall Creek at the northern limit of the city site. 

Until 1852 the only bridge over White River in or 
near the town was that built by the national govern- 
ment for the great national highway, the " Cumber- 
land road." This was finished in 1833, and is still 
in constant use, considerably dilapidated through cul- 
pable neglect, but still solid in its arches and service- 
able. In 1852 the Vandalia Railroad Company put 
up a bridge for their line a quarter of a mile south of 
the old one. Since then there have been built for 



railroad or ordinary service no less than nine bridges, 
all of iron or mixed iron and timber. They are, be- 
ginning at the north, the Lafayette or Crawfordsville 
road wagon-bridge, the Upper Belt road bridge, the 
Michigan Street and Washington Street wagon- 
bridges, the old National road bridge, the St. Louis 
Railroad bridge, the Vandalia Railroad bridge, the 
Old Cemetery wagon-bridge, the Vincennes Railroad 
bridge, the Morris Street wagon-bridge, the Lower 
Belt road bridge,— eleven in all. The bridges on 
the smaller streams and the remainder of the canal 
are too numerous to be worth special notice. 

Turnpikes. — All the wagon-roads out of the city 
are now graveled, and little inferior to macadamized 
roads. For a few years, some thirty yeai-s or so ago, 
a sort of mania for plank-roads ran over the State, 
and the western division of the National road was 
planked. It had then been given to the State by the 
general government (as had all the remainder of the 
road to the States through which it passed), and by 
the State had been assigned to a plank-road company, 
which made this improvement. It was a failure after 
the first few months. The planks warped, the ends 
turned up, and the covering soon became a nuisance, 
and was abandoned for coarse gravel, which packs 
solidly and makes a fairly smooth, durable, and dry 
road. Many of the county and neighborhood roads 
have been improved in the same way. Most of these 
improved roads are held by companies and are main- 
tained by tolls, which in the case of the city roads 
prove to be a handsome return upon the investment. 
Some of them have been sold to the county and made 
free, but several are still held by the companies. The 
principal roads leading out of the city are the east and 
west divisions of the National road ; northeast, the 
Pendleton road ; southeast, the south division of the 
Michigan road and the Old Shelbyville road ; south, 
the Madison road, the "Three Notch" road, the Bluff 
road ; southwest, the Mooresville road ; northwest, 
the Crawfordsville and Lafayette road and the north 
division of the Michigan road ; north, the Westfield 
and the Old Noblesville road. 

Area and Present Condition. — The original city 
plat was a square mile, laid off in the centre of four 
square miles donated by Congress in 1816 for a site 



16 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



for the State capital. The half-mile border around 
this square was made "out-lots," and used as farm 
lands for years, but after 184Y was rapidly absorbed 
into the city, until at the commencement of the civil 
war the entire " donation" was included in the city, 
and was more or less compactly built over. The town 
government was extended over the whole four sections 
in 1838, but it was ten years later, following the 
completion of the first railway, before any consider- 
able occupancy of this tract was attempted, and then 
it was mainly in the vicinity of the new railway depot. 
Many additions of greater or less extent have been 
made, more than doubling the area of the original 
four sections of the " donation." It is estimated now 
(1883) that an area of about eleven square miles (or 
seven thousand acres) is included in the limits of the 
city. It occupies a little more than one-fourth of the 
area of Centre township, which is a little larger than 
a Congressional township of six miles square. 

Population. — The first estimate of population rests 
upon an enumeration made by visitors of the Union 
Sunday-school in the spring of 1824, when 100 
families were counted upon the " donation," making 
a probable population of 500 or more, represented by 
100 voters, or 120 possibly, with 50 voters repre- 
senting nobody but themselves, or a total population 
of near 600. In 1827 a careful census was taken, 
and the population found to count up 1066. In 
1830 it was about 1500 ; in 1840, 4000 ; in 1850, 
8034 ; in 1860, 18,611 ; in 1870, 48,244 ; in 1880, 
75,056. It is now estimated at about 95,000, of 
which one-sixth is foreign-born, mainly Irish and 
Germans, the former counting a little more than 
half of the latter, or, with all other foreign-born 
population, making a little more than half of all 
of that class. In 1880 the whole of German birth 
was 6070 : of Irish birth, 3660 ; and of all other 
foreign nationalities, 2880. The proportions are 
now about 8000, 4000, and 3000. The basis of the 
estimate of population that gives the closest as well 
as the most trustworthy result is that of the enu- 
meration of school children under the law. This is 
made every year to determine the ratio of distribu- 
tion of the State's school fund, and is probably as 
accurate as the national census. It shows the pro- 



portion of children of " school age" (from six to 
twenty-one) in 1880 to have been to the whole popu- 
lation as one to two and four-fifths. The school 
enumeration for 1883 makes the total 33,079, which 
gives at the ascertained ratio a population a little 
less than 93,000. The estimate of the secretary of 
the Board of Trade is 100,000, but no safe basis of 
calculation will give that result. A fair estimate on 
the 1st of January, 1884, makes the population 
95,000. 

Government. — The city government is composed 
of a mayor, Board of Aldermen, Common Council, 
clerk, treasurer, and assessor, elected by popular 
vote ; marshal, chief of the fire department, attorney, 
elected by the Council ; and a Board of Police Com- 
missioners, appointed by the State officers and paid 
by the city, who have entire control of the police 
force, also paid by the city. The officers elected by 
the people serve two years, the others one. The 
police commissioners go out and are replaced in suc- 
cessive years, one in one, one in two, and one in 
three. 

Police. — The police force consists of a chief, two 
captains, and sixty-five men. Besides the regular 
force there are three or four specially in charge of 
the Union Depot, authorized by the city but paid 
by the Union Railway Company. The merchants' 
police, a small force of men, is appointed by the city, 
but paid by the citizens whose property is specially 
in their care. 

The Fire Department consists of a chief and 
his assistants, and a working force, held in this 
service exclusively, of seventy-seven men, including 
the officers named. It has six steam-engines, four 
hose-reels, two hook-and-ladder wagons, uses six 
hundred and twenty-two hydrants, one hundred and 
forty-nine cisterns, ranging in capacity from one 
thousand to two thousand five hundred barrels, and 
one hundred and thirty electric signal-boxes or alarm 
stations. 

Streets. — There are four hundred and fifty streets, 
and larger alleys used as streets, all more or less 
improved by grading and graveling or bowldering. 
A very few are paved with wooden blocks, and 
one of these has within a year been torn up and 



AREA AND PRESENT CONDITION OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



17 



replaced by bowlders. A large number of streets 
are bowldered, but muoli the larger portion are 
graded and covered heavily with coarse gravel, 
which is found to make a good durable street, given 
to grind into dust and mud, but always available and 
cheap. The aggregate length of streets is not accu- 
rately known, but as a few are four miles long or 
more, and a great many from one to two miles, the 
aggregate length is conjectured to be probably be- 
tween seven hundred and eight hundred miles. On 
them is a total length of water-main of fifty-one 
miles, witli twenty-five large iron drinking-fountains 
" for man and beast." With these are ninety miles 
of gas-mains and two thousand four hundred and 
seventy-nine lamps. There are thirteen lines of 
street railways, owning five hundred mules and em- 
ploying one hundred drivers. All belong to one 
company. 

Parks. — A very pleasing feature of the city is its 
parks, of which there are four : 1st, Circle Park, in- 
tended to have been put in the centre of the " dona- 
tion," as the site of the Governor's oflScial residence, 
but never used for that purpose, and, on account of 
the propinquity of Pogue's Run bottom, put a little 
aside from the central point, which is a half-square 
south of the southeast corner of Washington and 
Illinois Streets ; 2d, Military Park, the remains of a 
military reservation ; 3d, University Park, held by 
the city on consent of the Legislature, but given 
originally to help endow a State University at the 
capital; 4th, Garfield Park, originally Southern Park, 
a large tract at the extreme south of the city, pur- 
chased some years ago to give the population of that 
part of the city a place of recreation, but so far in- 
adequately improved. 

Taxes. — The levy for general purposes last year 
was 90 cents on $100, for school purposes 22 cents, 
making a total of $1.12, the legal limit of taxation 
for city purposes. This rate is levied on a total 
valuation of $52,633,510, divided into "realty," 
$22,863,525; "improvements," $16,363,200; "per- 
sonal," $13,406,755. There are some slight discrep- 
ancies in these statements, as the assessors' returns 
had not been corrected when this report was given. 
The total valuation of property for taxation in 1850 



was $2,326,185 ; in 1860, $10,700,000 ; in 1866, the 
first valuation after the close of the war, $24,835,750 ; 
in 1870, $24,656,460. A decline in real estate came 
in 1868, the valuation dropping from $25,500,000 in 
1867 to $24,000,000 in 1868, and to $22,000,000 
in 1869, recovering partially in 1870, and rising to 
$30,000,000 in 1871. The rise continued till 1874, 
then the financial crash of 1873 began to operate, 
and a second decline began, which is now about 
overcome. The city revenue for the last year was 
$591,312. 

Business. — The secretary of the Board of Trade 
reports for the year ending with the end of 1882 
that there were 772 manufacturing establishments in 
the city, with $12,270,000 of capital, employing an 
average of 12,000 hands at an average rate of $2.20 
a day, using $18,730,000 of material, and producing 
$30,100,000 of merchantable goods. The wholesale 
trade in sixteen lines of business amounted to $25,- 
440,000. The total clearances of the clearing-house 
was $101,577,523. There are 12 banks in the city, 
6 national and 6 private, with a total capital of 
$2,880,000. The average of monthly deposits was 
$11,435,000. Total receipts of grain for 1882, 21,- 
242,897 bushels; of coal, about 400,000 tons, or 
202,711 for the last .six months. Of live-stock, 
5,319,611 hogs, 640,363 cattle, 849,936 sheep, 50,- 
795 horses, of which there was disposed of in the 
city 3,020,913 hogs, 106,178 cattle, 70,543 sheep, 
2533 horses. Of lumber, 125,000 M's, or 125,- 
000,000 feet. The Board of Trade has 1000 mem- 
bers. 

Railroads. — Counting the two divisions of the 
Jefiersonville Railroad separately, as they were built 
and operated at first, there are fourteen railroads com- 
pleted and in operation centring in Indianapolis, 
running altogether 114 passenger trains both ways 
daily, and handling here an average of 2500 freight 
cars daily, each car having a capacity of twelve tons 
at least, and making a total daily tonnage of 30,000 
tons, equal to the trade of a seaport receiving and 
sending out thirty vessels daily of 1000 tons each. 
Besides the fourteen lines of railroad centring in 
the city, there is the Union Railway Company with 
a length of track enough to connect them all at 



18 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the Union Passenger Depot, and now by lease in 
control of the Belt Railway, which very nearly en- 
circles the city, and connects all the roads for freight 
purposes by a line that enables transfers of cars and 
trains to be made outside of the city, avoiding the 
obstruction of many streets. Two new roads are in 
progress. Every county in the State but three can 
be reached by rail, and nearly every county-seat can 
be visited and a return made the same day. 

Newspapers and Periodicals. — There are six 
daily newspapers in the city, all morning issues ex- 
cept one. There is one semi-weekly, twenty-five 
weeklies (including the weekly editions of dailies), 
one semi-monthly, and seventeen monthlies. 

Amusements. — There are four theatres, one hun- 
dred and sixty public halls, four military companies, 
four musical .societies, and three brass bands ; ten 
libraries, including the State and City and County, 
and the State Geological Museum, containing over 
100,000 specimens, and valued at over $100,000. 

Business Associations Insurance fifteen ; for man- 
ufactures and other purposes incorporated, sixty-one, 
with a capital of $8,300,000; building and loan socie- 
ties nineteen, with an aggregate capital of $1,755,000 ; 
miscellaneous associations, fifty-five ; hotels, forty. 

Professions. — Lawyers, two hundred ; physicians, 
two hundred and thirty-two. (School-teachers and 
preachers, see Schools and Churches.) 

Secret Societies. — The secret societies number 23, 
with 143 lodges or separate organizations. The Ma- 
sons have 21 lodges of whites and 6 of colored mem- 
bers ; the Odd-Fellows have 23 in all ; the Knights 
of Pythias have 13 ; the Hibernians have 3. Be- 
sides these the Red Men, and Elks, and Druids, and 
several other orders have each one or more lodges. 

Churches. — Baptist, 13 ; Catholic, Y ; Christian, 
6 ; Congregational, 2 ; Episcopal, 5 ; Reformed Epis- 
copal, 1 ; Evangelical Alliance, 1 ; United Brethren, 
1 ; Friends, 1 ; German Reformed, 3 ; Hebrews, 2 ; 
Lutheran, 6 ; Methodist, 23 ; Protestant Methodist, 
1; Presbyterian, 14; Swedenborgian, 1; United 
Presbyterian, 1. In all there are 88 churches in the 
city. Two denominations that at one time were quite 
prominent, the Universalist and Unitarian, have disap- 
peared altogether in the last few years as distinct sects. 



Health and Sanitary Conditions. — The station 
at Indianapolis of the United States Signal Service 
reports for the last year an annual mean of tempera- 
ture of 53.8 ; an annual mean of humidity of 71.1 ; 
107 clear days, 141 fair days, and 117 cloudy days; 
a mean fall of rain and snow of 53.68 inches ; the 
highest temperature 94°, the lowest 10° below zero. 
Drainage is efi^ected by an incomplete but steadily 
advancing system of sewage, with two trunk lines at 
present on Washington and South Streets, and a 
number of small tributary sewers. The health of 
the city is surpassed by no city and not many rural 
regions in the world. The last report of the Board of 
Health covers seven months from January to July, 
inclusive, 1883, and shows, with the months of the 
preceding year back to July, an average of less than 
140 a month. This gives a death-rate of 18f in 
1000 ; that of London is 21 i per 1000, of Paris 26 J, 
of Vienna 29, of New York 29§. Very few rural 
communities in Europe or this country show a death- 
rate lower than 19 in 1000. 

Schools. — The free school system went into opera- 
tion in 1853, when the accumulation of public funds 
had allowed the previous purchase of grounds and 
the erection of houses sufficient for the town's needs, 
a popular vote six years before having authorized a 
special city tax for school purposes. The average at- 
tendance at the outset in April, 1853, was 340. In 
three years it was 1400. It is now (1883) 9938, 
while 13,685 children are enrolled on the school rec- 
ords, and the city contains a juvenile population of 
school age (from six to twenty-one) of 33,079. The 
enrollment is considerably less than half of the popu- 
lation, while the attendance is about one-third. This 
is a reduction of three per cent, in two years. There 
are now belonging to the public school system 29 brick 
houses and 2 frame. Of these 2 are one story, 25 
are two stories, 3 of three stories ; 8 have four rooms 
or less, 11 have eight rooms, 12 have nine rooms. 
In all there are 245 rooms, with a seating capacity of 
12,746, nearly equal to the entire enrollment. Value 
of grounds and buildings, $938,419.30. There are 
19 male teachers, 234 female teachers ; 21 are col- 
ored, 232 white. Salaries in the High School, 
maximum $2000, minimum $700, average $1037 ; 



GENERAL VIEW AND HISTORICAL OUTLINE. 



19 



in Primary schools, maximum $1100, minimum 
$650, average $900.92 ; grade teachers, maximum 
$650, minimum $300, average $500. 

Private schools are nearly as numerous as public 
schools, but, of course, less largely attended. There" are 
twenty-six of these, some of them of a denominational 
character, some wholly secular, but most of a higher 
grade than the primaries of the public system. A 
few will rank with the preparatory schools of the 
best colleges. Besides there are five kindergartens. 
Of the collegiate class of educational institutions, 
there are four medical schools authorized to give 
diplomas and degrees, one law school of the same 
grade, and, more considerable than these, Butler Uni- 
versity, now at Irvington, formerly the Northwestern 
Christian University, and located in the northeastern 
part of the city. 

Under the same management as the public schools 
is the Public Library, supported by a tax of two cents 
on one hundred dollars, and containing about forty 
thousand volumes. 

General View and Historical Outline. — A sum- 
mary of the history of the city and of its different 
stages of growth, with a glance at its present condi- 
tion, will give the reader a more definite and durable 
impression of such points as he may desire to retain 
for his own purposes or for the information of others, 
than he could obtain from the best methodized and 
most complete system of details unaccompanied by 
such an outline. This " general view" will, there- 
fore, present the epochs in the progress of Indianap- 
olis, and leave the details of development in each to 
the chapters treating the different departments which 
make up the body of its history. 

The first settlement of Marion County may be 
safely dated in the spring of 1820, though there is a 
probability of the arrival of one settler a year earlier, 
and contemporaneously with the Whetzel (relatives 
of the noted Indian-fighter of West Virginia, Lewis 
Whetzel) settlement at the bluffs of White River, 
or, as the Indians called it, Wah-me-ca-me-ca. In 
the fall of 1818 the Delaware tribes by treaty ceded 
to the United States the region now known as Cen- 
tral Indiana, with a reservation of possession till 
1821. Little more regard was paid to Indian rights 



then than since, and settlers began, with leave or 
without it, to take up lands in the " New Purchase," 
as it was called, within six months after the bargain 
was made. By midsummer, 1820, there was a little 
village collected along and near the east bank of 
White River, and on the 7th of June the commis- 
sioners of the State Legislature selected it as the site 
of the future capital. Congress had given the State, 
on its admission into the Union in 1816, four sec- 
tions, or two miles square, for a capital site, on any 
of the unsold lands of the government, and at the 
junction of Fall Creek and White River the location 
was fixed. The town was laid out in the summer of 

1821, one mile square, with the remainder of the 
four sections divided round it into " out-lots." The 
first sale of lots was held in the fall of that year, the 
proceeds to go to the erection of such buildings as 
the State should require at its capital. Here begins 
the first stage of the city's existence. 

First Period. — From the first undisputed settle- 
ment in the spring of 1820 to the removal of the 
State offices from Corydon in the fall of 1824, and 
the first meeting of the Legislature the following 
winter, a period of nearly five years, Indianapolis was 
a pioneer village, scattered about in the dense woods, 
grievously troubled with chills and fever, and little 
more encouraged for the future than any other little 
county town. The first newspaper was started in 

1822, the next in 1823 ; the first Sunday-school in 
1823 ; the first church was built in 1824 ; the post- 
office opened in March, 1822. 

Second Period. — From the arrival of the capital, 
in a four-horse wagon and ten days from the Ohio, 
to the completion of the first railway in October, 
1847, an interval of nearly twenty-three years, the 
town was passing through its second stage. It grew 
from a village to a respectable town, with several par- 
tially developed germs of industries, which have since 
become second to very few in the Union, and with a 
mayor and Council and the name and airs of a city. 
For the first eleven years of this period the State 
Legislature met in the county court-house. In 1832 
came the first town government by " trustees," 
changed to " council men" in 1838, and to "mayor 
and Council" in 1847. In 1835 the old State- 



20 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND xMARION COUNTY. 



House was completed, and tlie first fire-engine bought. 
In 1834 the first bank (the old State Bank) was 
chartered. In 1832 the first manufacturing enter- 
prise was put in operation, and failed in a year or 
two more. The first brewery, tobacco-factory, linseed- 
oil mill, paper-mill, merchant flour-mill, woolen-mill, 
soap-factory, the first pork-packing, all date from 
about 1835 to 1840. An iron foundry was at- 
tempted in 1832, but failed very soon. In 1842 
the first steps were taken to establish the Asylum for 
the Insane. In 1843 the first tax was levied to pre- 
pare for the Asylum for the Deaf and Dumb. In 
1845 a similar levy was made to establish the Asylum 
for the Blind. These are all located in or near the 
city. This was a period of planting rather than 
growth. The failure of the " Internal Improve- 
ment" system in 1839 left the town with a few 
miles of useless canal. The river was never naviga- 
ble except for flat-boats in spring freshets. But one 
steamer ever reached the town, and it did not get 
back for six months. There were no means of trans- 
portation, natural or artificial, but dirt-roads " cross- 
layed" or " corduroyed," and covered four-horse 
wagons hauling from Cincinnati at a dollar a hun- 
dred. All this restriction of business and inter- 
course changed a good deal with the completion of 
the old Madison Railroad, which had formed part of 
the State's system of improvements, and been sold to 
a company when the State failed. Within a half- 
dozen years came a half-dozen more railroads, and 
the city entered what may be called its " third 
period," though, except in its greater rate of progress, 
there is little to distinguish it from that which fol- 
lowed it and covers the city's history to the present 
time. 

Third Period. — From the completion of the first 
railroad, Oct. 1, 1847, to the breaking out of the 
civil war in April, 1861, a period of thirteen years 
and a half, there was a decided quickening of the 
city's energy and development. To it belongs the 
establishment of the free school system in 1853, and 
the permanent establishment of all the present lead- 
ing industries in iron, lumber, grain, and pork. 
There were the seeds and some wholesome sprouts of 
all these before, but with the opening of railroad 



transportation came an impulse that made almost a 
new creation. The Jeff'ersonville Railroad, the Belle- 
fontaine (Bee Line), the Vandalia, and the Lafayette 
were all completed in 1852, and portions of all were 
in operation a year or two earlier. The Central (Pan 
Handle) was completed in 1853, the Peru in 1854, 
the Cincinnati (now with Lafayette making Cin- 
cinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago) in 
1853, the Union tracks and depot in 1853. With 
the concentration of the State's troops here dur- 
ing the war, and the business of all kinds required 
for their care, equipment, and transportation, came 
a sudden force of growth which compelled business 
to betake itself to several convenient streets, when 
previously it had been confined mainly to Wash- 
ington Street and the vicinity of the Union 
Depot. Population more than doubled during this 
period, from eight thousand in 1850 to eighteen 
thousand in 1860, but it nearly tripled from 1860 to 
1870. The civil war and the changes it forced or 
aided ihay, therefore, properly mark an epoch in the 
city's history and begin the " fourth period." 

Fourth Period. — From 1861 to 1883, twenty-two 
years, population increased from forty-eight thousand 
to about ninety-five thousand, and the amount of busi- 
ness increased in a still larger proportion. The Junc- 
tion, the Vincennes, the Bloomington and Western, 
the St. Louis, the Springfield and Decatur, the Chi- 
cago Air Line, and the Belt Railroads have all been 
built in this period, and two others projected. Other 
results are better exhibited in a condensed state- 
ment of the present condition of the city, produced 
by the changes and advances in the sixty-three years 
covered by these four periods. One form of these 
combined results may be stated in the favorite boast 
of the citizens, that " Indianapolis is the largest 
wholly inland city in the United States." It has not 
and never has had any navigable water nearer than 
the Ohio and the lower Wabash, except, as already 
remarked, that freshets in the river occasionally let a 
few flat-boats, loaded with grain, or whiskey, or pork, 
or poultry, or hay, down into the Mississippi to the 
towns in the cotton and sugar region. But these 
opportunities were uncertain, and the voyages were 
uncertain when opportunities were used, so that flat- 



EAKLY SETTLEMENTS. 



21 



boating never contributed sensibly to the growth of 
IndianapoHs. 



CHAPTER III. 

First Period — Early Settlements — Organization of Marion 
County and Erection of Townships — Erection of Public 
Buildings — Notable Events and Incidents of the Early Set- 
tlement and of Later Years — Opening of Roads — Original 
Entries of Lands in the County. 

Although the treaty of 1818 expressly conceded 
the occupancy of the " New Purchase," as it was called 
by the whites, to the Indians till 1 821, its profusion of 
game, its fertility, its abundance of excellent building 
timber began to allure settlers from the White Water 
Valley before a year had passed, and from the Ohio 
River before the reservation had expired. It will 
give the reader a suggestion of the natural attractions 
of the country to suggest that Mr. William H. Jones, 
a leading dealer in lumber in the city, aided when a 
boy, in 1824, in catching young fawns in the vicinity 
of the present site of the Vandalia Railroad depot 
and of the corner of West and Merrill Streets ; that 
Robert Harding, one of the earliest settlers, killed a 
deer on the area called the " donation" for the first 
Fourth of July celebration and barbecue in 1822 ; 
that as late as 1845 or later wild turkeys in their 
migrations made a roost in a large sugar grove that 
covered the portion of the present city site about 
Meridian, Illinois, and Tennessee Streets above the 
crossing of St. Clair or thereabouts. As late as 1845 
a turkey scared from this roost by hunters ran into 
the city and into the basement of what was called the 
" Governor's House," in Circle Park, and was caught 
there. Lost quail were frequently heard piping in the 
back yards of residences. In 1822 saddles of veni- 
son sold at twenty-five to fifty cents, wild turkeys at 
ten to twelve and a half, a bushel of wild pigeons for 
twenty-five cents. An early sketch of the condition 
of the country says, " A traveler who ascended the 
river a few years prior to the settlement saw the banks 
frequently dotted with wigwams and the stream en- 
livened by Indian canoes. At night parties for ' fire- 
hunting' or ' fire-fishing' were frequent among the 



Indians, and occasionally formed by their white suc- 
cessors." 

The first settlers drawn to the New Purchase were 
Jacob Whetzel and his son Cyrus. The former was 
the brother, the latter the nephew of the noted scout 
and Indian-fighter, Lewis Whetzel, or Wetzel, dis- 
tinguished in the bloody annals of West Virginia and 
Pennsylvania. " The elder Whetzel," says Mr. Now- 
land, in his " Prominent Citizens," " soon after the 
conclusion of the St. Mary's treaty went to Ander- 
son, head chief of the Delawares, who lived in the 
large Delaware town named for the chief and retain- 
ing the name still, and from him obtained permission 
to ' blaze a trace' from the White Water in Franklin 
County to the Blufis of White River." It may be as 
well to explain for the benefit of later settlers that 
" blazing" was cutting away a large strip of bark and 
wood from a tree-trunk on the side next to the pro- 
posed "trace" or road. Such a mark would remain 
conspicuous for many months in an interminable 
forest without a sign of human presence except that, 
and a series of them close together along the line of 
a proposed road would be a sure and easy guide to 
backwoodsmen or any traveler with sense enough to 
be trusted alone. The two Whetzels came to the 
Blufis in the spring of 1819, before the government 
surveys were completed or commenced in some cases. 
Their settlement was a little below the present south 
boundary of the county. 

" The first white residents of the county," Mr. Dun- 
.ean (before referred to) says, " were Judge Fabius 
M. Finch, his father and family, who came to the site 
of Noblesville or near it in the spring of 1819," that 
region being then a part of the county, but separated 
in a few years. In the fall of 1818 one Dr. Douglass 
came up the river from below to the Blufis, and re- 
mained there a short time, and in January, 1819, 
James Paxton came down the river from the upper 
waters to the site of the city, and came again a year 
later in 1820. The first settler in the present area of 
the county will probably remain an unsettled ques- 
tion for all time, as it was a disputed point in 1822, 
has been ever since, and is more peremptorily disputed 
now than ever. The prevailing tradition is that 
Geora;e Pogue, a blacksmith from the White Water 



22 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



settlements, came here March 2, 1819, building a 
double log cabin on the line of Michigan Street a little 
way east of the creek, on the high ground bordering 
the creek bottom, and lived there with his family, 
the solitary occupants of Marion County within its 
present limits, till the 27th of the following February, 
when John and James McCormick arrived with their 
families and built cabins on the river bank near the 
old National road bridge. The priority of settlement 
lies between these families and Mr. Pogue's. Within 
a few months past one William H. White, of Han- 
cock County, claims that he was born on the city site 
Oct. 4, 1819, near where Odd-Fellows' Hall now 
stands, on the corner of Washington and Pennsyl- 
vania Streets. Old settlers as early as 1820-21 
have no recollection of any account of such an occur- 
rence, and births were too rare in those days to allow 
the first one in the county or any suggestion of it, 
however vague or doubtful, to be forgotten. The im- 
pression seems to be that Mr. White has been misled 
by some accidental confusion or by the failing 
memory of his relatives. He may be right, but he 
is distrusted by settlers who arrived here within a 
year of the alleged occurrence, and discredited by 
the opportunities of knowing the truth of many who 
arrived within two years and repel his claim. 

In the summer of 1822, a little more than a year 
after Pogue's death. Dr. Samuel Gr. Mitchell, the old- 
est physician in the place, published in the Gazette, 
the first paper in the place, a discussion of the pre- 
tensions of Pogue to the honor of being the first 
settler, in which he maintained that the McCormicks 
were the first, and that Pogue came a month later, 
about the time the Maxwells and Cowan came. No 
reply was made to this direct attack on the ge9eral 
opinion of the settlers, which certainly suggests a 
reasonable probability that its statement was indis- 
putable, and that the tradition of a general concur- 
rence in awarding Pogue the credit is ill-founded. 
But there comes in here the countervailing considera- 
tion that the pioneers of the backwoods were little 
given to glorifying the pen or looking to the papers 
for instruction. Nobody may have been disposed to 
take the trouble to contradict what he knew nobody 
but Mitchell believed, or he may, very fairly, have 



concluded that in a little two-year-old village in the 
woods it would be less trouble to contradict the story 
" by word of mouth" to every man in the place than 
to attempt so unusual a feat as writing for the papers. 
But this early and public contest of Pogue's claim by 
an intelligent man, at a time when there could hardly 
have been an adult, male or female, who did not know 
the truth, creates a strong doubt against the current 
of tradition. The probability inclines to Mrs. Pogue's 
statement at an " Old Settlers' " meeting in 1854, as 
Mr. Robert B. Duncan remembers it. She was more 
than fourscore years old then, but her memory of 
early events seemed clear and accurate. She said 
that her husband and family came here on the 2d of 
March, 1820, and the McCormicks came on the 7th 
of the same month. This seems to be final as to the 
first settlement being made in 1820 instead of 1819, 
as has generally been believed, whether it settles the 
question of individual priority or not. Where two or 
three famUies arrive at a place in a primeval forest 
within four or five days of each other, and a mile or 
two apart, it is easy to see how each set of the sepa- 
rated settlers may suppose itself the first. Virtually 
they are simultaneous arrivals, and the truth, or at 
least the probability, of history compromises this 
long-mooted question by concluding that the Pogues 
and McCormicks were all first settlers. 

Whether Pogue was the first man to live here or 
not, he was certainly the first to die here. Mr. Now- 
land's description of the man and account of his death 
so strikingly exhibit some of the characteristics of the 
time and country that it is reproduced here. " George 
Pogue was a large, broad-shouldered, and stout man, 
with dark hair, eyes, and complexion, about fifty years 
of age, and a native of North Carolina. His dress 
was like that of a Pennsylvania Dutchman, a drab 
overcoat with many capes, and a broad-brimmed felt 
hat. He was a blacksmith, and the first of that trade 
to enter the ' New Purchase.' To look at the man aa 
we saw him last, one would think he was not afraid to 
meet a whole camp of Delawares in battle array, which 
fearlessness, in fact, was most probably the cause of 
his death. One evening about twilight a straggling 
Indian, known to the settlers as well as to the In- 
dians as Wyandotte John, stopped at the cabin of Mr. 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 



23 



Pogue and asked to stay all night. Mr. Pogue did 
not like to keep him, but thought it best not to refuse, 
as the Indian was known to be a bad and very des- 
perate man, having left his own tribe in Ohio for some 
offense, and was now wandering among the various 
Indiana tribes. His principal lodging-place the pre- 
vious winter was a hollow sycamore log that lay under 
the bluff and just above the east end of the National 
road bridge over White River. (Above the site of 
the bridge, Mr. Nowland means, as the bridge was not 
built for more than ten years after.) On the upper 
side of the log he had hooks, made by cutting the 
forks or limbs of bushes, on which he rested his gun. 
At the open end of the log next to the water he 
built his fire, which rendered his domicile as comfort- 
able as most of the cabins. After John was furnished 
with something to eat, Mr. Pogue, knowing him to be 
traveling from one Indian camp to another, inquired 
if he had seen any white man's horses at any of the 
camps. John said he had left a camp of Delawares 
that morning, describing the place to be on Buck 
Creek, about twelve miles east, and near where the 
Rushville State road crosses that creek ; that he had 
seen horses there with iron hoofs (they had been 
shod), and described the horses so minutely as to lead 
Mr. Pogue to believe they were his. Although the 
horses were described so accurately, Mr. Pogue was 
afraid that it was a deception to lure him into the 
woods, and mentioned his suspicions to his family. 
When the Indian left the next morning he took a 
direction towards the river, where nearly all the set- 
tlement was. Pogue followed him for some distance 
to see whether he would turn his course towards the 
Indian camps, but found that he kept directly on 
towards the river. Mr. Pogue returned to his cabin 
and told his family he was going to the Indian camp 
for his horses. He took his gun, and with his dog 
set out on foot for the Delaware camp, and was never 
afterwards seen or heard of. We remember that there 
were a great many conflicting stories about his clothes 
and horses being seen in possession of the Indians, 
all of which were untrue. There can be no doubt 
that the Wyandotte told Mr. Pogue the truth in 
regard to the horses, and in his endeavor to get pos- 
session of them had a difficulty with the Delawares 



and was killed, at least that was the prevailing opinion 
at the time. Nothing has ever been learned of his 
fate to this day, further than that he was never seen 
or heard of again, though the settlers formed a com- 
pany to search all the Indian camps about within fifty 
miles to find some indication that might lead to a 
clearing up of the mystery." Pogue's Creek, once 
the pride and now the pest of the city, takes its name 
from the proto-martyr, if not proto-settler, of the city 
and county. 

Within a week or two after the arrival of the Mc- 
Cormicks, John Maxwell and John Cowan came and 
built on the high ground near the present crossing of 
the Crawfordsville road over Fall Creek, very near the 
site of the City Hospital. During the following 
three months a number of new-comers arrived, and 
settled principally in the vicinity of the river. Those 
best remembered are the Davis brothers (Henry and 
Samuel), Isaac Wilson (who built the first cabin on 
what was afterwards the old town plat in May), Robert 
Harding, Mr. Barnhill, Mr. Corbaley, Mr. Van Blari- 
cum. About the time of the arrival of the last of this 
first group of pioneers the State capital was located here 
by the commissioners appointed by the Legislature 
for that purpose. 

When the State was admitted into the Union, 
April 19, 1816, a donation of four sections — four 
square miles — was made by Congress for the site of 
a capital, to be located wherever the State might 
choose upon unsold lands of the government. No 
selection had been made or attempted in the four 
years since the State's admission. The capital, which 
had been kept at Vincennes by Governor Harrison 
during his administration as Territorial Governor, 
from 1801 to 1812, was removed to Corydon, Harri- 
son Co., by the Legislature, May 1, 1813, and re- 
mained there till its permanent settlement here in 
the fall of 1824. On the 11th of January, 1820, 
the Legislature appointed ten commissioners to make 
selection of a site for a permanent capital. They 
were John Tipton (an old Indian trader), John Con- 
ner (brother of William above referred to, and like 
him reared from childhood among the Indians, the 
founder of Connersville), George Hunt, John Gilli- 
land, Stephen Ludlow, Joseph Bartholomew, Jesse 



24 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



B. Durham, Frederick Rapp, William Prince, Thomas 
H^rsft^ wThey were ordered to meet at Conner's 
place (north of the city) early in the spring. Appar- 
ently only half of them served, as only five votes 
were given in determining the selection. But Mr. 
Nowland says there were nine when the party got to 
Conner's, Mr. Prince alone being unable to attend. 
If this is correct there must have been four commis- 
sioners who did not like any of the sites examined 
and declined to vote. A part of them met at Vin- 
cennes about the middle of May, 1820, and were 
joined there by the father and uncle of Mr. Nowland, 
who were on their way to Kentucky from Illinois, 
but were persuaded to accompany the commissioners. 
The party ascended the river to the Bluffs, where 
the Whetzels had settled the year before and had 
been joined by four or five other families. After 
resting a day at this point and making an examina- 
tion of it, they came on up to the mouth of Fall 
Creek, and remained a day, some of them expressing 
themselves pleased with the country and disposed to 
put the capital here. Mr. Nowland told the commis- 
sioners that if the location were made here he would 
move out in the fall, and do all he could to induce 
other Kentuokians to join him. The mouth of Fall 
Creek had been the customary place of crossing the 
river by the whites ever since the White River Valley 
had been known to them. Mr. Nowland (the author) 
says that Lieut, (afterwards General and President) 
Taylor told him that he had crossed the river here 
with his force when going from Louisville to the Wa- 
bash to build Fort Harrison, now Terre Haute, in 
1811. While the force was here Col. Abel C. Pep- 
per, United States Marshal of the State under Taylor, 
met Tecumseh, who was on a mission to the Dela- 
wares, doubtless to induce them to join his combina- 
tion against the whites. The party went on to 
Conner's, some sixteen miles north, as before stated, 
and examined the situation there. One or two 
seemed to favor it, but the whole party returned here, 
and after re-examining the country, decided on the 
7th of June, 1820, by vote of three to two, for the 
Bluffs, to locate the capital here. On the 6th of 
January following, 1821, the .selection was approved 
by the Legislature and the location decided irrevocably. 



The commissioners reported that they had selected 
Sections 1 and 12, east and west fractional sections 
numbered 2, east fractional section numbered 11, 
and so much of the east part of west fractional sec- 
tion numbered 3, to be set off by a line north and 
south, as will complete the donation of two thou- 
sand five hundred and sixty acres, in Township 15, 
Range 3 east. The Legislature, after approving the ' 
location, named the future city and capital Indianapo- 
lis, the " city of Indiana." The name was suggested 
by the late Judge Jeremiah Sullivan, in the com- 
mittee charged with the preparation of the confirma- 
tory bill. He gave an interesting account of the 
affair in a letter to Governor Baker, which may be 
pertinently introduced here : 

" I have a very distinct recollection of the great 
diversity of opinion that prevailed as to the name 
by which the new town should receive legislative 
baptism. The bill, if I remember aright, was re- 
ported by Judge Polk, and was in the main very 
acceptable. A blank, of course, was left for the 
name of the town that was to become the seat of 
government, and during the two or three days we 
spent in endeavoring to fill the blank there was 
in the debate some sharpness and much amuse- 
ment. Gen. Marston G. Clark, of Washington 
County, proposed ' Tecumseh' as the name, and 
very earnestly insisted on its adoption. When it 
failed he suggested other Indian names, which I 
have forgotten. They all were rejected. A member 
proposed ' Suwarrow,' which met with no favor. 
Other names were proposed, discussed, laughed at, 
and voted down, and the House, without coming to 
any agreement, adjourned until the next day. There 
were many amusing things said, but my remem- 
brance of them is not sufficiently distinct to state 
them with accuracy. I had gone to Corydon with 
the intention of proposing Indianapolis as the name 
of the town, and on the evening of the adjourn- 
ment above mentioned, or the next morning, I sug- 
gested to Mr. Samuel Merrill, the representative 
from Switzerland County, the name I proposed. 
He at once adopted it, and said he would support 
it. We together called on Governor Jennings, who 
had been a witness of the amusing proceedings the 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 



25 



day previous, and told him what conclusion we had 
come to, and asked him what he thought of the 
name. He gave us to understand that he favored 
it, and that he would not hesitate to so express him- 
self. When the House met and went into com- 
mittee on the bill, I moved to fill the blank with 
Indianapolis. The name created quite a laugh. Mr. 
Merrill, however, seconded the motion. We dis- 
cussed the matter fully, gave our reasons in sup- 
port of the proposition, the members conversed with 
each other informally in regard to it, and the name 
gradually commended itself to the committee, and 
was adopted. The principal reason in favor of adopt- 
ing the name proposed — to wit, that the Greek ter- 
mination would indicate to all the world the locality 
of the town — was, I am sure, the reason that over- 
came the opposition to the name. The town was 
finally named Indianapolis with but little if any op- 
position." One may well feel puzzled to understand 
the force exerted by the argument that " the Greek 
termination of the name would indicate the locality 
of the town." The termination means " city," and 
that is all. The other half of the name would in- 
dicate locality though, and the combination would 
fairly enough suggest a State capital, so that its apt- 
ness is evident, whether the argument that secured it 
was sound or not. 

By the same act of approval and naming the new 
capital the Legislature appointed Christopher Harri- 
son (no relative of the general's), James Jones, and 
Samuel P. Booker commissioners to lay off the town. 
They were directed to meet on the site on the first 
Monday of April, 1821, to perform that duty, and 
make plats or maps of the town, one for the Secretary 
of State and one for the State agent. They were 
also to advertise and hold a sale of the lots as soon as 
practicable, reserving the alternate lots. The pro- 
ceeds of the sales were to be used in erecting the 
buildings required by the government. Harrison was 
the only one of the commissioners who attempted to 
perform his duties." He was a Marylander by birth, 
a very eccentric man, of excellent education and cul- 
tivated tastes, who came to Southern Indiana early 
in the century, and some years after the completion 
of his work as commissioner returned to Maryland, 



and lived to a ripe old age. It is said on good au- 
thority that he was engaged to be married to Miss 
Elizabeth Patterson, a noted belle of Baltimore, but 
the attentions of Prince Jerome Bonaparte over- 
powered her scruples and her faith, and she married 
the brother of the great Corsican, only to find herself 
repudiated by him and excluded from the ambition 
that had betrayed her. Mr. Harrison came to Jeffer- 
son County about 1804, and lived there the life of 
a hermit with his dogs and books for several years, 
then removed to Salem, Washington Co., and there 
his rare attainments — rare in the backwoods at 
least — and his abilities forced him into public life, 
and finally into the position of founder of the city of 
Indianapolis. He came to the little yearling village 
at the time appointed, and selected as surveyors Alex- 
ander Ralston and Elias P. Pordham, with Benjamin 
I. Blythe as clerk of the Board of Commissioners. 

Mr. Blythe lived to an advanced age in the city, 
and was one of the earliest of the enterprising men 
who laid the foundations of the city's pork-packing 
prosperity. Of Mr. Fordham little appears to have 
been known at the time, and nothing can be learned 
now. Ralston was a Scotchman, a man of marked 
ability and rare attainments as well as high character. 
When quite young he' had been employed in assist- 
ing the laying out of Washington City, and may have 
got then the preference for wide streets and oblique 
avenues which he exhibited so signally and benefi- 
cially here. He became associated with Burr's expe- 
dition, presumably in ignorance of its real character, 
as most of the conspirator's following were, came West 
in connection with it, and remained when it fiiiled. 
He remained in Indianapolis after completing his 
work, and in 1825 was appointed by the Legislature 
to survey White River and make an estimate of the 
expense of removing the drifts and snags and other 
obstructions to navigation, and reported the following 
winter. He built a brick residence on West Mary- 
land Street, a half-square west of Tennessee, and lived 
there till his death, early in 1827. He was buried 
in the " Old Cemetery," and his grave was long un- 
known. A few years ago, however, some old resi- 
dents made a close examination and found it, or were 
confident they had. 



26 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



The Indiana Journal of Jan. 9, 1827, contained 
an obituary notice of him, which from his prom- 
inence in the settlement may be reproduced here. 
He died on the 5th, at the age of fifty-six. " Mr. 
Ralston was a native of Scotland, but emigrated 
early in life to America. He lived many years at 
the city of Washington, then at Louisville, Ky., 
afterwards near Salem, in this State, and for the last 
five years in this place. His earliest and latest occu- 
pation in the United States was surveying, in which 
he was long employed by the government at Wash- 
ington, and his removal to this place was occasioned 
by his appointment to make the original survey of it. 
During the intervening period merchandise and agri- 
culture engaged his attention. In the latter part of his 
life he was our county surveyor, and his leisure time 
was employed in attending to a neat garden, in which 
various useful and ornamental plants, fruit, etc., were 
carefully cultivated. Mr. Ralston was successful in 
his profession, honest in his dealings, gentlemanly in 
his deportment, a liberal and hospitable citizen, and 
a sincere and ardent friend. He had experienced 
much both of the pleasures and pains incident to 
human life. The respect and esteem of the generous 
and good were always awarded to him, and he found 
coDstant satisfaction in conferring favors, not only on 
his own species, but even on the humblest of the 
brute creation ; he would not willingly set foot upon 
a worm. But his unsuspecting nature made him 
liable to imposition ; his sanguine expectations were 
often disappointed. His independent spirit some- 
times provoked opposition, and his extreme sensi- 
bility was frequently put to the severest trials. 
Though he stood alone among us in respect to 
family, his loss will be long lamented." Mr. Now- 
land adds that the old bachelor's house " was kept 
for him by a colored woman named Chancy Lively," 
who was the second colored person in the place. Dr. 
Mitchell brought the first, a boy named Ephraim 
Ensaw. These were the first colored residents, but 
a colored man came out with Mr. Maxwell in 1820, 
and remained here a few months. His name was 
Aaron Wallace, and a few years ago he returned here 
to reside permanently, after an absence of nearly 
sixty years. " Aunt Chancy," as she was called, was 



well known to the South Side school-boys forty-five 
or fifty years ago. Her residence was the north- 
west corner of Maryland and Meridian Streets. She 
married a barber named Britton. 

On the completion of the surveying force, work 
was begun at once in marking out the sections and 
fractions selected by the locating commissioners in 
June, 1820. The whole donation lay upon the east 
bank of the river except a fractional section on the 
west bank, where Indianola stands. A plat of one 
mile square was set in the middle of the donation, 
and almost in the middle of the plat the Circle was 
placed, to be made the site of the Governor's resi- 
dence. It was not used for that purpose, however, 
though a large house was erected there in 1827 at 
considerable expense, some six thousand five hundred 
dollars. The publicity of the situation made it un- 
desirable as a family residence, and it was used ex- 
clusively as rooms for the judges of the Supreme 
Court, the State auditor and engineer, the State 
Library and State Bank, and occasionally for local 
or individual purposes. It was proposed at one 
time to add wings on each side and make a State- 
House of it. It was sold as old building material in 
April, 1857, for six hundred and sixty-five dollars, 
and torn down and carried off in the last days of the 
same month. The Circle was not put in the centre 
of the donation, because if the centre of the town 
had corresponded with the centre of the donation, it 
would have thrown too much of the central portion 
of the town plat into the valley of Pogue's Creek. 
The point where the four sections of the donation 
" corner" is about ten feet west and five feet south of 
the southeast corner of the lot occupied by the Occi- 
dental Hotel. The Circle was set nearly a square 
east and two squares north for the purpose stated. 
A natural elevation at this point, thickly covered 
with a growth of tall straight sugar-trees, aided its 
nearly central situation in making it the centre of the 
original town plat. It contains between three and 
four acres, and is surrounded by an eighty-feet street. 

Extending north and south from the Circle on a 
meridian line is Meridian Street, and crossing the 
latter from east to west is Market Street, both carried 
to the limits of the city, except the west end of 



EAKLY SETTLEMENTS. 



Market, which is blocked at Blackford Street. Par- 
allel with Market and one square south is Washing- 
ton Street, the main thoroughfare of the city, one 
hundred and twenty feet wide. The whole plat, one 
mile square, is surrounded by ninety-feet streets, 
called respectively, from their location, North, South, 
East, and West. The area inside these limits is di- 
vided into eighty-nine blocks and fractions by nine 
streets north to south and nine east to west, each 
ninety feet wide except Washington. The blocks 
are four hundred and twenty feet square, and are 
divided into four equal parts, each containing one 
acre, by alleys fifteen feet wide running north and 
south, and thirty feet running east and west. All of 
the streets, except the two central ones meeting at 
the Circle, the main street, and the four bounding 
the plat, are named for the States of the Union in 
1821. The most marked features of the original de- 
sign of the city are the Circle and the avenues radi- 
ating from it, and starting at the corners most re- 
mote from it of the four blocks that adjoin it. 
These are named for States like the others. The 
squares are broken by six fractions and three con- 
siderable irregular tracts in Pogue's Run Valley, so 
that the number of completed squares is only eighty- 
nine. The intersections of the streets would have 
made one hundred if completion had been possible. 
Three lots were made of each quarter of a square or 
acre, giving to each lot of the original plat one-third 
of an acre. Few of these now retain their original 
dimensions. They were sixty-seven and one-half 
feet wide on the streets by one hundred and ninety- 
five feet deep, being longer where they abutted upon 
the narrow alleys. The half-mile of the donation 
lying all round the mile square in the middle of it, 
except on the river side, was not platted. In 1822 
the Legislature ordered the fraction west of the river 
to be laid off in tracts of five to twenty acres by the 
State agent, and in 1831 he was ordered to lay off all 
the remainder of the donation, some nineteen hun- 
dred acres, into lots of two to fifty acres, and sell 
them at a minimum price of ten dollars an acre. 
These were used chiefly for farming purposes and 
pastures till the growth of the city began to overrun 
them. It was never imagined that the city or town 



would extend to these exterior lots at all, and that 
they should be covered by it would have been as in- 
credible as au Arabian Night tale. Now the city 
covers nearly three times the area of the donation. 
The four streets bounding the old plat — North, 
South, East, and West — were not in it at first, but 
were put there at the solicitation of James Blake, 
who represented to Commissioner Harrison the ad- 
vantages such streets would be as public drives and 
promenades when the town grew up. 

The act of the Legislature creating the commission 
to lay off the town required the appointment of an 
agent of the State at six hundred dollars a year for a 
term of three years, who was to live at Indianapolis 
and attend to the disposal of the lots. Gen. John 
Carr was the first agent. The place was subsequently 
held by several persons, among them James Milroy, 
Bethuel F. Morris, Ebenezer Sharpe, B. I. Blythe, 
clerk of the commission, Thomas H. Sharpe, and 
John Cook. The duties were finally transferred to 
the Secretary of State. The commissioners, or rather 
one of them, having completed the survey and plat, 
advertised the first sale for the second Monday in 
October, 1821, and it took place at the tavern of Mat- 
thias Nowland, father of John H. B., author of 
" Prominent Citizens of Indianapolis." This stood 
near Washington Street, west of Missouri ; and at 
the request of the State agent, Mr. Nowland had 
built an addition to serve as an office. Oct. 9, 1821, 
was " a raw, cold day," says a sketch of the city's 
early history written some twenty-five years or more 
ago ; " a high wind prevailed, and a man in attend- 
ance came near being killed by a falling limb." The 
town was very much crowded. Strangers from vari- 
ous quarters had come to settle in the new place or 
to secure property. The three taverns, kept by 
Hawkins, Carter, and Nowland, were crowded, and 
in many cases the citizens were called upon to share 
their homes with the new-comers till they could erect 
cabins. The bidding at the sale was quite spirited, 
and, considering the position and advantages of the 
settlement, high prices were obtained in some cases. 
" The reservation of alternate lots was begun by the 
commissioner by reserving lot No. 1." The best 
sales were north and east of the bulk of the settle- 



28 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ment, which was on and near the river, owing to 
the prevalence of chills and fever the summer before, 
when everybody, old and young, was down at one 
time or another, except Enoch Banks, Thomas 
()hinn, and Nancy Hendricks. This visitation gave 
an eastern impulse to settlement, and accounts for 
the higher prices of lots more remote from the river. 
The number of lots sold amounted to three hundred 
and fourteen, mostly in the central and northern parts 
of the plat, and the total value of the sales was thirty- 
five thousand five hundred and ninety-six dollars and 
twenty-five cents. The highest price brought by a 
single lot was by the lot on Washington Street, west 
of the Court-House Square, which brought five hun- 
dred and sixty dollars. That on the same street, 
west of the State- House Square, brought five hun- 
dred dollars. The intervening lots sold from one 
hundred to three hundred dollars each. The condi- 
tions of the sale required the payment of one-fifth of 
the purchase-money down, and the remainder in four 
equal annual installments. 

The sales continued a week, and the amount paid 
down was seven thousand one hundred and nineteen 
dollars and twenty-five cents. Thomas Carter was auc- 
tioneer, and the late James M. Eay clerk of these first 
sales. Not a few of these lots are now worth one thou- 
sand dollars a front foot, some are worth more. " Out- 
lots" that were sold at first for ten, twenty, or thirty 
dollars could not be bought now for as many thou- 
sands, in some cases twice that. Of the lots purchased 
at this first sale, one hundred and sixty-nine were 
afterwards forfeited, or the payments made on one lot 
were transferred to another, under an act passed a little 
later " for the relief of purchasers of lots in Indian- 
apolis." The early sketch already referred to says, 
" These forfeited lots and the reserved lots were once 
or twice afterwards offered at public sale, and kept 
open for purchase all the time. But prices became 
depressed, money scarce, sickness caused general de- 
spondency, and for several years after the winter of 
1821-22 there were but few lots sold. The amount 
of cash reserved by the State for donation lands up 
to 1842 was about one hundred and twenty-five 
thousand dollars." This the law made a public build- 
ing fund, out of which was erected a State-House, 



court-house. Governor's house (in the Circle), treas- 
urer's house and ofiice, office of clerk of the Supreme 
Court, and a ferryman's house at the foot of Wash- 
ington Street. 

The settlers brought to the new capital by the re- 
port of its selection for that purpose speedily trebled 
its population, and more. During the summer and 
fall of 1820 there came Dr. Samuel G. Mitchell, 
John and James Givan (among the first merchants), 
William or Wilkes Reagan, Matthias Nowland, James 
M. Ray, James Blake, Nathaniel Cox, Thomas 
Anderson, John Hawkins, Dr. Livingston Dunlap, 
Daniel Yandes, David Wood, Col. Alexander W. 
Russell, Dr. Isaac Coe, Douglass Maguire, and others 
unnamed and not easily identified as to the time 
of arrival. Morris Morris is said by one of these 
early sketches to have come here in 1819, in the fall 
(probably inadvertently for 1820), when he came only 
in the fall of 1821. Mr. Nowland says that James 
M. Ray, James Blake, Daniel Yandes, the Givans, 
Dr. Mitchell, Dr. Coe, Dr. Dunlap, Col. Russell came 
the following spring and summer, 1821, and with 
them Daniel Shaffer, the first merchant, who died in 
the summer of 1821, Robert Wilmot, and Calvin 
Fletcher, the first lawyer. It is impossible now to 
make a complete list of the settlers up to the laying 
out of the town and the first sale of lots, but with 
the help of such records as have been made, and such 
memories as are accessible, a muster-roll of consid- 
erable interest can be made : 

George Pogue (blacksmith), possibly, 1819, spring. 

Fabius M. Finch (lawyer), 1819, summer. 

John McCormick (tavern), 1820, spring. 

James McCormick, 1820, spring. 

John Maxwell ('squire), 1820, spring. 

John Cowan, 1820, spring. 

Robert Harding (farmer), 1820, spring. 

Van Blaricum (farmer), 1820, spring. 

Henry Davis (chairmaker), 1820, sjjring. 

Samuel Davis (chairmaker), 1820, spring. 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley (farmer), 1820, spring. 

Robert Barnhill (farmer), 1820, spring. 

Isaac Wilson (miller), 1820, spring. 

Matthias Nowland (mason), 1820, fall. 

Dr. S. G. Mitchell, 1820, fall. 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 



29 



Thomas Anderson (wagonmaker), 1820, fall. 

Alexander Ealston (surveyor), 1820, fall. 

Dr. Isaac Coe, 1820, spring. 

James B. Hall (carpenter), 1820, winter. 

Andrew Byrne (tailor), 1820, fall. 

Michael Ingals (teamster), 1820, winter. 

Kenneth A. Scudder (first drug-store), 1820, sum- 
mer. 

Conrad Brussell (baker), 1820, fall. 

Milo R. Davis (plasterer), 1820, winter. 

Samuel Morrow, 1820, summer. 

James J. Mollvain ('squire), 1820, summer. 

Eliakim Harding ('squire), 1821, summer. 

Mr. Lawrence (teacher), 1821, summer. 

Daniel Larkins (grocery), 1821, summer. 

Lismund Basye (Swede), 1821, fall. 

Robert Wilmot (merchant), 1820, winter. 

James Kittleman (shoemaker), 1821. 

Andrew Wilson (miller), 1821. 

John McClung (preacher), 1821, spring. 

Daniel Shaffer, 1821, January. 

Jeremiah Johnson (farmer), 1820, spring. 

Wilkes Reagan (butcher), 1821, summer. 

Obed Foote (lawyer), 1821, summer. 

Calvin Fletcher (lawyer), 1821, fall. 

James Blake, 1821, spring. 

Alexander W. Russell (merchant), 1821, spring. 

Caleb Scudder, 1821, fall. 

George Smith (first publisher), 1821, fall. 

James Scott (Methodist preacher), 1821, fall. 

0. P. Gaines (first Presbyterian preacher), 1821, 
summer. 

James Linton (millwright), 1821, summer. 

Joseph C. Reed (first teacher), 1821, spring. 

James Paxton (militia officer), 1821, fall. 

Daniel Yandes (first tanner), 1821, January. 

Caleb Scudder (cabinet-maker), 1821, fall. 

George Myers (potter), 1821, fall. 

Nathaniel Bolton (first editor), 1821, fall. 

Amos Hanway (cooper), 1821, summer. 

John Shunk (hatter), 1821, fall. 

Isaac Lynch (shoemaker), 1821, fall. 

James M. Ray (coach-lace maker), 1821, summer. 

David Mallory (barber), 1821, spring. 

John Y. Osborn, 1821, spring. 



Samuel Henderson (first postmaster), 1821, fall. 

Samuel Rooker (first painter), 1821, summer. 

Thomas Johnson (farmer), 1820, winter. 

Robert Patterson, 1821, fall. 

Aaron Drake (first mail), 1821. 

William Townsend, 1820, summer. 

J. R. Crumbaugh, 1821. 

Harvey Gregg, 1821, fall. 

Nathaniel Cox (carpenter), 1821. 

Some thirty-three years ago the late Samuel Mer- 
rill, Treasurer of State at the time of the removal of 
the capital from Corydon to Indianapolis in the fall 
of 1824, and charged with the supervision of the 
work, prepared a map illustrating the progress of the 
town at different periods, 1821, 1823, 1835, and 
1850, to accompany the first historical sketch of the 
city, prepared by him for the first " Gazetteer," issued 
in 1850 by Chamberlain & Co., booksellers in the 
town. The reader, understanding the old plat of the 
city, and observing that its western boundary at 
West Street was about a quarter of a mile from the 
river, will see quite accurately the size and location 
of the infant settlement of 1821 from a description 
of the outline on this map. It extended along 
Washington Street, wholly south of it, to a point 
a little less than a block east of West Street, and 
was less than a block in width for a distance equal to 
two blocks, when it began widening, and at the river 
reached from about the point where Georgia Street 
strikes the bank to the old National road bridge. 
The little settlement of Maxwell and Cowan farther 
north, near the site of the City Hospital, seems to 
have been completely detached from the main body 
of the village. In 1823, the year before the arrival 
of the capital, the settlement had shifted entirely 
away from the river, its western extremity being 
near West Street, and it extended in a narrow line 
about a block in width on each side of Washington 
Street to Meridian Street, where a point ran south to 
Georgia Street on each side of Meridian, while east 
of it, and passing east of the Circle, another point pro- 
jected north as far as Ohio Street, and a third point ■ 
along Washington carried the settlement to a point 
about half-way between Alabama and New Jersey 
Streets. The shape of it is an exact cross, with one 



30 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



arm a little higher than the other. In 1835 the 
town had heen under its own government by trus- 
tees for two or three years, had established a brewery 
and several manufactures, besides those for custom 
service, had been the capital for over ten years, had 
nearly completed the State-House, had a population 
of about two thousand, and the county that year, as 
announced by Mr. Calvin Fletcher in a public ad- 
dress, contained thirteen hundred farms, and had 
produced one million three hundred thousand bushels 
of corn. In this condition of things the town formed 
an irregular figure, much like a balloon, with the neck 
near West Street, and the " bulge" opening pretty 
rapidly up north to Michigan Street, reaching east to 
New Jersey, and then south to Georgia and a little 
below ; at the widest place, north to south, covering 
seven squares, and its greatest length along Washing- 
ton Street very nearly covering the mile of the plat. 
In 1850 it covered all of the plat but the northwest, 
southwest, and southeast corners, and more than made 
up for these deficiencies by projecting beyond it on 
the northeast, the east, and the south along the Bluff 
road or South Meridian Street. 

In May, 1820, in three months after the first set- 
tlement, or in any case after the first indications of a 
possible settlement of more than a family or two, 
there were fifteen or twenty families on the donation. 
These increased to thirty or forty during the succeed- 
ing year to July, when the sales of government lands 
in this and adjoining counties began at the land- 
office in Brookville, Franklin Co. Happily for 
the pioneers of 1820, there was not so much sick- 
ness as might have been expected, and nothing com- 
parable to the visitation the next year, and, quite as 
happily, nature had provided a " deadening," in 
which they raised with little labor comparatively all 
the corn and vegetables they needed to make a com- 
fortable subsistence with the abundance of fish and 
game to be had close at hand and with little trouble. 
This natural " deadening" lay at the northwest cor- 
ner of the donation, and contained some hundred or 
more acres. The trees had been killed by cater- 
pillars, and the pioneers cleared off the underbrush 
together, and held the field in common, simply 
marking off each family's share by what Mr. Now- 



land calls " turn-rows." This was known as the 
"big field" for several years. Its pi-oducts were 
chiefly corn and pumpkins. In addition to this pro- 
vision for the staples of vegetable food, each family 
had a truck-patch in the rear of their log cabin, 
where they raised such vegetables as they required 
for immediate use, including the " love-apple," or 
tomato, which nobody dreamed of eating for twenty 
years afterwards. Little more belongs to the history 
of this first year of the city's settlement than an ac- 
count of the condition and modes of life of the set- 
tlers, and that being much the same for all the early 
years of the settlement will be told for all at once. 

The year 1821 was an eventful one for the infant 
capital. During the summer the donation had been 
surveyed and the original city plat made, and a 
number of the men who were to be most conspicuous 
in its after-history, in spreading its business, estab- 
lishing its industries, founding its schools, main- 
taining its morality, its Fletcher, Yandes. Blake, 
Ray, Morris, Russell, Dunlap, Brown, Landis, 
had come or were on the way. It was a year of 
universal sickness, privation, and suffering. Says an 
early account, " Towards the end of summer and 
during the fall epidemic remittent and intermittent 
fevers and agues assailed the people, and scarcely a 
person was left untouched. (In another place it is 
told that Nancy Hendricks, Enoch Banks, and 
Thomas Chinn were all that escaped.) The few 
healthy ones were employed day and night in minis- 
tering to the wants of the sufferers, and many in- 
stances of generous and devoted friendship occurred 
at this time. The recollection of their bitter suffer- 
ings bound the early settlers together in after-life. 
The new-comers might well be appalled at the pros- 
pect before them, and it is no wonder that extrava- 
gant stories were circulated of the sickness at In- 
dianapolis. Although nearly every person in the 
settlement was more or less assailed, and several 
hundred cases occurred during the prevalence of the 
epidemic, not more than twenty-five terminated 
fatally. As winter approached the health of the 
community improved, and by the end of the year it 
was entirely restored. No cause was discovered for 
the unparalleled visitation, which the old settlers 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 



31 



hold to this day in vivid remembrance." The report 
of this calamity went abroad, and for many years 
more or less affected the otherwise strong induce- 
ments of the settlement to new settlers, and for 
thirty years malarial disorders came almost as regu- 
larly as the seasons. The " sickly season" was as 
well known and well defined a period as the " dog- 
days," and continued so till the general clearing of 
the county and drying out of low bottom lands and 
swamps had diminished the sources of malarial influ- 
ence. The effect of the epidemic of 1821 on the 
settlement was to force it back from the river, and 
extend it eastward past the Circle and Court-House 
Square along Washington Street. 

The first death in the settlement, by tradition, was 
that of Daniel Shaffer, a merchant, who came early 
in the year, opened a store on the high ground south 
of the creek, near the present line of South Street, 
and died in the summer following. The first woman 
that died was the wife of John Maxwell, one of the 
first two settlers after the McCormioks in the spring 
of 1820. She died 3d of July, 1821, and was buried 
on the bluff of Fall Creek, near the site of the City 
Hospital. Eight persons were buried there during 
the epidemic. Mr. Commissioner Harrison was scared 
off home by it, but before he went he authorized 
Daniel Shaffer, James Blake, and Matthias R. Now- 
land to select a site for a cemetery. " One Sunday 
morning early in August," says Mr. J. H. B. Now- 
land, " they selected the place now known as the Old 
Graveyard. One week from that day Mr. Shaffer was 
buried there." If his memory is correct Mrs. Max- 
well's was the first death in the settlement, and the 
traditional burial of Shaffer near the corner of South 
and Pennsylvania Streets, and subsequent removal to 
the " Old Graveyard," now " Greenlawn Cemetery," is 
a mistake. Most of the burials during the epidemic 
were in that first cemetery. 

Following this visitation came another hardly less 
intolerable. The universal sickness prevented the 
cultivation of the " caterpillar deadening," and ,'the 
influx of settlers at and after the first sales of lots 
made provisions distressingly scarce. Coffee was 
fifty cents a pound; tea, two dollars; corn, one dollar 
a bushel ; flour, four to five dollars a hundred ; coarse 



muslin or "factory," forty-five cents a yard. There 
were no roads into the settlement, nor anything better 
than cow-paths. All goods and provisions had to be 
carried on horseback from the White Water Valley, 
sixty miles away. The nearest grist-mill was Good- 
lander's, on the White Water. Corn was mainly 
bought of the Indians up the river and brought down 
in boats. Later keel-boats brought considerable car- 
goes of flour, whiskey, and powder, chiefly up the 
river. The settlers considered each one's stock of 
provisions the property of all that needed it, and 
divided with unstinted generosity. 

The year 1821 was marked by the establishment 
of the first business house, the store of Daniel Shaffer. 
He was followed in a short time by James and John 
Givan, the latter of whom became a vagrant and 
pauper, supported by an annuity contributed by the 
merchants of the city, and died only a few years ago, 
a very old man, with a marvelous memory of events 
and persons of that early time. Robert Wilmot began 
merchandising about the same time, or perhaps a little 
earlier, near the present corner of Washington and 
West Streets, in a row of cabins called " Wilmot's 
Row." Luke Walpole opened in the same business 
in the fall on the southwest corner of the State-House 
Square, Jacob Landis on the southeast corner, and 
Jeremiah Johnson on the northwest corner of Market 
and Pennsylvania. The first log school-house was 
built the same year, about where Kentucky Avenue 
enters Illinois Street, near a large pond. The first 
teacher was Joseph C. Reed, afterwards the first 
county recorder. The first log house on the old city 
plat was built by Isaac Wilson in the spring of 1820, 
on the northwest corner of what was afterwards the 
State-House Square. The first frame house was built 
by James Blake on the lot east of Masonic Hall in the 
fall of 1821. The timber had been cut during the 
summer by James Paxton on the donation. This was 
the first plastered house. That winter Thomas Carter, 
the auctioneer of the lot sales, built a ceiled frame 
tavern about where No. 40 West Washington Street 
is, and called it the " Rosebush," in the old English 
fashion of naming taverns, from a rough painting of 
that object on the sign. ' It was long after removed 
to a point near the canal, and then to West Street 



32 



HISTOKI OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



near Maryland. John Hawkins had built a log tavern 
the fall before on Washington Street, north side, near 
the middle of the block east of Meridian. It may be 
noted in this connection, though chronologically dis- 
' located, that the first brick building was erected for 
John Johnson in 1822-23, on a lot opposite the site 
of the post-office. It was torn down a few years ago 
to make room for a better structure. Though the 
Johnson house was undoubtedly the first brick build- 
ing in the town, it is not so certain that it was the first 
in the county. Old residents of Wayne township, like 
Mr. Mattern and Mr. Gladden, say that a two-story 
brick residence was built by John Cook in 1821, in 
what is now Maywood, near the line of Wayne and 
Decatur townships. In its latter days, thirty-five or 
forty years ago, it cracked through the middle, and 
was held together by a hoop of large square logs, 
notched at the corners and wedged tight, between the 
lower and upper stories. It was a rare style of repair 
for a building of any kind, and may still be remem- 
bered by old residents on that account. It stood on 
the northern blufi' of a low, level, wet prairie, the 
only one in the county, of which the now drained and 
cultivated remains, with possible patches of the orig- 
inal condition, are on the southern border of May- 
wood, and near the residence of Fielding Beeler, Esq. 
James Linton built the first two-story house, a frame, 
in the spring of 1822, on the site of No. 76 West 
Washington Street. He also built the first saw-mill 
on Fall Creek, above the Indiana Avenue or Craw- 
fordsville road bridge, and about the same time built 
the first grist-mill for Isaac Wilson on Fall Creek 
bayou, now known as " the race," near the line of 
North Street. 

The year 1821 saw the beginning of moral and 
intellectual culture as well as business. A school 
was taught by Mr. Reed during the latter part of 
the year, and Rev. John McClung, a preacher of 
what was called the " New Light" denomination, 
preached in the spring, some say in the sugar grove 
on the little knoll in the Circle. It is a question 
among the few old settlers who remember the occur- 
rence whether that was the first sermon heard in the 
New Purchase or one prfeached not far from the 
same time by Rev. Rezin Hammond. Mr. Nowland 



says that if Mr. McClung preached in the settlement 
that spring it must have been at Mr. Barnhill's, who 
belonged to the same denomination but lived outside 
of the donation. An old settler wrote in one of the 
city papers recently that Mr. Hammond preached 
near the site of the old State Bank, corner of Illinois 
Street and Kentucky Avenue, near a pond, which 
must have been close to the site of the first school- 
house, while others say he preached in the woods on 
the State-House Square. Mr. Nowland, years after- 
wards, met Mr. Hammond at Jeffersonville, and this 
first sermon was recalled. The party surveying the 
town, under Ralston, were then at work near the 
Circle, and they prepared on Saturday evening for 
the sermon next day by rolling logs together for 
seats and building a rough log rostrum. Not more 
than forty or fifty persons attended. " A few mo- 
ments after the services commenced," says Mr. Now- 
land, " an Indian and his squaw came by on their 
ponies. They halted a moment, and passed on to- 
wards the trading-house of Robert Wilmot. He was 
in the congregation, and at once rose and followed 
them ; but before he was out of hearing Mr. Hammond 
said, ' The pelts and furs of the Indians had more 
attractions for his Kentucky friend than the words 
of God.' There can be little doubt," Mr. Nowland 
concludes, " that this was the first sermon preached 
in Indianapolis ; it was so regarded at the time." 
In August of the same year Rev. Ludlow G. Gaines, 
a Presbyterian clergyman, preached in the grove 
south of the State-House Square. No church or- 
ganization was attempted, however, till the spring of 
1823. In July it was completed, and steps taken to 
build a church on North Pennsylvania Street, on the 
site of the Exchange Block. It was finished, at a 
cost of twelve hundred dollars, and occupied in 1824. 
The " Indianapolis Circuit" of the Methodist Church 
was organized by Rev. William Cravens in 1822, 
under authority of the Missouri Conference, but 
Rev. James Scott had preached here in private 
houses as early as October, 1821, by appointment of 
the same authority. A camp-meeting had been held 
in 1822, September 12th, and a second one in May, 
1823, after the organization of the circuit, but no 
house was occupied specially as a church til! the 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 



33 



summer of 1825, when a hewed-log house on 
Maryland Street near Meridian was bought for 
three hundred dollars and used for four years. In 
1828-29 a brick building was erected, at a cost of 
three thousand dollars, on the southwest corner of 
Circle and Meridian Streets, which became, when 
replaced in 18-16, "Wesley Chapel." The first 
Baptist Church was organized in September, 1822, 
but held services in private houses or in a log 
school-house " on and partly in Maryland Street," 
between Tennessee and Mississippi Streets, which 
could be had " without interruption," as a committee 
reported in May, 1823, till a brick house was built 
on the southwest corner of Maryland and Meridian 
Streets in 1829. These were the beginnings of the 
three pioneer churches in Indianapolis and the New 
Purchase. They are noted here to present as com- 
plete a view as possible of the early settlement and 
history of the city and county. 

In the summer of 1821 the first marriage oc- 
curred. The bride was Miss Jane Reagan, the 
groom Jeremiah Johnson, who had to walk through 
an unbroken and pathless forest sixty miles to Con- 
nersville for his license (this county at that time 
having no organization), and the walk back made one 
hundred and twenty miles. He was an eccentric 
man, witty, cynical, with a fashion of retracting his 
lips when talking so as to show his yellow, tobacco- 
stained teeth, giving him something of the expression 
of a snarling dog. He was full of humorous conceits 
and quaint comparisons, and a delightful companion for 
young men when he was " tight" enough to feel jolly, 
as he frequently was. When the first telegraph line 
was completed to the city in 1848, " Old Jerry" saw 
it as ho was passing along Washington Street com- 
fortably " full," and broke out in a sort of apostrophe, 
" There 1 they're driving lightning down the road, 
and with a single line at that !" Any one who has 
seen a team driven by a " single line" will appreciate 
" Old Jerry's" joke. He died very suddenly in 
1857. 

Among other first events that have traditionally 
marked this year was the birth of the first child. But 
the tradition of that interesting occurrence is con- 
tested by two living witnesses, who rather confuse 



one's faith, and leave a slight leaning to the skepticism 
which would doubt if any child was born at all. 
The traditional opinion, supported by two or three 
historical sketches, is that Mordeoai Harding was 
that memorable infant, but tradition and history are 
both impeached by Mr. William H. White (before re- 
ferred to) and by Mr. Shirts, of Hamilton, who claims 
that Mr. Corbaley's son Richard was the first, in 
August, 1820, at his residence in the western part 
of the donation. Mr. Nowland denies the donation, 
says Mr. Corbaley lived west of the west donation 
line, but concedes the principal fact. Mr. White's 
claim is disputed by the general opinion of old set- 
tlers, but the other seems to be settled. 

During the whole of the year 1820 the " New 
Purchase" formed part of Delaware County, which, 
then unorganized, vaguely covered most of the northern 
and central portions of the State, and was attached 
for judicial purposes to Wayne and Fayette Counties. 
The residents of White River Valley were sued and 
compelled to answer in the courts of the White 
Water Valley, sixty miles away, and the compulsion 
was costly, irritating, and intolerable. The jui'isdic- 
tion was disputed and resisted, and the Legislature, 
to avoid further and graver trouble, passed an act 
of Jan. 9, 1821, authorizing the appointment of 
two justices of the peace for the new settlements, 
with appeals to the Bartholomew Circuit Court. 
In April, 1821, Governor Jennings appointed John 
Maxwell, but he retained the office only a few 
months, and resigned. The settlers then elected 
informally James Mcllvaine, and the Governor 
commissioned him in October. He is described 
by the old residents who remember him, and by 
the sketches that speak of this period of the city's 
history, as holding court at the door of his little 
log shanty, on the northwest corner of Pennsylvania 
and Michigan Streets, with the jury sitting on a 
log in front, his pipe in his mouth, and Corbaley, 
the solitary constable, vigilantly crossing the plans 
of culprits to get away into the thick woods close 
about, as they are said to have done sometimes in 
spite of him. The late Calvin Fletcher was then 
the only lawyer, and the primary court of informal 
appeal for the easily-puzzled old squire. The po- 



34 



HISTORY OF IJNDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



sitions of counsel and judge are not often consoli- 
dated in the same hands, — it is too easy for one 
to use and abuse . the other ; but it was never 
charged that Mr. Fletcher misled his confidant in 
his own interest. 

The first especially exciting incident in the quiet 
course of the settlement brought the judicial power 
into a dilemma, from which it escaped by a pro- 
cess that did more credit to its ingenuity than its 
sense of justice. On Christmas-day, 1821, four 
Kentucky boatmen who had come up White 
River from the Ohio in a keel-boat to the Bluifs, 
thought that the new settlement farther up would 
be a good place for frolic, and they came and got 
howling drunk before daylight at Dan Larkins' 
" grocery," as liquor-shops were called in those 
days, and frequently were a mixture of saloon and 
grocery-store. As usual with the " half-horse and 
half-alligator" men of the Mike Fink breed, the 
predecessors of the " cow-boy," they began smashing 
the doggery as soon as they had got all the liquor 
they wanted. The row roused the settlement, and 
the gentlemen from Kentucky were respectfully re- 
quested to desist and make less noise. They re- 
sponded with a defiance backed by knives. The 
settlers consulted. They did not want the whiskey 
wasted, and they did want a quiet Christmas, or 
at least to make their own disturbance. They de- 
termined to put down the rioters. James Blake 
proposed to take the leader single-handed if the 
rest of Indianapolis would " tackle" the other three, 
and the consolidated remainder of the embryo cap- 
ital agreed. Blake and the Kentuckian were both 
large, powerful men, but the Hoosier was sober 
and resolute, and the Kentuckian drunk and 
furious, so the rioters were captured and taken to 
Squire Mcllvaine's. They were tried, fined severely, 
and in default of payment ordered to jail. There 
was no jail nearer than Connersville, and it would 
cost as much as their fines to take them there in 
the dead of winter under guard, so they were 
kept under guard here, with instructions to allow a 
little relaxation of vigilance in the night, and the 
hint was followed by the convenient escape of the 
whole party. 



Notwithstanding the appointment of justices, the 
courts of Wayne and Fayette Counties still claimed 
jurisdiction, and doubts were entertained of the va- 
lidity of the appointment of Maxwell and Mcllvaine. 

i To remedy all difficulties the citizens held a meeting 
at Hawkins' tavern to discuss the matter, and James 

I Blake and Dr. S. G. Mitchell were appointed repre- 
sentatives of the settlement to attend the next session 
of the Legislature at Corydon as lobby members to 
secure an organization of the county. On the 28th 
of November the Legislature legalized the acts of 
Commissioner Harrison, he having acted alone in sur- 
veying the donation and laying off the town. It 
may be noted here as an indication of the readiness 
of the Legislature to encourage the growth of the 
place that on the 31st of December, 1821, an act 
authorized Gen. Carr, the agent, to lease to McCart- 
ney and McDonald forty acres of the donation for 
ten years free, to be occupied as a mill-seat. On the 
same day an act was passed organizing the county, 
and requiring the organization to be completed on the 
1st of April, 1822. It applied the present Court- 
House Square to that purpose, and provided for the 
erection of a court-house fifty feet square and two 
stories high, and appropriated eight thousand dollars 
to it. The courts that held sessions in the capitol. 
Federal, State, and county, were to use it forever if 
they chose, and the State Legislature was to use it 
for fifty years or till a State-House should be built. 
Two per cent, of the lot fund was to be given for the 
founding of a county library. The sessions of court 
and the elections were -to be held at Gen. Carr's till 
the court-house was built. Johnson, Hamilton, and 
a large part of Boone, Madison, and Hancock were 
attached to this county for judicial purposes. Marion, 
Monroe, Owen, Greene, Morgan, Lawrence, Rush, 
Hendricks, Decatur, Bartholomew, Shelby, and Jen- 
nings Counties were formed into the Fifth Judicial 
Circuit. William W. Wick, of Connersville, was 
elected president judge by the Legislature, and 
Harvey Bates, of the same place, was appointed 
sheriff by the Governor. They both came on and 
assumed their offices the following February, 1822. 
The latter, by a proclamation of Feb. 22, 1822, or- 
dered an election to be held on the 1st of the next 




7 



^^^c^C^^ 



EARLY SETTLEMENTS. 



35 



April for two associate judges, a clerk, recorder, and 
three county commissioners. The voting precincts 
were fixed at Gen. Carr's, in the town ; John Page's, 
at Strawtown, in Hamilton County ; John Berry's, 
Andersontown, Madison Co. ; and William McCart- 
ney's, on Fall Creek, near Pendleton. Returns were 
to be forwarded by the 3d of April. 

William W. Wick was a Pennsylvanian by birth, 
but came to Connersville, in this State, when a young 
man, and from there came to Indianapolis to assume 
the duties of his office. Ex-Senator Oliver H. Smith 
said that in 1824 "he, though a young lawyer, had had 
a good deal of experience in criminal cases." During 
his term as judge of the huge circuit, now formed 
into a half-dozen, he was elected brigadier-general of 
militia, no unimportant position in those days 
to an ambitious young man. He was Secretary 
of State for four years, from 1825 to 1829, then 
prosecuting attorney, and in 1833 was beaten for 
Congress by G-eorge L. Kinnard. He was success- 
ful though in 1839, and served in the House 
during the memorable " log cabin and hard cider" 
campaign of 1840. He was elected again in 1845, 
and re-elected in 1847. In 1853 he was made post- 
master by President Pierce, and on the expiration of 
his term in 1857 he retired from public life alto- 
gether. Soon afterwards he went to Franklin and 
made his home with his daughter, and died there in 
1868. 

Hervet Bates, who was appointed sheriff by 
G-overnor Jennings, was a son of Hervey Bates, who 
was a master of transportation during the Indian war 
under Gens. Wayne and Harmar, and chiefly engaged 
in forwarding provisions and munitions of war from the 
frontier posts to the army in the wilderness. His son 
Hervey, the subject of this biographical sketch, was 
a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and born in that place 
in 1795, when it was called Fort Washington. When 
but about six years of age he lost his mother, and, his 
father having married again, he left the paternal roof, 
and in Warren, Lebanon County, Ohio, met with 
friends through whose agency he received a sufficient 
English education to qualify him for the ordinary 
pursuits of life. On attaining his majority he came 
to Brookville, Franklin County, where he married 



Miss Sidney Sedwick, cousin of the late Gen. James 
Noble, United States senator. During the year 1816 
he cast, in Brookville, his first vote for a delegate to 
form a new constitution for the State of Indiana. 
Soon after Mr. Bates' marriage he removed to Con- 
nersville, and made it his residence until February, 
1822, when Indianapolis, then a mere hamlet, became 
his home. Jonathan Jennings, the first Governor 
after the admission of the State into the Union, ap- 
pointed William W. Wick president judge of the 
then Fifth Judicial District, and Hervey Bates, sheriff 
of Marion County, which then embraced several neigh- 
boring counties for judicial purposes, investing the 
latter with full power for placing in operation the 
necessary legal machinery of the county. This he 
did by issuing a pi'oclamation for an election to be 
held on the first day of April, for the purpose of 
choosing a clerk of the court and other county officers, 
which was the first election of any kind held in the 
new purchase. Mr. Bates was, at the following elec- 
tion held in October, made sheriff for the regular term 
of two years, but declined a subsequent nomination, 
having little taste for the distinctions of office. Mer- 
cantile pursuits subsequently engaged his attention, 
to which he brought his accustomed energy and in- 
dustry, and enjoyed success in his various business 
enterprises. 

Mr. Bates was the earliest president of the branch 
of the State Bank located in Indianapolis, and filled 
the position for ten years, during which time it en- 
joyed a career of unparalleled success, and greatly 
advanced the interests of the business community. 
Through the substantial aid afforded by this bank, 
most of the surplus produce of this and adjacent 
counties found a profitable market. Mr. Bates was 
also instrumental in the formation of the earliest 
insurance company, was a stockholder in the first 
hotel built by a company, in the first railroad 
finished to the city of his residence, the earliest gas- 
light and coke company, and in many other enter- 
prises having for their object the public welfare. In 
1852 he began and later completed the spacious hotel 
known as the Bates House, at that time one of the 
most complete and elegant in the West. It was 
erected at a cost of sixty thousand dollars, and 



36 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



modern improvements added, making a total cost of 
seventy-five thousand dollars. Many other public 
and private buildings in various portions of the city 
owe their existence to the enterprise and means of 
Mr. Bates. He was a generous contributor to all 
worthy religious and benevolent objects, and willingly 
aided in the maintenance of the various charitable 
institutions of Indianapolis. Rev. Henry Ward 
Beeoher found in him a cordial friend when a resi- 
dent of the city, and in his less prosperous days. 
The death of Mr. Bates occurred on the 6th of July, 
1876, in his eighty-third year, his wife having died 
previously. His children are Hervey Bates and Mrs. 
L. M. Vance, both of Indianapolis, and Elizabeth H., 
deceased. 

While this first election is pending a return may 
be made for a moment to pick up some incidents of 
the settlement that occurred between the sale of lots 
in October, 1821, and the election, April 1, 1822. 
No clearing of the streets had been attempted when 
the sales took place. Each little cabin was stuck 
away in its own little hole in the dense woods, and 
they were so dense that a man standing near the site 
of Bingham & Walk's jewelry-store could not see a 
house half-way down the block on the other side of 
Washington Street, west of Meridian ; so say old set- 
tlers and common tradition. Gen. Morris once said 
that it was just like camping out in a forest on a 
hunting expedition when he came here with his 
father in 1821, except that the camping-places were 
cabins instead of tents or brush houses. One neigh- 
bor could not see the next one's house. Hawkins 
built his tavern of logs cut on the lot in the very 
centre of Washington Street. For many years the 
less settled streets were more or less filled with trees 
and brush, and the only way along them was a cow- 
path. In order to open Washington Street, which 
the plan of the town had appointed for the principal 
thoroughfare, an offer was made by the settlers to give 
the timber to anybody who would clear off the trees. 
It would have been a very profitable contract a year 
later. The ofiFer was accepted by Lismond Basye, a 
Swede, who had come from Franklin County that 
same fall. The trees were oak, ash, and walnut 
chiefly, and he thought he had a small fortune safe. 



When he had got them all down, and the sti'eet " to be" 
was worse blocked than before, and there was no mill 
to saw them, he gave up the job in despair, and the 
people burned the superb timber as it lay. In Jan- 
uary, 1822, the Legislature ordered the opening of a 
niimber of roads, and appropriated nearly one hundred 
thousand dollars to it, greatly to the satisfaction of the 
entirely isolated settlers. In the same month the 
State agent was instructed to lease unsold lots on 
condition that the lessees would clear them in four 
months, and this, as a step towards getting the settle- 
ment in something like civilized condition, was a 
gratifying measure. The lessees were allowed forty 
days to remove their improvements if the lots should 
be sold during their occupancy of them. 

On the 28th of January, 1822, the first newspaper 
of the settlement was issued by George Smith and 
Nathaniel Bolton, his step-son, called the Indianapolis 
Gazette. Mr. Nowland's memoir of Mr. Smith says 
" the printing-office was in one corner of the cabin in 
which the family lived." and the cabin was near a 
row of cabins built by Mr. Wilmot, called " Smoky 
Row," west of the line of the future canal and near 
Maryland Street. In the second year the office was 
moved to the northeast corner of the State-House 
Square. Mr. Smith learned the printer's trade in the 
office of the Observer of Lexington, Ky., and subse- 
quently worked upon the Liberty Hall and Gazette 
of Cincinnati, under the noted editor, Charles Ham- 
mond. In later life he lived in a frame house on the 
northeast corner of Georgia and Tennessee Streets, 
the ground now forming a part of the Catholic prop- 
erty about the St. John's Cathedral and the bishop's 
residence. Here about 1840, John Hodgkins estab- 
lished the first ice-cream or " pleasure garden," as it 
was called, and built the first ice-house, and laid down 
a little circular railway with a little locomotive to run 
upon it. Mr. Smith served two terms as associate 
judge of the county, and was the first man in the 
place to open a real estate agency, which he did in 
1827. Some years before his death he bought a 
farm at Mount Jackson, which now forms part of the 
grounds of the Insane Asylum, and there he died in 
April, 1826, at the age of fifty-two. He was rather 
an eccentric man, but notoriously liberal to the poor. 



ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY AND ERECTION OF TOWNSHIPS. 



37 



He and Grovernor Ray wore " cues" in the old Revo- 
lutionary fashion. The Governor discarded his in 
his old age, but Mr. Smith held to his as tenaciously 
as a Chinaman. Some catarrhal affection, probably, 
brought a fit of sneezing on him nearly every morn- 
ing early after he had dressed and got out of doors, 
and that sonorous sound could be heard by all the 
neighbors as far and as plainly and about as early as 
the morning song of his roosters. 

Nathaniel Bolton was a book-binder by trade. He 
became much better known to the Indianapolis people 
than Mr. Smith. He continued to edit the Gazette 
after the other had sold out his interest, when he had 
a larger constituency to speak for, and his wife, Sarah 
T. Barrett, of Madison, the earliest and most gifted 
and conspicuous of the poetesses of the State, helped 
his reputation by the abundance of her own. He 
was made consul at Geneva, Switzerland, in 1853, 
whence his wife wrote many letters to the Journal, 
then under the direction of an old friend, Mr. Sul- 
grove. In May, 1857, he came back in consequence 
of failing health, and died in a few months. For 
several years after he had sold his interest in the 
Gazette, he and his wife kept a country tavern on the 
farm that Mr. Smith lived on before his death at 
Mount Jackson. Mrs. Bolton is now living in a 
pleasant house in the country about three miles 
southeast of the city, and still frequently publishes 
fugitive verses on passing occurrences that interest 
her, especially the death of old friends, marked with 
all the fertility of fancy and grace of style of her 
earlier poems. 

The mechanical processes of the first paper were 
primitive enough. The ink was partly compounded 
of tar, and the press-work was slow and hard. Com- 
position rollers were unknown till the secret of 
making them was brought here just ten years later 
by the late David V. Culley, for many years presi- 
dent of the City Council. There were no mails at 
all at first, and when a post-route was established 
soon afterwards its deliveries were so irregular that 
the editors had to apologize once for the deficiency of 
matter by saying that the failure of the mails had 
left them without any news from abroad or any suit- 
able material. Several post-routes were opened during 



the spring, in addition to one to White Water, opened 
a few weeks after the paper appeared first, but they 
came too late to relieve the urgent necessity of the 
winter and spring. The incessant and heavy rains 
greatly obstructed the main mail-route, and com- 
pelled the entire suspension of the paper from the 
3d of April to the 4th of May by catching the editors 
away from home and keeping the streams too deep to 
be forded. The first number appeared on the 2Sth 
of January, the second on the 11th of February, the 
third on the 25th, the fourth March 6th, the fifth on 
the 18th, the sixth April 3d, the seventh May 4th. 
The growth and changes of the Gazette will be 
noticed particularly in the sketch of the " Press." 

The first mail came very closely after the first paper. 
For nearly two years such correspondence as had been 
maintained between the new settlement and the older 
ones east and south on the White Water and the Ohio, 
had been carried on by the hands of neighbors and 
occasional travelers. On the 30th of January, 1822, 
a meeting of citizens was held at the " Eagle Tavern" 
(Hawkins') to devise means to maintain a private 
mail. The hope of a government mail does not seem 
to have been strong enough to be cultivated. Aaron 
Drake was selected for the duty of private postmaster 
and mail-carrier. He notified the postmasters all 
around of the arrangement that had been made, and 
asked them to forward all letters for Indianapolis to 
Connersville, where he would get them. " He re- 
turned from his first trip," says an early sketch of the 
city, " shortly after nightfall, and the loud blasts of his 
horn were heard far through the woods, and the whole 
people turned out in the bright moonlight to greet 
him and hear the news." This effort aroused the 
general government, and President Monroe appointed 
Samuel Henderson first postmaster in February, 1822. 
He opened the office the first week in March. A his- 
tory of the office will be found in its proper place, and 
nothing more need be said of it here, except that the 
first list of letters awaiting delivery contained five 
names, one of them that of Mallory, the colored barber, 
and first barber in the place. For some years, it is 
hard to say just how long, the mails were carried on 
horseback, subsequently they were taken in stage- 
coaches, and Indianapolis became nearly as conspic- 



38 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



uous a stage centre as it is now a railroad centre. 
For many years the J. & P. Vorhees Company had 
large stables and coach-making and repairing shops 
here on the southwest corner of Maryland and Penn- 
sylvania Streets. They were abandoned about 1852, 
when the advancing railroad lines began to absorb 
mails and passengers ; but the music of the " stage- 
horn" was long a pleasant sound in the ears of the old 
settler, for it brought him the principal variation of 
the monotony of a village life, except the regular 
winter sessions of the Legislature. For a short time 
during the administration of Van Buren a mail-route 
or two was run here on horseback in extra quick time, 
and called " express mails." The riders came gal- 
loping along Washington Street, blowing little tin 
horns with a din that delighted the school-boys, and 
for many a week they made night hideous with their 
horns. 

The winter of 1821-22, in spite of the prostration 
and starvation of the preceding summer and fall, was 
pleasantly passed in the main. The settlers becoming 
better acquainted, and frequently rendering each in- 
dispensable neighborly oflSces in sickness and destitu- 
tion, were naturally well disposed to relieve the lone- 
liness of an unusually severe winter in an impassable 
forest with such social entertainments as were within 
reach, so they kept up an almost unbroken round 
of quilting and dancing parties and other modes 
of killing time when there was nothing to do to 
enable them to make a better use of it. " A mania 
for marrying took possession of the young people," 
says the early sketch, " and there was hardly a single 
bachelor left in the place." The snow was very deep, 
and the river frozen so hard that large logs were 
hauled across it on heavy " ox-sleds." On the 25th 
of February the Gazette said that a good deal of 
improvement had been going on. Forty residences 
and several work-shops had been built, a grist-mill 
and two saw-mills were in operation, and more were 
in progress near the place. There were thirteen car- 
penters, four cabinet-makers, eight blacksmiths, four 
shoemakers, two tailors, one hatter, two tanners, one 
saddler, one cooper, four bricklayers, two merchants, 
three grocers, four doctors, three lawyers, one preacher, 
one teacher, seven tavern-keepers. These alone would 



indicate a population of about three hundred. But 
these were not alone : there were probably enough 
more adult males to complete a roll of one hundred, 
and show a population of five hundred. 

The first election was coming close as the pro- 
tracted winter began to loosen its grip on the iron 
ground and let the spring blossoms out to the sun- 
light. Candidates were pretty nearly as numerous as 
voters. There were two parties, but not separated by 
national party divisions. This was the " era of good 
feeling" in national politics. The old " Federal" and 
" Republican" differences were growing dim and the 
names unfamiliar. The division in the first election 
in Indianapolis was geographical. " White Water" 
and " Kentucky" were the names of might, and the 
voters took sides according to the direction they had 
traveled to get here. Just what sort of a compromise 
was made by the settlers who came in the first place 
from Kentucky, and resided for a while in the White 
Water before moving to the New Purchase, there is 
no indication to direct. The " White Water" leader 
was James M. Ray, the " Kentucky" chief Morris 
Morris, father of Gen. Thomas A. Morris, the real 
general and victor in the first campaign in West Vir- 
ginia. The candidates for associate judges — there 
were two — were Robert Patterson, James Mcllvaine, 
James Page, Eliakim Harding, John Smock, and 
I Rev. John McClung. The candidates for clerk were 
James M. Ray, Milo R. Davis, Morris Morris, Thomas 
Anderson, and John W. Redding. For recorder there 
were Alexander Ralston, James Linton, Joseph C. 
Reed, Aaron Drake, John Givan,' John Hawkins, 
William Vandegrift, and William Townsend. No 
record is left of the candidates for the three county 
commissionerships, but it is said there were about 
fifteen of them. There were no caucuses or conven- 
tions or primaries, and no obstruction to the ambition 
of any man that wanted to be a candidate. The poll 
in the town showed two hundred and twenty-four 
votes, a little more than one hundred probably being 
residents on the donation. In the county three hun- 
dred and thirty-six votes were cast, including a good 
part of all the counties around it. James Mcllvaine 
and Eliakim Harding were elected associate judges ; 
James M. Ray, clerk ; Joseph C. Reed, recorder ; 



ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY AND ERECTION OF TOWNSHIPS. 



39 



and John McCormick, John T. Oshorn, and William 
McCartney, county commissioners. James M. Ray 
received two hundred and seventeen votes, which was 
the highest vote for any candidate. 

The newly-elected county commissioners qualified 
and held their first session on the 15th of April, in 
the house at the corner of Ohio and Meridian Streets. 
On the next day they divided the county, em- 
bracing the very large area already described, into 
Fall Creek, Anderson, White River, Delaware, Law- 
rence, Washington, Pike, Warren, Centre, Wayne, 
Franklin, Perry, and Decatur townships. The first 
four were in the territory afterwards formed into 
other counties. The following are the formally de- 
clared boundaries of the townships as first consti- 
tuted, which have composed the county ever since, 
with a very few slight changes. Only the "corners" 
are given, as they will enable any one to follow the 
lines readily : 

" Lawrence" township, in the northeast corner of 
the county, was given the following corners : The 
northeast corner of Section 15, Town 17 north of 
Range 5 east, is the northeast corner of the town- 
ship ; the southeast corner of Section 15, Town 16 
north of Range 5 east, is the southeast corner ; the 
.southwest corner of Section 15, Town 16 north of 
Range 4 east, is the southwest corner ; and the 
northwest corner of Section 16, Town 17 north of 
Range 4 east, the northwest corner. The township 
contains forty-nine sections, seven each way. 

" Washington" township, immediately north of 
Centre, has the following corners : On the northeast, 
northeast corner of Section 17, Town 17 north of 
Range 4 east ; on the southeast, the southeast corner 
of Section 16, Town 16 north of Range 4 east; on 
the southwest, the southwest corner of Section 15, 
Town 16 north of Range 3 east; and the northwest, 
the northwest corner of Section 16, Town 17 north 
of Range 3 east. This township contains forty-nine 
sections, seven each way, like Lawrence. Three sec- 
tions were subsequently taken from Pike, in Town 16 
north of Range 3 east, so that the southwest corner 
of Section 16, Town 17 north of Range 3 east, is the 
southwest corner of the township. 

" Pike" township, in the northwest corner of the 



county, is now somewhat different from the bounds 
set by the commissioners at this session. The four 
corners as set by them at this time are as follows : 
The northeast is the northeast corner of Section 17, 
Town 17 north of Range 3 east ; the southeast is 
the southeast corner of Section 16, Town 16 north 
of Range 3 east ; the southwest is the southwest 
corner of Section 16, Town 16 north of Range 2 
east ; the northwest is the northwest corner of the 
county. The east and west boundaries were both 
changed after this, so that the southeast corner is 
the southeast corner of Section 17, Town 16 north 
of Range 3 east, giving to Washington three sec- 
tions ; and on the west the bounds of the county 
were changed, giving the four east halves of sections 
to Pike, thus making the area forty-four sections, 
seven miles north and south, six miles on the south 
side and six and a half on the north side. 

" Warren" township, on the east of Centre, was 
described with the following corners : The northeast, 
the northeast corner of Section 22, Town 16 north 
of Range 5 east ; the southeast, the southeast corner 
of Section 22, Town 15 north of Range 5 east; the 
southwest, the southwest corner of Section 22, Town 
15 north of Range 4 east; the northwest, the north- 
west corner of Section 22, Town 16 north of Range 
4 east. The township contains forty-nine sections, 
seven sections each way, being almost exactly square, 
and has never been changed. 

" Centre township shall consist of the territory 
included within the following bounds, to wit: Be- 
ginning at the northea.st corner of Section 21, Town 
16, Range 4 ; tlience south on the section line to the 
southeast corner of Section 21, Town 15, Range 4; 
thence west to the southwest corner of Section 22, 
Town 15, Range 3 ; thence north on the section line 
to the northwest corner of Section 22, Town 16, 
Range 3 ; thence east on the section line to the 
place of beginning." The township contains forty- 
two sections, seven miles north and south, six east and 
west, and has never been altered. 

" Wayne" township had and still has the follow- 
ing corners, having remained unchanged : The north- 
east, the northeast corner of Section 21, Town 16 
north of Range 3 east ; the southeast, the southeast 



40 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



corner of Section 21, Town 15 north of Range 3 
east ; the southwest, the southwest corner of Section 
21, Town 15 north of Range 2 east; the northwest, 
the northwest corner of Section 21, Town 16 north 
of Range 2 east. The township contains forty-nine 
sections, being of the same shape and size as 
Warren. 

" Franklin" township is of the same size and 
shape as Centre, but has its greatest extension east 
and west. The corners are as follows : The north- 
east, the northeast corner of Section 27, Town 15 
north of Range 5 east ; the southeast, the southeast 
corner of the county ; the southwest, the southwest 
corner of Section 22, Town 14 north of Range 4 
east ; the northwest, the northwest corner of Sec- 
tion 27, Town 15 north of Range 4 east. This 
township also has never been changed. 

" Decatur" and " Perry" townships were at first 
given bounds which made them parallelograms, but 
they have since been so changed that the river forms 
a boundary line between them. The four corners of 
" Perry" township were as follows : The northeast, 
the northeast corner of Section 28, Town 15 north 
of Range 4 east; the southeast, the southeast corner 
of Section 21, Town 14 north of Range 4 east ; the 
southwest, the southwest corner of Section 22, Town 
14 north of Range 3 east ; the northwest, the north- 
west corner of Section 27, Town 15 north of Range 
3 east. This made an area of forty-two sections, the 
same shape and size as Franklin, seven miles east and 
west, sis north and south. The township now, how- 
ever, has about forty-five sections, making the river 
the west boundary line. 

" Decatur" township had the following corners : 
The northeast, the northeast corner of Section 28, 
Town 15 north of Range 3 east; the southeast, the 
southeast corner of Section 21, Town 14 north of 
Range 3 east; the southwest, the southwest corner 
of the county ; the northwest, the northwest corner of 
Section 27, Town 15 north of Range 2 east. This 
gave the township thirty-six sections, while it contains 
now but about thirty-three sections. 

" On account of lack of population" certain of 
the townships were, until other regulations were 
made, to be united and to be considered as one 



township. They were Centre and Warren, to be 
called " Centre- Warren" ; Pike and Wayne, " Pike- 
Wayne" ; Washington and Lawrence, " Washington- 
Lawrence" ; Decatur, Perry, and Franklin, all three 
to be known as " Decatur-Perry-Franklin" township. 
Each combination was assigned two justices except 
Centre- Warren, which was given three. 

Some of them were soon separated, the first being 
Decatur township, which was disunited on the 12th 
of August, 1823. The next separation was of Pike 
township from Wayne, on the 10th of May, 1824, a 
petition to that end having been presented by some 
of the citizens of the township ; and the commission- 
ers considering the population sufficient to warrant the 
order, Warren and Centre townships were separated 
by an order of the Board, May 1, 1826. 

Washington and Lawrence were separated Oct. 6, 

1826. Franklin and Perry were separated Sept. 3, 

1827, on a petition presented by the people of that 
township. 

On March 3, 1828, three sections in Pike town- 
ship, 3, 9, and 16, were attached to Washington. 

On the next day after the townships were formed 
the County Board ordered the election of " magis- 
trates" in all the townships, assigning two to the 
joint townships of Washington and Lawrence, two 
to Pike and Wayne, two to Decatur, Perry, and 
Franklin, and three to " Centre- Warren," as it is 
always written in the records. The 11th of May 
was set for the election. In Centre-Warren, Obed 
Foote, Wilkes Reagan, and Lismund Basye were 
elected, and their election contested by Moses Cox. 
The case was heard by the Board at a special session 
on the 16th of May, on a summons by the sheriflF, 
with whom notice of contest had been filed. Some 
preliminary argument and ruling were made, and the 
next day the Board decided that the election should 
" be set aside and held as null and void." A second 
election was ordered on the 25th of May, eight days 
later, which was duly held, and the same men re- 
elected. That election was not disturbed. 

At the same May session of 1822 the first consta- 
bles were appointed : for Washington and Law- 
rence, William Cris and John Small ; for Pike and 
Wayne, Joel A. Crane and Charles Eokard ; for 



EEECTION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 



41 



Centre- Warren, Israel Harding, Joseph Duval, 
Francis Davis, George Harlan, William Phillips, 
Caleb Reynolds, Daniel Lakin, Lewis Ogle, Samuel 
Roberts, Joseph Catterlin, Henry Cline, Joshua 
Glover, and Patrick Kerr, — a larger force than the 
two townships have ever had since. 

At the April session, on the evening of the 17th, 
a county seal was adopted, thus described: " A star 
in the centre, with the letters ' M. C. C around the 
same, with inverted carved stripes tending to the 
centre of the star, and ' Marion County Seal' written 
thereon." On the 14th of May this seal was 
changed for the present one, thus officially described : 
" The words ' Marion County Seal, Indiana,' around 
the outside, with a pair of scales in the centre em- 
blematical of justice, uuder which is a plow and 
sheaf of wheat in representation of agriculture." 
The first roads opened or ordered in the county were 
considered upon the petition of William Townsend 
and others, and " viewed" by Joel Wright, John 
Smock, and Zadoc Smith for the one running " to 
the Mills at the Falls of Fall Creek," — the old Pen- 
dleton road ; and by William D. Rooker, Robert 
Brenton, and George Norwood for the other, running 
from " the north end of Pennsylvania Street to 
Strawtown," — the old Noblesville road. The next 
road was along the line of the present National road, 
upon petition of Eliakim Harding ; the fourth, a road 
to McCormick's Mills, on White River, upon peti- 
tion of John McCormick ; the fifth, the old Moores- 
ville road, upon petition of Demas L. McFarland. 
These were all in May, 1822. 

On the lYth, continuing the same session, the 
County Board established the following tolls " on the 
ferry on White River opposite Indianapolis," which 
was established by an act of the preceding Legislature ; 

"For each wagon and four horses or oxen $0.62^ 

" wagon and two horses or oxen 37^ 

" wagon (small) and one horse or ox 31i 

" extra horse or ox 12i 

" man or woman and horse 12^ 

" head of neat cattle 03 

" head of swine 02 

" head of sheep 02 

" footman 06^." 

At the same session of the Board the following 
" tavern rates" were established : 



" Bach half-pint of whiskey S0.12i 

Each half-pint of imported rum, brandy, gin, or 

wine 25 

Bach quart of cider or beer 12i 

Each quart of porter, cider wine, or cider oil 25 

Each half-pint of peach brandy, cordial, country 

gin, or apple brandy ISj 

Each meal 25 

Each night's lodging 12i 

Each gallon of corn or oats 124 

Each horse to hay, per night 25." 

The tax-payers of to-day will be interested in the 
modes and rates of taxation fixed by the County 
Board in the first year of the county's organization. 

At a session of the Board held on the 14th oi 
May, 1822, the following rates were established for 
taxation : 

"For every horse, mare, gelding, mule, or ass over 

three years old $0,374 

For stallions, once (their rate for the season) 

For taverns, each 10.00 

For every ferry 6.00 

For every $100 of the appraised valuation of town ■ 

lots 50 

For each and every pleasure carriage of two wheels... 1.00 

For each pleasure carriage of four wheels 1.25 

For every silver watch 25 

For every gold watch 50 

For every head of work-oxen over three years old and 

upwards, per head 25 

On each male person over the age of twenty-one years.. .50 

"Provided, That persons over the age of fifty years and not 
freeholders, and such as are not able from bodily disability to 
follow any useful occupation, . . . and all idiots and paupers 
shall be exempt from said last-named tax." 

At the same session in which the tax rates were 
settled an order was made for the erection of the 
first jail. The sheriff, Hervey Bates, was appointed 
county agent to receive bids. The specifications 
required as follows : 

" It is to be built fourteen feet in the inside, two 
stories high, of six and a half feet between floors, 
to be of hewed logs twelve inches thick and at 
least twelve inches wide, with two rounds of oak 
or walnut logs to be under ground ;" and " the 
second floor and the side logs to be of the same 
size of walnut, oak, ash, beech, or sugar-tree;" 
and " the third or upper floor to be of logs six 
inches thick and at least one foot wide." The 
roof was to be of jointed shingles. There was to 
be a window in the lower story or dungeon twelve 
inches square. The grate-bars for it were to be 



42 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



one inch and a quarter in thickness, and there 
was a window two feet by six inches in the second 
story, opposite the door by which the jail was en- 
tered. This door was four feet by two, of two 
thicknesses of two-inch oak plank, with a heavy 
stock-lock between, and also heavy strap hinges. 
There was to be a ladder leading up on the out- 
side to the door in the second story, and another 
door, a trap two feet square, in the floor of the 
second story, leading down into the lower story, 
which was to be fastened with a hasp and pad- 
look." 

The contract was awarded to Noah Leaverton, 
some time in May or June, 1822, by Hervey Bates, 
and was submitted to the commissioners for in- 
spection, and accepted on August 12th. 

" The Board approve, adopt, and permanently 
establish the building erected of hewed logs . . . 
on the Court-House Square, near the corner of 
Market and Delaware Streets, in Indianapolis, as 
the county jail." It cost three hundred and twelve 
dollars. (Pages 27, 28, 29, Commissioners' Record.) 

The jail looked a good deal like a small, re- 
spectable residence, bating the suggestive quality of 
the heavy iron gratings. In the summer of 1833 a 
negro came to the town wearing a black cap with 
a red leather baud around it, and leading sometimes, 
sometimes riding, a buffalo. He made a show of 
it on the streets occasionally, and was followed by 
the usual crowd of curious boys, who gave him a 
name that another man has lately made famous, 
" Buffalo Bill." He was arrested for some offense, 
larceny probably, and put in jail. That night he 
set it on fire to make his escape, and came near 
being burned in it. The hole in the ground where 
the two lower courses of logs had lain was visible 
for twenty years. Jeremiah Johnson was the first 
jailer. It was succeeded by a brick jail on the 
east side of the Court-House Square, one end abut- 
ting directly upon Alabama Street. In this the 
jailer was provided with rooms for residence. In 
1845 a hewed-log addition was made on the north 
and used for the confinement of the worst pris- 
oners. It was built of logs hewed to one foot square, 
and laid in three courses, the first horizontal, the 



one outside of it and bolted to it perpendicular or 
oblique, and the third, exterior to that, horizontal. 
An exterior casing of the same kind, consisting of 
one vertical and one horizontal course of hewed 
logs, was put round the first jail some time after 
it was built. 

In 1852 the present jail, in the east corner of 
the Court-House Square, was begun and com- 
pleted in 1854, when the old jail was torn away. 
Several additions have been made to the present one, 
at an aggregate cost of near one hundred thousand 
dollars, but the increase of crime in a city so con- 
venient to scoundrels, from its facilities for escape, 
and so largely made up at all times of transient resi- 
dents, has constantly exceeded the county's ability to 
take adequate care of the criminals. Escapes have 
not been very infrequent, and grand juries, whenever 
they make an examination, are pretty sure to report 
insufficient room. 

In this connection may be noticed more appro- 
priately than in the detached accounts following a 
chronological order, the crimes which have met the 
extreme penalty of the law in the present jail, as well 
as the first offenses in the history of the settlement. 
Until within the last decade no sentence of death had 
ever been passed upon any murderer in Marion 
County. Then William Cluck was convicted of the 
murder of his wife and sentenced to be hung. The 
sheriff had the gallows built and in place in the jail- 
yard, but a day or two before that set for the execution 
the murderer got poison and killed himself In the fall 
of 186;, Mrs. Nancy E. Clem, William J. Abrams, 
and Silas W. Hartman, Mrs. Clem's brother, were 
indicted for the murder of Jacob Young and his wife, 
— a horrible affair, in which the body of Mrs. Young 
was partially burned after she had been shot through 
the head, — known as the " Cold Spring" murder, and 
the woman was convicted of murder in the second 
degree and sentenced to imprisonment for life early 
in March, 1869. Just one week afterwards her 
brother cut his throat in his cell to escape an inevita- 
ble death by the halter. These were the nearest 
approaches made to the death penalty in this county 
till its first actual infiiction in January, 1879. The 
frequent escape of murderers whose crimes deserved 



ERECTION OP PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 



43 



death had stirred a strong feeling into public expres- 
sion against the weakness of the law as a protection 
of the community, and the almost certain escape of 
every offender, whatever his crime, if he could pay 
well for a defense, had strengthened this feeling. It 
appeared in thei editorials and communications of the 
papers, in allusions in public speeches and sermons, 
in social conversation, and, more emphatic than all, in 
frequent lynchings all about in the State. Mrs. Clem, 
though twice convicted, finally worried the law by 
appeals and change of venue and postponement till 
she was discharged, and this more than any other one 
thing had set the community hard against any lenity 
to the next murderer. 

In November, 1878, John Aehey was convicted of 
the murder, by shooting, of George Leggett, a partner 
in a gambling operation, and sentenced to death on 
'the 29th of January, 1879. On the 13th of Decem- 
ber, 1878, William Merrick, a livery-stable keeper on 
South Street, was convicted of the murder of his 
wife. She had been a school-teacher, and saved a 
considerable sum of money. While paying her his 
addresses he borrowed all her money, seduced her, 
and only after much solicitation married her. Within 
a day or two of her confinement he took her out 
riding after dusk, gave her strychnine in a glass of 
beer, which caused premature child-birth in the 
agonies of death, and then drove with the dead 
bodies to a small wood near the Morris Street bridge 
over Eagle Creek, where he dug a shallow hole on 
the creek bank, put the bodies naked in it, and 
covered them with logs. He burned in his stable the 
clothing he took from his wife's corpse in the dark- 
ness of midnight and the woods, and no discovery 
was made for several days. Then a boy going along 
the creek found the bodies, the wife was identified by 
some physical marks still discernible through the de- 
composition, and very soon after the husband was 
arrested. The horrible brutality of the crime, the 
cool, callous, calculating cruelty in every stage of it, 
the beastliness of the burial, all provoked so hot an 
exasperation of popular feeling that for the first time 
there were serious threats of lynching. He was 
sentenced to be hung at the same time Achey was, 
January 29th. Some attempts were made to obtain a 



commutation for Achey, whose provocation had been 
great, and would have saved him a death sentence in 
any other condition of feeling of the community, but 
nothing was done for Merrick. They were hung on 
the same gallows at the same instant, Merrick sullen, 
dogged, and silent to the last, though indicating a 
desire to speak at the moment the drop fell. Louis 
Guetig was convicted the same year of the murder of 
Miss McGlue, a waiter in the hotel kept by his uncle 
whom he had been courting, but who had discarded 
him. He shot her in the courtyard of the hotel 
while imploring him not to kill her, and imperiled 
several other girls who were present, and was sen- 
tenced to be hung with Achey and Merrick ; but his 
counsel obtained on appeal a reversal of some trivial 
instruction of the court below, and a second trial fol- 
lowed, with a second conviction and death sentence, 
and he was hung on Sept. 19, 1879, the anniversary 
of the murder. These are the only death sentences 
ever passed or inflicted in Marion County, except that 
of a colored man named Greenly for murdering his 
sweetheart. He was sentenced, but the Governor 
commuted his punishment to life imprisonment. 

The first grand jury of the county returned twenty- 
two indictments by Joseph C. Reed, the first recorder 
and school-teacher, of which six wore non prossed. 
They were pretty much all, except one assault and 
battery, for selling liquor without a license, a class of 
offenses which has always been a strong one in In- 
dianapolis and is yet. The first sufferer of thousands 
of lawless liquor dealers through a course of two gener- 
ations was John Wyant. So many indictments at the 
first term of court in so small a settlement, with no 
roads and no navigable streams, and no neighbors but 
Indians, would indicate the presence of a considerable 
portion of the lawless element that always mixes 
itself up with the real pioneer and improving element, 
though there was much less of it and of a less dan- 
gerous quality than that appearing on the present fron- 
tiers of civilization. The first felony appears, from 
Mr. Nowland's recollection, to have been a burglary 
committed by an old man named Redman, and Warner 
his son-in-law, on the grocery-store of the late Jacob 
Landis in 1824. Col. Russell was the sheriff, and a 
search-warrant enabled him to find the missing goods 



44 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



or most of them. Warner's wife attempted to con- 
ceal them under her clothing, but was detected. The 
offenders were sent to the penitentiary for several 
years. The first murder was committed long after- 
wards in 1833, and will be noticed particularly in its 
place. 

The Court-House Square, like all the rest of the 
town, was a dense wood when the first jail was put 
there, and a little later when the first steps for a 
court-house were taken, on the representations of 
James Blake, the county commissioners made an 
order that in clearing the square two hundred trees 
(sugars or maples it was understood) should be spared 
for a grove. No special direction having been given 
the contractors they left the largest trees, which, 
when the surrounding protection of forest had been 
cut away, had to bear the brunt of every wind that 
blew, and were soon so greatly damaged that they 
were cut down and cleared away entirely. The con- 
tractors for clearing were Earl Pierce and Samuel 
Hyde, for fifty-nine dollars. Many years after an at- 
tempt was made to reproduce a little shade by a grove 
of suitable trees, but the saplings were killed by 
drought or carelessness, mischievous boys or breachy 
cattle. There has never been any shade worth speak- 
ing of in the Court-House Square since the primeval 
forest was cut away in 1822. With the progress of 
the present court-house the square has been filled 
from a shallow depression to a very handsome eleva- 
tion, and some fine trees would become both. 

On Thursday, the 15th of August, 1822, as ap- 
pears from the " Commissioners' Record" (page 45), 
the County Board ordered the clerk to advertise in 
the Indianapolis Gazette for bids for a court-house, 
to be built upon plans furnished by John E. Baker 
and James Paxton. The specifications in brief were : 

The building was to front on Washington Street, 
to be forty-five by sixty feet, and ninety-four feet 
high from the ground. It was to be of brick, and 
two stories high. The foundation was to be of stone, 
eighteen inches in the ground and three feet and a 
half out of the ground, and three feet thick. The 
walls of the lower story were to be twenty-seven 
inches thick, and of the second story twenty-two 
inches. There was to be a cupola in the centre 



twenty-two and a half feet high, on top of it a dome 
five feet high, then a shaft twelve feet, and finally 
an iron spire with a gilt ball and vane. On the first 
floor were a court-room forty and a half feet square, 
and another small room and a hall, each thirteen feet 
three inches square. In the second story there were 
to be a court-room forty-one feet three inches by 
twenty-five feet, two rooms sixteen feet square, the 
hall and a room thirteen feet six inches square, and 
an entry eight and a half feet wide. The first story 
was fifteen and a half feet, the second fifteen feet. 
There was a " Doric cornice gutter on the roof, and 
four tin conductors with capitals." The roof was 
to be of poplar shingles, jointed, five inches to the 
weather. 

At a special meeting held on the 3d of September, 
1822, the commissioners examined bids for building 
the house, and awarded the contract to John E. 
Baker and James Paxton for thirteen thousand nine 
hundred and ninety-six dollars. Operations were to 
commence before the 1st day of April, 1823, and the 
building to be completed in three years. The build- 
ing was inspected by the commissioners, who were still 
in office, and this was their last official act. It was 
on the 7th day of January, 1825. Only a little 
painting and other work remained uncompleted. 
(Commissioners' Record, pages 45, 46, 47, and 54.) 

Until the completion of the court-house court was 
held, as the law required, at the residence of Gen. 
John Carr, a double log cabin on Delaware Street, 
about opposite the entrance to the court-house. The 
first session was held here on the 26th of September, 
1822, with Judge William W. Wick presiding, the 
newly-qualified associates, Mcllvaine and Harding, 
assisting, James M. Ray as clerk, and Hervey Bates 
as sheriff. After the court was organized it ad- 
journed to Crumbaugh's house, west of the line of 
the future canal. Calvin Fletcher was made the 
first prosecutor, continuing for three terms, and fol- 
lowed by Harvey Gregg, Hiram Brown, William 
Quarles, Philip Sweetser, James Morrison, Hugh 
O'Neal, Governor Wallace, Governor Hammond, 
and others more or less eminent in the profession. 
There were thirteen civil causes on the docket, and 
twenty-two indictments found, of which, as already 



ERECTION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS. 



45 



related, six were non prossed. Eleven lawyers were 
present, five of them being residents. The session 
lasted three days, naturalized an Irishman, Richard 
Good, licensed John Hawkins to sell liquor, indicted 
a dozen or more for selling without a license, and 
established " prison bounds" for the unfortunates 
arrested and confined for debt, that relic of barbarism 
being still in mischievously vigorous condition here. 
The first civil case was Daniel Bowman vs. Meridy 
Edwards ; the first criminal case, State vs. John 
Wyant, for violation of license laws. The second 
session was opened May 5, 1823, at Carr's, and ad- 
journed to Henderson's tavern, on the site of the 
" New York Store." Here appeared the first divorce 
case, Elias Stallcup vs. Ruth Stallcup. The third 
session was opened at Carr's, as usual, Nov. 3, 1823, 
but adjourned to Harvey Gregg's house. The fourth, 
April 12, 1824, adjourned from Carr's to John John- 
son's, and the fifth met at Carr's, Oct. 11, 1824, and 
adjourned to the partially completed court-house, and 
never afterwards left it till it was torn down in 1870 
to make room for the present one. 

This old court-house was practically the only pub- 
lic building in the town from 1825 to 1835. The 
Legislature made a State-House of it for three 
months every winter. The Federal Court, the Su- 
preme Court, the County Court, and the County 
Board all met and did business there. More than 
this, after the completion of the State-House, and 
the removal of that portion of public business to its 
own quarters, the old court-house became the City 
Hall, the place of conventions, the ready resort of 
every gathering that could not go anywhere else and 
could pay for lights there. The county's fuel usually 
warmed all that got in, whether public charity or 
private show. Joseph G. Marshall and James Whit- 
comb, two of the ablest men in the United States in 
the days of the giants, held their debate there when 
opposing candidates for Governor in 1843. The 
eccentric wandering preacher, Lorenzo Dow, preached 
there in 1827. Professor Bronson gave his first lec- 
tures on " Elocution" there. Col. Lehmanowski lec- 
tured there on " Napoleon's Wars." Preachers " out- 
side of any healthy organization," as the Southern 
senators said of Seward and Sumner, who could not 



get the " Old Seminary," could always get the court- 
house. " Nigger minstrels" gave the first of their 
performances there. A ventriloquist gave a show 
there. John Kelly played the fiddle there. Wil- 
liam S. Unthank lectured there on electro-magnetism 
as a motive-power more than thirty years ago. County 
conventions and city meetings assembled there. But 
a year or two before it was torn down the citizens 
held a meeting there to take measures to get the 
Agricultural College, for which Congress had made 
provision in all the States, located here, against the 
competition of Lafayette and John Purdue. A Mr. 
Keeley in 1844 made experiments in mesmerism 
there, and set half the fools in town mesmerizing the 
other half Few buildings in a new country, or any 
country, have had a greater variety of experiences in 
as short a life. It was State-House, court-house, oc- 
casional church, convention hall, lecture-room, con- 
cert-room, show-room, ball-room in forty-five years. 

During the time the present court-house was in 
course of erection, from May, 1870, to July, 1876, 
the courts were held in a large, cheap two-story 
brick building at the west gate, near where the west 
entrances from the street now are. In front, and to 
the east a few feet, were the old oiEoes of the county, 
the clerk and treasurer, recorder and auditor, the 
last two in the second story, the others on the ground- 
floor. In 1827 the Legislature appropriated five 
hundred dollars to build a little double-room, one- 
story brick house at the west entrance of the Court- 
House Square, for the clerk of the Supreme Court, 
then and for many years afterwards Henry P. Coburn, 
one of the foremost of the old citizens in all good 
work. He was one of the first trustees of the town 
government, one of the first trustees of the Old 
Seminary, and one of the first three trustees of the 
city schools, a position in which he contributed as 
largely as any man to their wise and beneficent estab- 
lishment. He was always put in for gratuitous pub- 
lic services, and never made any difference in the 
faithfulness and efficiency of his discharge of them. 
He was a graduate of Harvard and a college-mate 
with Edward Everett, came to this place with the State 
government in 1824, was the father of Gen. John 
Coburn and Henry, of the firm of Coburn & Jones, 



46 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and died July 20, 1854, at the age of sixty-four. 
This little building was torn down in 1855, and the 
clerk's office was removed to the State-House. The 
preseut court-house was completed in six years from 
the removal of the old one, at a cost of one million 
four hundred and twenty-two thousand three hundred 
and seventy-one dollars and seventy-nine cents, a lit- 
tle more than one hundred times as much as the old 
house of 1823-25 cost. Costly as it was, and re- 
cently as it has been completed, it is said to show 
signs of dilapidation. The State is once more 
making a capitol of the county's house while wait- 
ing for its own building, as it did from 1825 to 
1835, but it had a right to the first one, for it paid 
for it and used it as an owner. It has no right to 
this one, and must pay as a tenant. The city has 
found quarters for its offices in the same building, 
after moving about from the old Marion Engine house 
on the Circle to any convenient rooms it could get till 
it found something like a permanent location in the 
Glenn Block, and another later where the Masnner- 
chor Hall is. It will stay now where it is till it gets 
a hall of its own. The only other building ever 
erected on the Court-House Square was a large tem- 
porary frame, built by the political parties for cam- 
paign meetings in 1864 on the southeast corner of 
the square. It remained for some time after its 
special use was completed, and was made a sort of 
public hall. 

Following the incidents of the organization of the 
first court and the occupancy of the Court-House 
Square has carried this narrative beyond the order of 
time, and it may now return to the further action of 
the first session of the County Board. On the 16th 
of April the commissioners, under an act of the 
Legislature, appointed Daniel Yandes county treas- 
urer, to serve for one year, or till the next February 
session, which was the regular time of appointment. 
On the 13th of November, 1822, he made his first 
report, and it will be found interesting at this day, 
when the revenues and expenses of the county are 
equal to those of the State at that time : 

" Daniel Yandes, County Treasureb, Dr. 
To amount of receipts up to this date, for store 
licenses, tavern licenses, and taxes on certificates 

and sales and writs $169. 93i 



To certified amount of county revenue assessed for 

1822 726.79 

To the balance in jour favor on settlement this day.... 79. Hi 

, $975.84 

Treasurer, Cr. 

By payment to grand jurors to this date $2.25 

to county commissioners .36.00 

to listing, appraisers, etc 70.50 

to prosecuting attorney 15.25 

to expenses of the courts and juries 40.50 

to returning judges of elections 9.50 

to building county jail account 140.50 

to work on Court-House Square. ...^ 59.00 

to viewers and surveyors of roads 8.12i 

on poor account 5.00 

on school section account 1.50 

for printing 32.87J 



$421.00 

To treasurer's per cent, on $421.00 at 5 per cent 21.00 

By amount of county revenue yet due from Harris 

Tyner, collector, for the year 1822 490.84^ 

By amount deducted from revenue by delinquents... 42.87i 

$975.84" 

Mr. Yandes was reappointed Feb. 10, 1823, to 
serve for one year, and was reappointed annually till 
1829. The following are the dates of his later ap- 
pointments: Feb. 11, 1824, Jan. 3, 1825, Jan. 6, 
1826, Jan. 1, 182Y, Jan. 8, 1828. James John- 
son was appointed in 1829. Hervey Bates was 
elected sheriff at the regular State election in August, 
and served till 1824, when Alexander W. Russell 
succeeded him, and was succeeded in 1828 by Jacob 
Landis. Harris Tyner appears from the report of 
Mr. Yandes to have been the first tax collector. 
James Paxton was the first assessor, by appointment 
of the County Board, April 17, 1822. George Smith, 
of the Gazette, was elected coroner at the regular elec- 
tion in August, but seems not to have served, and 
the first in service was Harris Tyner, commissioned 
Sept. 1, 1823. A complete list of county officers 
will be found in a more appropriate connection. The 
purpose here is only to notice the first occupants and 
duties of the officers. 

On the 29th of May two keel-boats came up the 
river, the " Eagle" from the Kanawha, and the 
" Boxer" from Zanesville, the former loaded with fif- 
teen tons of salt, whiskey, tobacco, and dried fruit, the 
latter with thirty-three tons of dry-goods and print- 
ing material for Luke Walpole, one of the earliest of 
the merchants, who then had a store on the Court- 



NOTABLE EVENTS AND INCIDENTS. 



47 



House Square. Stores then and for years after 
kept dry-goods, groceries, hardware, queensware, 
liquor, everything, as old backwoodsmen used to say, 
" from scythe-snathes to salt fish, hymn-books, calico, 
and tobacco," and a strip of red flannel hung over the 
door was the usual sign. 

On the 17th of June a meeting was held at 
Hawkins' tavern, on Washington Street, to prepare 
for the first celebration of the Fourth of July. It 
took place on the " Military Ground," which then 
covered pretty much all the area north of Washington 
Street and west of West Street, then a country lane, 
to the road along the edge of the bluff of White River 
and Fall Creek bottoms, now called Blake Street, and 
north to Michigan Street. It was heavily wooded, 
largely with hackberries, whose little black beads, 
of fruit with a mere scale of covering, as sweet as 
any bee ever made, were a favorite indulgence of the 
school-boys of a later day. A few of these old hack- 
berries are still standing in what is left of the 
" Military Ground" in Military Park. The opening 
ceremony of the occasion was a sermon by Rev. John 
McClung, the "New Light" pioneer preacher, on the 
text, from Proverbs, " Righteousness exalteth a nation, 
but sin is a reproach to any people." Rev. Robert 
Brenton " closed with a prayer and benediction." Be- 
tween the two religious extremes there came a brief 
address from Judge Wick on the events and charac- 
ters of the Revolution, closing with the Declaration. 
Squire Obed Foote read Washington's Inaugural 
Address, with remarks appropriate to the subject, 
and John Hawkins read the Farewell Address, with 
suitable reflections. The audience certainly got a 
better quality of literature and sentiment than they 
would have been likely to get from a larger infusion 
of original matter. The more material enjoyment of 
the day was a deer killed the day before by Robert 
Harding on the northwest corner of the donation, 
and " barbecued" in a sufficient hole dug near a big 
elm. A long table vras set under the trees, and a 
better feast made than could be got for less vigorous 
appetites at ten dollars a mouth at a Delmonico's. 
During the dinner the inevitable speeches were made 
by Dr. Samuel G. Mitchell and Maj. John W. Red- 
ding. The festivities were completed by a ball at the 



house of J. R. Crumbaugh, just west of the site of the 
canal near Washington Street. 

The observance of the Fourth of July was kept up 
faithfully for about the third of a century. Then it 
began to fail in interest, and the war put an end to it. 
For much the greater part of this long period the 
celebration was confined to the Sunday-schools almost 
wholly, only a rare parade of mechanics or firemen 
breaking- the current. Early in the morning the 
children of each school would meet at the church, 
form a procession with banners, the least in front, and 
march, under the superintendent, to some point near 
the Circle, where all would fall in and make a pro- 
cession of several thousands in the latter days, always 
under the marshalship of James Blake, and go to the 
State-House Square or to some convenient grove, 
where a platform and seats had been provided, and 
there hear a prayer, a reading of the Declaration by 
some young fellow of promising qualities, and an 
oration of the stereotyped kind from a lawyer or 
preacher or some one of a pursuit inclining to oratory. 
Governor Porter achieved his first local distinction by 
a Fourth of July address in the grove on West 
Street, afterwards the site of the Soldiers' Home. It 
was not of the stereotyped, eagle-screaming, sun- 
soaring style, however. He had a Revolutionary 
soldier on the platform, and made as effective a use 
of him, in a less degree, as Webster did of his old 
soldiers in his speech on Bunker Hill. Another 
striking address on a like occasion was that of ex- 
Governor Wallace in the State-House Square the 
year before, not far from the middle of the decade of 
1840 to 1850. The conclusion of the celebration 
was a liberal distribution of " rusks" and water, and 
a benediction that sent all home before the unpleasant 
hour of noon. Since the war the Fourth has been a 
sort of general picnic holiday, or occasion for a fes- 
tive celebration by some one of the many associations 
in the city. For about thirty years it was steadily 
maintained by the Sunday-schools, from 1828 to 
1858. 

On the 20th of June, three days after settUng 
upon the mode and means of celebrating the Fourth, 
the citizens held another meeting at the school- 
house, near the present intersection of Illinois 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Street and Kentucky Avenue, to settle the ar- 
rangements for a permanent school. Trustees were 
appointed, and Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence selected as 
teachers. The school was maintained for some years. 
Mr. Reed, the first teacher in the settlement, did 
not keep his place more than one quarter, — all 
schooling was counted by the quarter (of twelve 
weeks) in those days, — but others succeeded him 
till this permanent arrangement was made in June, 
1822. Who the first trustees were there is no 
record to tell, and no reminiscence recalls them, 
but it would not be a wild guess to say that 
James Blake or James M. Ray or Calvin Fletcher 
was among them. 

The first State election in the New Purchase oc- 
curred on the 5th of August, 1822. William 
Hendricks, uncle of es-Governor and ex-United 
States Senator Thomas A. Hendricks, received three 
hundred and fifteen out of the three hundred and 
seventeen votes cast for Governor. He served two 
terms in the National Senate after leaving the Ex- 
ecutive chair. This vote would indicate a popula- 
tion of fifteen hundred to sixteen hundred in the 
county with the enlargement then appended to it. 
As above noted, Mr. Bates was elected sheriff at 
this election, and served a full term of two years. 
George Smith, elected coroner, was succeeded in 
1824 by Harris Tyner. In the militia election of 
the 6th of the next month, James Paxton was 
elected colonel of the Fortieth Regiment, Samuel 
Morrow lieutenant-colonel, and Alexander W. Rus- 
sell major. 

The leading events of the three years of the 
first settlement of the city may be summed up 
thus: in 1820 the selection of the capital site, 
birth of first child, cultivation of the " caterpillar 
deadening ;" in 1821 the first appointment of justices, 
laying out the town, the epidemic and the famine, 
the first sermon, the first marriage, the first death, 
the first store, the first sale of lots, the first school- 
house and school, — a year of first things ; in 1822 
the organization of the county, designation of town- 
ships, measures for county buildings, first tax levy 
and report, and generally the incidents of the tran- 
sition of a community from an accidental collection 



into an organized body prepared to support and 
take care of itself. 

During the remainder of the year 1822 the 
chief incidents of which any record or recollection 
remains was a camp-meeting, beginning September 
12th, east of the town, presided over by Rev. 
James Scott, sent here by the St. Louis Confer- 
ence in 1821, the first of a long series of this class 
of assemblages held in or about the donation, and 
still kept up, in an improved form with perma- 
nent arrangements, at a convenient point southeast 
of the city, near the little town of Acton, on the 
Cincinnati Railroad. The " Military Ground" was a 
favorite location for some years. Then they were 
held in the northwest corner of the donation, in a 
sugar-grove east of the canal, known as the " Tur- 
key Roost," and the general resort of the school- 
boys for little sugar saplings for "shinny clubs." The 
camp-ground was in the western edge of it. For some 
years a grove near the present site of the Deaf and 
Dumb Asylum was used, then for a considerable 
time they were abandoned about here altogether. 
Their revival and establishment permanently at 
Acton is an afiair of the last decade mainly. For 
a whole generation the most prominent and effec- 
tive preacher at camp-meetings was Rev. James 
Havens, irreverently called by the ungodly " Old 
Sorrel," a man of rugged and powerful structure, 
both physically and intellectually, as fearless as the 
famous Peter Cartwright, and as well able to pro- 
tect himself from the violence that he sometimes 
had to encounter or expect from the " roughs" 
who sought diversion in disturbing the meetings. 
The most notable incident in all that is remem- 
bered of these gatherings about here is his en- 
counter with a man named Burkhart, commonly 
called " Buckhart," the leader of a lawless crowd 
brought here by the work on the National road 
and the Central Canal, and left here idle when 
those works were abandoned. They lived by dig- 
ging wells and moving houses, when they did any- 
thing but steal, and when they could not do better 
lived on the corn and potatoes, pigs and chickens 
of the farms that then covered the greater part of 
what is now the city. They were called the " chain- 



NOTABLE EVENTS AND INCIDENTS. 



49 



gang." Two or three met violent deaths in affrays 
a few years later, but Burkhart left the town, went 
down about the " Bluffs," and died in his bed at 
a ripe old age, in better moral condition than he 
had lived for most of his life. The camp-meeting 
which was the scene of the incident was held on 
the " Military Ground." " Old Dave Buckhart" 
appeared there on the skirts of the assembly pretty 
drunk, and wandering barefooted in the simple 
costume of a dirty shirt and pair of pantaloons, 
his usual style of dress, from one point to another, 
singing a ribald song, or couplet rather, of his own 
making. Gen. Thomas A. Morris, the hero of the 
West Virginia campaign, the credit of which Mc- 
Clellan absorbed, and Hugh O'Neal, one of the fore- 
most criminal lawyers of the State, had learned some- 
thing of the purpose of the chain-gang to disturb 
the camp-meeting, and went there expressly to pre- 
vent it and punish the rowdies. As soon as Buvk- 
hart's singing was seen to attract attention they 
went to him, and at almost the same instant Mr. 
Havens came up. A peremptory order of silence 
was met by a drunken defiance, which the legendary 
account says was followed by a blow " from the 
shoulder" by the preacher that knocked the rowdy 
senseless. But Gen. Morris says he is not sure 
that Mr. Havens struck Burkhart, and that there 
was no knock-down. This phase of the story took 
form from an occurrence the next day, when Burk- 
hart was before Squire Scudder for disturbing the 
meeting. He was " gostrating" to the crowd at- 
tending the trial, and the late Samuel Merrill, 
thinking that the most effectual way to "squelch" 
the leader of the "chain-gang" and hold it in 
more wholesome dread of the law-abiding commu- 
nity would be to beat him at his own game, and 
show him that rowdies were not as formidable an- 
tagonists as better men, challenged him to wrestle 
with him. The rowdy was heavily and easily thrown 
by the sober and muscular lawyer, greatly to his 
chagrin and the discomfiture of the gang. It was 
not long after this that he left the town, and never 
returned except for a brief visit. 

An incident of the fall of 1822, still well remem- 
bered by the survivors of the early settlers, was an 
4 



invasion of gray squirrels that came from the east 
going westward. They were liberally killed, but the 
massacre made no impression on their countless num- 
bers. They destroyed a large portion of the corn 
they found in the line they followed as undeviatingly 
as a bullet, in spite of fences and streams and swamps. 
In 1845 another such emigration occurred, but of 
less extent and destructiveness. After this last there 
came a gradual change upon the character of the 
squirrel population of the county. Previously the 
" gray" was the only variety known, except a very 
rare red or " fox" squirrel. Afterwards the latter 
became the larger, and displaced the other almost as 
largely as it had itself been displaced. But this sort 
of game disappeared rapidly after the completion of 
the first lines of railroad, and now it is rarely seen 
nearer the city than a half-dozen miles. 

The fall of 1822 was signalized by the first at- 
tempts to open roads under the act of the Legislature 
of the preceding session. These roads must be dis- 
tinguished from the county roads, ordered by the 
County Board on petition, and examined by " view- 
ers," which constituted so large a part of the care of 
the county government in early days, and ever since 
in fact. They were surveyed and some work done 
upon them under direction of commissioners ap- 
pointed by the act authorizing them, but little seems 
to have been accomplished, except to clear away the 
trees, leaving the stumps nearly as serious an ob- 
struction. The White Water region was that with 
which the settlement naturally desired the earliest 
intercourse, and the roads in that direction were first 
opened, with one southward toward Madison, over 
which early in the winter a public meeting at Carter's 
tavern demanded a weekly mail to Vernon, Jennings 
Co., during the sessions of the Legislature at Cory- 
don. The roads of this period and for many a year 
afterwards were about as bad as any civilized com- 
munity ever had to put up with. They were pass- 
able for wagons and loads only when dried up in 
summer or frozen up in winter, and even in these 
favorable conditions there were long stretches that 
had to be " cross-layed" with rails or logs, filled in 
with chunks, to be passable even to a traveler on 
horseback. Since the advent of railroads, and the 



50 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



diminished reliance of the community on wagon- 
roads for any but neighborhood communication, these 
latter have been improved greatly everywhere, and 
now there are none entering the city that are not 
well graded and graveled, and as passable at one 
season as another. 

The first change from the primitive condition of 
the roads was the " macadamizing" of the National 
road by the government. An eiFort was made early 
in the settlement to get Congress to run the line of 
this then great national work through Indianapolis, 
but nothing was accomplished till Oliver H. Smith, 
afterwards founder of the " Bee Line" Railroad, be- 
came a member of Congress from the eastern district 
of the State in 1827. The line would have passed 
near Columbus, in this State, Mr. Smith says in his 
" Early Indiana Sketches," but he succeeded in car- 
rying an amendment that brought it here, and along 
our principal street, then and for a whole generation 
better known as " Main Street" than Washington. 
The " metaling" of this road extended through the 
town and beyond the river to a point a few hundred 
feet west of Eagle Creek, but it stopped in the town 
at the eastern end, near East Street, leaving a con- 
siderable distance uncovered to a point where a short 
stretch east of Pogue's Creek was " metaled." The 
survey of this road was made by the late Lazarus B. 
Wilson, engineer of the " Louisville, New Albany 
and Chicago" Railroad. He also planned the wooden 
arch bridges on the line, which have been in constant 
use with little repair, except replacing the soft slate 
of the first stone-work of the river bridge with 
durable limestone, since 1833. William Wernweg 
and Walter Blake were contractors for these bridges. 

" Cross-laying," as often as otherwise called " cross- 
waying," was the universal substitute for better road- 
making during the first thirty years of the existence 
of the city. All the " bottoms" of streams were thus 
made roughly passable, with frequent repair and re- 
placing of rotten rails and logs. The old Madison 
road, through Franklin and Columbus, was especially 
improved or infested with cross-way work. Not long 
before the Union Depot was built the whole breadth 
of Pogue's Creek bottom, the head of this road, from 
Louisiana Street, at the foot of the rise on which the 



residence of Morris Morris stood on South Meridian 
Street, to the rise on the other side at the " White 
Point," built by Dr. John E. McClure, and long oc- 
cupied by Nicholas McCarty, was a mass of rails and 
saplings and chunks and swamp-slush, bordered by a 
willow-fringed cow-pasture on the west side and a 
corn-field on the east, where the Eagle Machine-Works 
stand. In making the later substantial improvements 
of this street some indications of the old condition 
were discovered. The town streets were little better 
than the country roads for many years. Even after 
the trees were cut out, — and trees were standing in 
some streets that are now built solidly for squares as 
late as 1842 or 1843, — the stumps were left for the 
wagon-way to wander around as crookedly as a 
" bottom" bayou, reinforced by frequent mud-holes, 
turned by large bodies of unrestrained hogs into hog- 
wallows. The fences along each side were " worm- 
fences," and sidewalks were pig-tracks hugging closely 
the corners of the fences when a big mud-hole had to 
be circumvented. But a few of the more central were 
better. 

One of the last incidents of the year was the elec- 
tion by the Legislature, early in December, of Bethuel 
F. Morris, grandfather of the distinguished young 
naturalist and Amazonian explorer, Ernest Morris, 
State agent in place of James Milroy, a non-resident, 
appointed by the Governor to succeed Gen. Carr, who 
had resigned. Mr. Morris was subsequently president 
judge of the Circuit Court, and cashier of the Indian- 
apolis Branch of the State Bank. He died some 
twenty years ago, after a long period of retired life, 
at his home near the crossing of Morris Street and 
Madison Avenue. About the time of his appointment 
to the agency on the 7th of December, the first sale 
of lots for delinquent taxes took place. It was a 
long one, and the fact that the greatest delinquency 
was but two dollars eighty-seven and one-half cents, 
and the range ran all the way down to twenty-five 
cents, showed that money was hard to come by when 
such small amounts could not be commanded for so 
important a purpose as the redemption of town lots. 
Fortunes were going begging then if anybody had 
known it. Some few may have neither known nor 
guessed it, but were lucky enough to take " the tide 



NOTABLE EVENTS AND INCIDENTS. 



51 



at the flood." With most, however, it was the story 
of the man who could have got the half of the site 
of Chicago for a pair of boots, but had not the boots. 
Some of the largest fortunes in the city date from this 
tax sale and the condition of general finances it in- 
dicated. A proposition to incorporate the town this 
year was beaten. 

The winter of 1822-23 was made a pleasant sea- 
son, like that of the year before, by social enjoyments 
and free commingling of all the settlers in pursuing 
them, though it followed, like the other, a summer of 
much sickness, and fell in a time of great financial 
trouble. The county was settling up pretty rapidly. 
Two hundred and five entries of land had been made 
in Centre township outside of the donation during the 
years 1821-22, and many of the purchasers had be- 
come residents. In Decatur township forty-five en- 
tries were made in those two years ; in Wayne, one 
hundred and sixty-eight; in Pike, twenty-nine; in 
Washington, one hundred and forty-six ; in Law- 
rence, ten ; in Warren, nineteen ; in Franklin, fif- 
teen ; in Perry, eighty-one. It is noticeable that the 
townships more remote from the older settled por- 
tions of the State, from which immigrants might be 
expected, received more land-buyers than those on 
the east side and nearer. Wayne had a hundred and 
sixty-eight to nineteen in Warren, Decatur forty-five 
to ten in Lawrence, Pike twenty-nine to fifteen in 
Franklin. Land-buyers thought the western part of 
the county, with portions of the central tier, of town- 
ships, contained the most desirable land. 

The first act of the Legislature in the new year of 
1823 was the assignment of a legislative representa- 
tion to the two-year-old county, January Yth. Can- 
didates began to show up with characteristic Ameri- 
can promptness at once, and the canvass of merits 
was kept up briskly till the election the next August. 
Early in the spring, as already related in the account 
of the first religious movements in the settlement, 
the Presbyterians took steps to build the first church 
in the town, on North Pennsylvania Street, pretty 
nearly opposite the Grand Opera-House site, and on 
the completion of the church organization the follow- 
ing July, Kev. David C. Proctor, of Connecticut, 
who had been retained as a missionary in 1822-23, 



was the first pastor, succeeded in September, 1824, 
by the celebrated oriental scholar and religious 
" free-lance," Professor George Bush, who was much 
such another as the more noted Orestes A. Brownson, 
except that he did not turn Catholic as the latter did. 
The religious vagaries of no two men in the country, 
backed by rare abilities and profound scholarship as 
they were, have attracted so much attention. Pro- 
fessor Bush continued in charge to March 20, 1829. 
On the 7th of March the second newspaper of the 
New Purchase made its first appearance under the 
name of Western Censor and Emigrant's G^iide, with 
the customary ambition of papers in new settlements 
taking a name better proportioned to its hope than 
its importance. It was published and printed in a 
building on Washington Street, opposite the site of 
the New York Store, by Harvey Gregg and Douglass 
Maguire. Not much is known of the former now 
more than that he was a lawyer of good abilities from 
Kentucky, and appeared in the bar at the first ses- 
sion of the court. Mr. Nowland relates an incident 
of his first visit here at the time of the lot sales in 
1821 which illustrates his characteristic absent- 
mindedness and the solid honesty of the people and 
the times. He had brought a considerable sum with 
him to buy land, and had about two hundred dollars 
in gold left after making his first payments. He 
missed this one morning, and supposed he had 
dropped it from his pocket somewhere where he 
had been examining land. He gave it up for gone 
and went home. The following spring Mrs. Now- 
land found it under the rag-carpet of the room he 
had slept in with sixteen other men, all of whom 
might have seen him stick it under the carpet, and 
probably did, but had no more thought of meddling 
with it than they would if it had been locked in a 
dynamite safe. Travelers and moralists have boasted 
that the Finns have no word for steal, and know no 
use for locks. The primitive settlers of Indianapolis 
might have contested the Monthyon prize of virtue 
with them. It may be enough to suggest that the 
condition of society has changed in sixty-two years, 
and it would not be safe to put two hundred dollars 
under a carpet with sixteen other men in the room, 
with any expectation of seeing it again. He was the 



52 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



second lawyer to settle in the new town. He died 
early. 

Douglass Maguire, his partner, long survived him, 
and was far better known. He came to the place in 
the spring of 1823 from Kentucky, was the last State 
auditor elected by the Legislature but one before 
the Constitution of 1850 went into operation, and 
was one of the four delegates from this county to 
the convention that framed that instrument, Gover- 
nor Wallace being the other Whig, and Alexander F. 
Morrison and Jacob Page Chapman the two Demo- 
crats. Mr. Maguire bore a strong resemblance to 
Henry Clay both in form and feature, and was to the 
full as generous and warm-hearted. The Western 
Censor and Emigrant's Gtidde was the precursor of 
the Journal, as the Gazette was of the Sentinel. Like 
its rival, its first issues were irregular. The second 
number appeared on the 19th of March, the third on 
the 26th of March, the fourth on the 2d of April^ 
the fifth on the 19th, the sixth on the 23d, after 
which its issue was regular. On the removal of the 
capital to Indianapolis in the fall of 1824, the State 
printer, John Douglass, bought the paper and changed 
the name to the Journal. The Journal it has been 
ever since, nearly sixty years now. The old editor, 
Mr.. Maguire, retained an interest for some years with 
Mr. Douglass, and the firm was Douglass & Maguire, 
— very nearly a repetition of BIr. Maguire's name. 

About a month after the appearance of the second 
paper the first Sunday-school was organized in the 
cabinet-shop of Caleb Scudder, on the south side of 
the State-House Square, April 6, 1823. It proved 
a very popular as well as wholesome enterprise, mus- 
tering no less than seventy pupils the third Sunday. 
When the weather became bad in the fall it was sus- 
pended till the next spring, and was revived a year 
after its formation in April, 1824. The first Presby- 
terian Church was completed that spring and summer, 
and the school taken there. It was never suspended 
again. In 1829 it celebrated the Fourth of July in 
the fashion above described, and thenceforward the 
Sunday-schools monopolized the national holiday till 
its general celebration was abandoned except as a 
mere day of idling and making pleasant parties. The 
average attendance the first year was reported to be 



about forty, the second year fifty, the third year 
seventy-five, the fourth one hundred and six, the fifth 
one hundred and fifty. In 1827 a library of one 
hundred and fifty volumes had been procured. Up 
to 1829, when the Methodists completed their first 
church, all denominations united in this school, and 
it was thence called the " Union School," superin- 
tended and mainly promoted by Dr. Isaac Coe. It 
may be noted here that in all the Sunday-school pro- 
cessions on the Fourth of July from 1829 for thirty 
years nearly James Blake was the marshal, if he was 
at home. In 1829 the Methodist scholars colonized 
in their own church, and the Baptists followed in 
three years, as soon as they had a suitable place in 
their church. But tlie co-operation of all the schools 
was secured by a Sunday-school Union, in which all 
were represented. 

There were other indications of the solid growth of 
the town than the establishment of a second paper 
and the acquisition of a representation in the Legis- 
lature. The agent sold four acres of the donation, at 
sixty-five dollars and seventy-five cents an acre, for 
brick -yards. Better structures than the frames that 
were partially replacing logs were contemplated, 
though but one brick house, that of John Johnson, 
already referred to, was in progress. About the 1st 
of June two enterprising settlers, William Townsend, 
a pioneer of 1820, and Earl Pearce, later, put a set 
of woolen machinery in the mill of Isaac Wilson, on 
Fall Creek race, where Pattison's mill stood for many 
years in the later days of the town. Following close 
upon this came two new hotels of a more pretentious 
character than their log predecessors. The first was a 
large frame built by Maj. Thomas Carter opposite the 
court-house, opened on the 6th of October, and the 
scene of the first Baptist sermon on the 26th of the 
same month. Though a regular Baptist Church 
organization had existed from September of the year 
before, and a Mr. Barnes had been engaged as a 
preacher in June, third Saturday, 1823, yet the first 
regular sermon seems to have waited this chance in 
the house of one of the most devoted and deserving 
of the members. The hotel was burned Jan. 17, 
1825, during the first session of the Legislature, and 
the proprietor, in the days long before insurance was 



NOTABLE EVENTS AND INCIDENTS. 



53 



known in the New Purchase, lost all he had, with no 
indemnification. Mr. Ignatius Brown, illustrating 
the folly that sensible men will commit during the 
excitement of a fire if they are unused to such 
calamities, says that a squad of the citizens thought 
to save the sign which swung in country fashion to a 
tall post in front of the house, and chopped it down 
as they would a tree, the fall smashing the sign all to 
splinters, as they would have known if they had not 
lost their heads. Some months afterwards Mr. Carter 
replaced the burned house with that of Mr. Crum- 
baugh near the site of West Street, and kept his 
tavern there prosperously for several years till his 
death. The other hotel lived to become by itself and 
successor the most noted in the town or the State for 
about thirty years. This was the " Washington 
Hall," a frame on the site of the New York Store, 
built by James Blake and Samuel Henderson at the 
same time as Mr. Carter's house, but opened three 
months later, Jan. 12, 1824. Mr. Henderson had 
kept a smaller tavern there previously. The successor 
of the " Hall" in 1836 was a brick, and made the 
name famous under the management of the late Ed- 
mund Browning. The old frame was moved to the 
next lot east, and there for a number of years was a 
shoe-shop in the lower story, and the law-ofiSce of 
Governor Wallace in the upper, where Lewis, his son, 
— now a distinguished general of the civil war and 
novelist and minister to Constantinople, — wrote sev- 
eral chapters of a novel in the style of G. P. R. James 
called the " Man at Arms," a tale of the thirteenth 
century. 

Mr. Ignatius Brown notes that early in the spring 
of this year — 1823 — three young settlers, named 
Stephen Howard, Israel Mitchell, and Martin Smith, 
started for the Russian settlements on the Pacific by 
way of Pembina. Nothing was ever heard of them, 
except that they reached Port Armstrong early in 
May, and on the 15th of August, three months and 
eleven days after reaching the fort on the Mississippi, 
got to Fever Eiver, having seen no white man for 
twenty-three days after leaving the Vermillion Salt- 
Works, and having been robbed by the Indips and 
nearly starved. During the same spring the " In- 
diana Central Medical Society" was formed to license 



physicians to practice under the law then in force, 
with Dr. Samuel G. Mitchell as president, and Dr. 
Livingston Dunlap as secretary, the forerunner of 
many a medical association and college since. The 
Fourth of July was celebrated at the cabin of 
Wilkes Reagin, near the crossing of Market Street 
and Pogue's Run. He fed the company with an- 
other barbecue, and the company included a rifle 
company, commanded by Capt. Curry, of whom 
nothing more appears to be known. Mr. Reagin was 
a conspicuous man, being the first butcher, the iirst 
auctioneer, and one of the three first justices elected 
by the people. Rev. D. C. Proctor and Rev. Isaac 
Reed performed the religious services of the occasion, 
and Daniel B. Wick, brother of the judge, read the 
Declaration, and Morris Morris delivered the address. 
The September succeeding showed a population, ac- 
cording to the new Censor, of six or seven hundred, 
with a better state of health through the summer than 
had been generally believed. The Censor, true to its 
name, used the occasion to censure the jealousy with 
which other towns in the State regarded the still un- 
used capital. 

The August election for first members of the 
Legislature resulted in the choice of James Gregory, 
of Shelby, as senator, and James Paxton, of this 
county, as representative. There were the usual 
winter diversions to close the year, but varied, ac- 
cording to Mr. Brown's citation of an announcement 
in the Gazette, by a theatrical performance of " Mr. 
Smith and wife, of the New York theatre," in the 
dining-room of Carter's tavern, on the last night of 
the year. Mr. Nowland puts this first dramatic exhibi- 
tion in the winter of 1825-26, and says the performer 
was a Mr. Crampton, a strolling actor. The differ- 
ence is of no consequence as long as there is entire 
concurrence on the main feature of the affair. Music 
was needed, of course, and there was nobody to make 
it but Bill Bagwell, a jolly, vagabond sort of fellow, 
who made the first cigars in the place in a cabin on 
the southwest corner of Maryland and Illinois Streets, 
and played the fiddle at the pioneer dances and wed- 
dino-s. Maj. Carter was a rigid Baptist, of the kind 
called by " unrespective" unbelievers " forty-gallon" 
Baptists, who, though sober men, were not at all 



54 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



fanatical in their views as to the use of liquor, but 
he was immovably convinced of the sinfulness of 
playing or hearing a fiddle. To get his consent to 
allow Bagwell to play orchestra to the performance, 
the actor and musician both had to assure him that 
the instrument of the occasion was not a fiddle but a 
violin, and the performance of a hymn tune satisfied 
him of the difference. Mr. Nowland says the major 
interrupted the exhibition to stop the orchestra in 
playing the depraved jig called " Leather Breeches," 
and it required considerable diplomacy and the per- 
formance of church music to appease him. The pieces 
performed, the " Doctor's Courtship, or the Indulgent 
Father," and the "Jealous Lovers"; tickets, thirty- 
seven and a half cents. Several performances were 
given, and the couple returned the following June 
but failed, and left suddenly, probably helped to the 
determination by a criticism of the Censor, which 
rated the performance rather low. 

It may have been a mere whim of a couple of over- 
sanguine new-comers, or it may have been a larger 
promise of prosperity than appears now to have been 
credible or possible at that time, but it is true, never- 
theless, that a Maj. Sullinger opened a " Military 
School" here on the 13th of January, 1824, for "the 
instruction of militia ofiicers and soldiers." Nearly 
at the same time William C. McDougal opened the 
first real estate agency, though the Gazette shows that 
its proprietor, George Smith, as before noted, opened 
a similar establishment a year or two later. The 
month of January was signalized to the pioneer par- 
ticularly by an act of the Legislature of the 25 th, 
ordering the permanent removal of the capital — that 
is, the State offices and records — by the 10th of the 
following January, 1825, the Legislature to meet that 
day in the court-house capitol of the new capital 
for the first time. No doubt the promptness of the 
passage of this act was duo in part to the delegation 
from the New Purchase, and the power of two votes 
to help those who helped the owners. On the return 
of Mr. Senator Gregory and Representative Paxton 
on the 21st of February, a public banquet was given 
them by the grateful citizens, and the occasion illus- 
trated with highly-colored views of the prosperity that 
would follow the change. Their dreams have been 



more than fulfilled, but not till all who were old 
enough to take part in the festivities were in their 
graves. 

The next incident in the fifth year of the settle- 
ment was the most startling and alarming that had 
yet occurred. This was the murder, on the 22d of 
March, 1824, of a company of nine Indians of the 
Shawanese tribe, — two men, three women, two boys, 
and two girls, — some eight miles above Pendleton, by 
a company of six whites, four men and two boys. 
An account of this cruel massacre was given in a 
sketch of the occupancy of the New Purchase by the 
Indians, but there may be added here, as illustrative 
of the early condition of the white settlements, the 
account both of the crime and the trial made by Hon. 
Oliver H. Smith, ex-United States senator, who wit- 
nessed the trials, and was at the time one of the lead- 
ing lawyers of the State. 

" The Indians were encamped on the east side of 
Fall Creek, about eight miles above the falls. The 
country around their camping-ground was a dense, 
unbroken forest filled with game. The principal In- 
dian was called Ludlow, and was said to be named for 
Stephen Ludlow, of Lawrenceburg. The other man I 
call Mingo. (His name appears from other accounts to 
have been Logan.) The Indians had commenced their 
season's hunting and trapping, the men with their guns, 
the squaws setting the traps, preparing and cooking 
the game, and caring for the children, — two boys some 
ten years old, and two girls of more tender years. A 
week had passed, and the success of the Indians had 
been only fair, with better prospects ahead, as spring 
was opening and raccoons were beginning to leave 
their holes in the trees in search of frogs that had 
begun to leave their muddy beds at the bottoms of the 
creeks. The trapping season was only just com- 
mencing. Ludlow and his band, wholly unsuspicious 
of harm and unconscious of any approaching enemies, 
were seated around their camp-fire, when there ap- 
proached through the woods five white men, — Harper, 
Hudson, Sawyer, Bridge, Sr., Bridge, Jr. Harper 
was the leader, and stepping up to Ludlow took him 
by the, hand and told him his party had lost their 
horses, and wanted Ludlow and Mingo to help find 
them. The Indians agreed to ao in search of the 



NOTABLE EVENTS AND INCIDENTS. 



55 



horses. Ludlow took one path and Mingo another. 
Harper followed Ludlow and Hudson trailed Mingo, 
keeping some fifty yards behind. They traveled some 
short distance from the camp, when Harper shot 
Ludlow through the body ; he fell dead on his face. 
Hudson, on hearing the crack of the rifle of Harper, 
immediately shot Mingo, the ball entering just below 
his shoulders and passing clear through his body. 
The party then met and proceeded to within gunshot 
of the camp. Sawyer shot one of the squaws through 
the head, Bridge, Sr., shot another squaw, and Bridge, 
Jr., the other. Sawyer then fired at the oldest boy, 
but only wounded him. The other children were 
shot by some of the party. Harper then led the way 
on to the camp. The two squaws, one boy, and the 
two little girls lay dead, but the oldest boy was still 
living. Sawyer took him by the legs and knocked 
his brains out against the end of a log. The camp 
was then, robbed of everything worth carrying away. 
" Harper, the ringleader, left immediately for Ohio, 
and was never taken. (He is said by tradition to 
have reached Ohio, eighty miles away through the 
woods, in twenty-four hours.) Hudson, Sawyer, 
Bridge, Sr., and Bridge, Jr., were arrested, and 
when I first saw them they were confined in a square 
log jail, built of heavy beeeh and sugar-tree logs, 
notched down closely, and fitting tight above, below, 
and on the sides. The prisoners were all heavily 
ironed and sitting on the straw on the floor. Hud- 
son was a man of about middle size, with a bad look, 
dark eye, and bushy hair, about thirty-five years of 
age in appearance. Sawyer was about the same age, 
rather heavier than Hudson, but there was nothing 
in his appearance that would have marked him in a 
crowd as any other than a common farmer. Bridge, 
Sr., was much older than Sawyer, his head was quite 
gray ; he was above the common height, slender, and 
a little bent while standing. Bridge, Jr., was a tall 
stripling some eighteen years of age. Bridge, Sr., 
was the father of Bridge, Jr., and the brother-in-law 
of Sawyer. 

" The news of these Indian murders flew upon the 
wings of the wind. The settlers became greatly 
alarmed, fearing the retaliatory vengeance of the 
tribes, and especially of the other bands of the Sen- 



ecas (Shawanese). The facts reached Mr. John 
Johnston at the Indian agency at Piqua, Ohio. An 
account was sent from the agency to the War De- 
partment. Col. Johnston and William Conner visited 
all the Indian tribes and assured them that the gov- 
ernment would punish the offenders, and obtained 
the promises of the chiefs and warriors that they 
would wait and see what their ' Great Father' would 
do before they took the matter into their own hands. 
This quieted the fears of the settlers, and prepara- 
tions were made for the trials. A new log build- 
ing was erected at the north part of Pendleton, with 
two rooms, one for the court and one for the grand 
jury. The court-room was about twenty by thirty 
feet, with a heavy puncheon floor, a platform at one 
end three feet high, with a strong railing in front, a 
bench for the judges, a plain table for the clerk in 
front on the floor, a long bench for the counsel, a 
little pen for the prisoners, a side bench for the wit- 
nesses, and a long pole in front, substantially sup- 
ported, to separate the crowd from the court and bar. 
A guard day and night was placed around the jail. 
The court was composed of Mr. Wick, presiding 
judge, Samuel Holliday and Adam Winchell, associ- 
ates. Judge Wick was young on the bench, but 
with much experience in criminal trials. Judge 
Winchell was a blacksmith, and had ironed the pris- 
oners. Moses Cox was the clerk. He could barely 
write his name, and when a candidate for justice of 
the peace at Connersville he boasted of his superior 
qualifications : ' I have been sued on every section 
of the statute, and know all about the law, while my 
competitor has never been sued, and knows nothing 
about the statute.' Samuel Cory, the sheriff, was a 
fine specimen of a woods Hoosier, tall and strong- 
boned, with a hearty laugh, without fear of man or 
beast, and with a voice that made the woods ring 
as he called the jurors and witnesses. Col. John- 
ston, the Indian agent, was directed to attend the 
trial to see that the witnesses were present and to 
pay their fees. Gen. Noble, then a United States 
senator, was employed by the Secretary of War to 
prosecute, with power to fee an assistant. Philip 
Sweetzer, a young son-in-law of the general, of high 
promise in his profession, was selected as assistant. 



56 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Calviu Fletcher, then a young man of more than or- 
dinary ability, and a good criminal lawyer, was the 
regular prosecuting attorney." In another allusion 
to these cases Mr. Smith mentions the lawyers who 
were present, — Gen. James Noble, Philip Sweetzer, 
Harvey Gregg, Lot Bloomfield, James Rariden, 
Charles H. Test, Calvin Fletcher, Daniel B. Wick, 
and William R. Morris, of this State, and Gen. 
Sampson Mason and Moses Vance, of Ohio. These 
last were defending. 

The conviction and execution of the prisoners, ex- 
cept Harper, who escaped, and young Bridge, who 
was pardoned, are related in the sketch already re- 
ferred to. Mr. Nowland describes the novel gallows 
that was used : " A wagon was drawn up the side of 
the hill on planks, so that the wheels would move 
easily. A post was placed on the side of the hill, 
just above the wagon. To this post the wagon was 
fastened by a rope, so that when the rope was cut the 
wagon would run down the hill without aid. The 
two old men were placed in the tail of the wagon, 
the ropes adjusted, and at the signal the rope was 
cut, and the wagon ran from under the men. Sawyer 
broke his arms loose, caught the rope, and raised 
himself about eighteen inches. The sheriff quickly 
caught him by the ankles, and gave a sudden jerk, 
which brought the body down, and he died without 
another struggle." The extended quotation from 
Mr. Smith's i-eminiscences is interesting, not only as 
an account of an affair of national importance, and 
especially important to the settlers of Indianapolis 
and the country around, but as a picture of the 
primitive backwoods court-house and modes of court 
business. These executions, as before remarked, are 
claimed to be the first that ever occurred in the 
United States as the penalty, judicially inflicted, of 
the murder of Indians by whites. Hudson escaped 
once after his sentence, and hid in a hollow log in 
the darkness of an unusually dark night, but was 
soon discovered and arrested. Many years ago it 
used to be told among the old settlers and their chil- 
dren that Governor Ray, in the speech announcing 
the pardon of young Bridge, June 30, 1825, after 
his father and Sawyer had been hung, said to the 
young murderer ; " There are but two powers in the 



universe that can now save your life. One is the 
Almighty God and the other is the Executive of 
Indiana." It was probably a joke manufactured 
after the old Governor's eccentricities had become so 
striking and notorious that such an imputation could 
not harm him. He was long a noted citizen of In- 
dianapolis. 

Governor Ray was Lieutenant-Governor with Gov- 
ernor Hendricks, and from February 25th, when 
Hendricks went to the National Senate, he was act> 
ing Governor. He was subsequently elected two full 
terms, and left the office, the last he ever held, in 
December, 1831. He came to the capital about the 
time the Legislature met, Jan. 10, 1825, bought 
property here, and remained here till he died, about 
1850. He owned a considerable portion of the 
square on Washington Street, opposite the court- 
house, near where Carter's tavern had stood, and in 
his later life, when his mind began to be considerably 
unsettled, he imagined a magnificent railroad system, 
of which this block of his was to be the centre. Ra- 
diating lines were to penetrate the country in all di- 
rections, with villages every five miles, towns every 
twenty miles, and cities every fifty miles. Deep 
gorges among hills were to be crossed on a natural 
trestle-work, made by sawing off the tops of trees 
level with the track, and laying sills on these. 
Oddly enough this very expedient has been used on 
the Denver and Rio Grande Narrow-Gauge Road, or 
a road among the mountains in that region. Not 
less singular is the fact that this " dream of a sick 
brain," as everybody thought it when it was told 
and talked about, has proved a most substantial 
reality, except that Governor Ray's court-house 
block is not the site of the great central hub depot. 
In 182G his influence with the Indians, says Mr. 
Nowland, when he was a commissioner, with Gen. Tip- 
ton, of this State, and Gen. Cass, of Michigan, to pro- 
cure a cession of the lands of the Pottawatomies and 
Eel River and Wabash Miamis, secured from the In- 
dians a grant to the State of one section of land for 
every mile of road, a hundred feet wide, from Lake 
Michigan through Indianapolis to the Ohio, at any 
point fixed by the Legislature. It was a most 
valuable donation, and the '' old Michigan road," 



NOTABLE EVENTS AND INCIDENTS. 



57 



running through Shelbyville, Greensburg, Napoleon, 
to Madison, the point selected by the Legislature, 
was long the best improved road in the State, and 
never inferior to any but the completed portions of 
the National road. The Governor's son, James 
Brown Gay Ray, died when a boy, but a daughter 
survived him, and continues his abilities, without his 
vagaries, in some of our best citizens. 

The usual Fourth of July celebration was held at 
Reagin's, as the year before, with Gabriel J. Johnson 
as orator for the citizens and Maj. J. W. Redding for 
the militia. Squire Foote was the reader. The 
August election following showed a change in the 
lines of parties from the position in 1822, when 
" White Water" was arrayed against " Kentucky." 
Now the contestants were two Kentuokians, Col. A. 
W. Russell and Morris Morris, candidates for sheriff 
to succeed Mr. Bates. Russell was elected by two 
hundred and sixty-five to one hundred and forty- 
eight for Mr. Morris. At the Presidential election 
in November, Clay received two hundred and thirteen 
votes, Jackson ninety-nine, and Adams sixteen. Clay 
had all the "Kentucky" strength and a good deal of 
the "White Water." The poll in the county was 
one hundred and two less in the Presidential than 
in the State election, supposed to have been the re- 
sult of removals to the adjacent regions in the inter- 
val. In April the Sunday-school visitors reported a 
resident population on the donation of one hundred 
and seventy-two voters, and forty-five single women 
from fifteen to forty-five. The voters would indicate 
a population of about eight hundred. A little more 
than two years before the Gazette, as before noted, 
had enumerated sixty-one men of seventeen different 
pursuits, who were supposed to be about half of the 
adult male population of the spring of 1822, indi- 
cating a total population of about six hundred. This 
was not increased in the election on 1st of April. 
So the growth of the town in two years, from April 
22d to April 24th, seems to have been about three 
hundred residents. It does not fairly show the addi- 
tional immigration in that time, however, because a 
good many who came to the town afterwards re 
moved to the country. A large emigration to the 
Wabash passed through the town this year. The 



streets and the lots along Washington Street, and di- 
verging from it in some places, were more or less 
cleared of trees, the court-house was in progress, the 
Presbyterian Church well advanced, a school-house 
built, two or three religious organizations holding 
regular services, two new and superior hotels ad- 
vancing, a distillery on the bayou, a woolen-mill and 
three or four grist- and saw-mills at work, so that 
there was no cause for serious discouragement, though 
progress was not rapid enough to excite any very 
sanguine hopes. The river and all its tributaries 
were flooded during the spring, and a keel-boat 
called the " Dandy" came up on the rise on the 22d 
of May, with twenty-eight tons of salt and whiskey. 
This flood is said by the sketch of 185*7 and that of 
Mr. Merrill of 1850 to have been the greatest ever 
known in the river. It was probably equaled by 
that of 1828 and 18i7, and very closely approached 
by that of February of this year (1883). The 
State's revenue from Marion County in 1824 was 
one hundred and fifty-four dollars and twenty-five 
cents. 

In anticipation of the meeting of the Legislature 
the citizens formed a " mock" body in the fall of 1824 
called the " Indianapolis Legislature," the members 
of which assigned themselves to any counties they 
chose, and discussed pretty much the same questions 
as the real Legislature had discussed, or would when 
it met. It elected its own Governor about as often as 
it wanted to get. a fresh message or inaugural, which 
was sure to be a humorous affair, and its debates were 
not unfrequently a good deal better than those of the 
body it represented. The men who engaged in them 
were sometimes ex-members, and occasionally actual 
members of the real body, and the information and 
arguments elicited in the sham debate more than 
once decided the result of the real one. The meet- 
ings were continued till about 1836. They were dis- 
continued then for several years, but revived for a 
while during the winter of 1842 or 1843 or there- 
abouts. In November, Samuel Merrill, treasurer of 
the State, arrived at the capital with several wagon- 
loads of records and money, and thenceforward the 
chosen capital was the real one. 

During the preceding summer and fall a brick 



58 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



house had been built for the residence of the treas- 
urer, with a little brick office at the west side, on 
the southwest corner of Washington and Tennessee 
Streets, where the State buildings now are. Mr. 
Merrill was the first occupant, keeping the place till 
1834, when he gave way to the late Nathan B. 
Palmer, who succeeded him in the treasurer's office 
by election of the Legislature. He remained here, 
however, and became one of the men who gave the 
town its impulse to intellectual and moral as well as 
material improvement. 

Samuel Merrill was born in Peacham, Vt., Oct. 29, 
1792. He died in Indianapolis, Aug. 24, 1855. 
He entered an advanced class in Dartmouth College, 
but did not graduate, for in his junior year he left 
to join his elder brother, James, in teaching in York, 
Pa. There he spent three years in teaching and 
studying law, having for his familiar associates Thad- 
deus Stevens, John Blanchard, and his elder brother, 
James Merrill, all from Peacham, Vt., and all men 
who have made their mark on their age. At the end 
of this time he removed to Vevay, in this State, and 
established himself in the practice of law. In 1821 
he was elected to the Legislature for two years, and 
during his term of office he was elected treasurer of 
State. In the discharge of the duties of this office 
he removed first to Corydon, and thence in 1824 to 
this place. He held the office of treasurer of State 
till 1834, when he was chosen president of the State 
Bank. The duties of this office he discharged with 
the most unwearied fidelity and unimpeachable honesty 
till 1844, when his public life terminated, with the 
exception of four years of service as the president of 
the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad Company. 
For several years before his death he was engaged 
in the book trade, still continued by his son. His 
daughter Kate until very recently was Professor of 
English Literature in Butler University. Mr. Merrill 
assisted in forming Henry Ward Beecher's church 
here, and was all his life after most earnest and 
devoted in all good works. 

The following account of the journey of the capi- 
tal from Corydon to Indianapolis, written by a mem- 
ber of Mr. Merrill's ftimily, is interesting, not only as 
the first account of the migration ever published, but 



as a very graphic description of the condition and 
ways of life of the Indianians nearly sixty years ago : 
" The journey of about one hundred and sixty miles 
occupied two weeks. The best day's travel was 
eleven miles. One day the wagons accomplished 
but two miles, passages through the woods having to 
be cut on account of the impassable character of 
the road. Four four-horse wagons and one or two 
saddle-horses formed the means of conveyance for 
two families, consisting of about a dozen persons, 
and for a printing-press and the State treasury of 
silver in strong wooden boxes. The gentlemen slept 
in the wagons or on the ground to protect the silver, 
the families found shelter at night in log cabins 
which stood along the road at rare though not incon- 
venient intervals. The country people were, many 
of them, as rude as their dwellings, which usually 
consisted of but one room, serving for all the pur- 
poses of domestic life, — cooking, eating, sleeping, 
spinning and weaving, and the entertainment of com- 
pany. At one place a young man, who perhaps had 
come miles to visit his sweetheart, sat up with her all 
night on the only vacant space in the room, the hearth 
of the big fireplace. He kept on his cap, which was 
of coonskin, the tail hanging down behind, and gave 
the children the impression that he was a bear." 

At the time of the removal William Hendricks 
was Governor, but was elected to the National Senate 
that winter, and on Feb. 12, 1825, acting Lieutenant- 
Governor Ray, who had been made president of the 
Senate when Lieutenant-Governor RatlifF Boone re- 
tired, succeeded to the Governorship, and was regu- 
larly elected the following August, and again in 1828. 
The Secretary of State was Robert A. New, from 
1816 to 1825, succeeded by W. W. Wick ; the audi- 
tor, William H. Lilley, from 1816 to 1829, suc- 
ceeded in 1829 by Morris Morris, who held till 
1844; the treasurer, Samuel Merrill, from 1823 to 
1834, succeeded by Nathan B. Palmer. The Legis- 
lature, which met in January, took the court-house 
before it was entirely finished, the House sitting in 
the lower room, the Senate in the upper. The treas- 
urer occupied the building especially erected for him, 
and the other State officers went where they could. 
For nearly thirty years after the erection of the 



ORIGINAL ENTRIES OF LANDS IN THE COUNTY. 



59 



" Governor's house" in the Circle in 1827, as before 
noted, the Supreme judges had their " chambers" 
there, and most or all of the State officers were there 
for a time except the treasurer. His residence and 
office were abandoned before the late war and rented. 
It would be useless if it were possible to hunt out all 
the rooms the State auditor and secretary occupied 
up to the time they took permanent possession of the 
building expressly erected for them in 1865, but it 
may be noted that after the completion of Masonic 
Hall, in 1850, they went there, and subsequently 
moved into the " McOuat Block," on Kentucky 
Avenue, where they remained till their final change. 
The clerk of the Supreme Court previously had his 
office in a little building in the Court-House Square, 
and when that was torn down went to the State- 
House. The reporter of the Supreme Court has 
never had a public office, and the attorney-general 
and superintendent of public instruction, after their 
offices were created, found accommodations where 
they chose till the " State Building" was erected and 
enlarged. The State Library was kept in the " Gov- 
ernor's house" for a time, iu charge of the State offi- 
cers there, but in 1841, John Cook, a bustling, " log- 
rolling," pushing little fellow, recently from Ohio, 
got himself made librarian, and the library was put 
in the south rooms, west side, of the State-House. 
Cook was succeeded in 1843, under a Democratic 
Legislature, by Samuel P. Daniels, an old resident 
and a tailor, and he by the late John B. Dillon, au- 
thor of two " Histories of Indiana," and he, in 1850, 
by Nathaniel Bolton, first editor of the town, as al- 
ready related. The adjutant-general's office was 
hardly a visible appendage to the commander-in-chief 
of the State's army and navy till 1846, when the 
Mexican war made it a place of large responsibility 
and heavy duties, with Gen. David Reynolds as occu- 
pant. During the late war it became again one of the 
most important offices of the State, and was held by 
Gen. Wallace, Gen. Noble, and Gen. Terrell. It has 
never been reduced since to the unimportance of its 
early existence. It and the State Library and the 
State geologist's office are now in a building opposite 
the east entrance of the new State-House. The library 
is now, in addition to its proper use, a museum of 



relics of the Mexican war and the civil war, while the 
geologist's office is one of the finest museums of geo- 
logical and paleontological specimens in the world. 

On the 16th of November, 1824, John Douglass, 
State printer at Corydon, who had come out with 
Mr. Merrill, bought the interest of Harvey Gregg in 
the Western Censor and Emigrants Guide. On 
the 11th of January, the day after the first meeting 
of the Legislature, the paper appeared as the In- 
diana Journal, a name it has retained through many 
changes of ownership, with a reputation and influence 
as unchanging as its name. Much of the early suc- 
cess of the paper was due to Mr. Douglass. 

The first period of the history of the city and 
county — substantially identical — ends with the ar- 
rival of the State capital. Of improvements, trade, 
political movements, increase of population as accu- 
curate a view has been presented as can be obtained 
at this remote period, but a glance at the settlement 
of the surrounding townships and at the county 
business will make it more comprehensive and satis- 
factory. From 1821, when the government lands in 
the New Purchase were first opened to sale, till 1824 
or the beginning of 1825, when the capital was fully 
established here, the entries of land in the difi'erent 
townships, as appears from the " Tract Book" in the 
county auditor's office, were as appears in the follow- 
ing list. It will be seen that the larger portion of 
the entries of the first two years were in Centre and 
the two lines of townships west and about it, the 
eastern portion of the county attracting little immi- 
gration till the central and western were pretty well 
filled : 

Centre Township outside the City. 
Town 15 North, Range 3 East. 
Name and Date. Acres. ^-^^ 

Robert Harding and Isaac Wilson, July, 1821 258 3 

Jesse McKay and Joseph Frazee, July, 182] 59 3 

James Eariden, July, 1821 SO 10 

Bliakim Harding, July, 1821 80 10 

Eliakim Harding, July, 1821 SO 10 

Jonathan Lyons, July, 1321 80 10 

Daniel Yandes, July, 1821 160 10 

William Myers, July, 1821 80 10 

James H. McClure, July, 1S21 80 10 

Daniel Yandes and Ephraim D. Reed, July, 1821. 95 11 

William Sanders, July, 1821 160 13 

Richard T. Keen, July, 1821 80 13 

James H. MoClure, July, 1821 80 13 



60 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Name and Date, Acres. ,. " 

David Wood, July, 1 821 160 1.3 

John Hunt, July, 1821 80 1.3 

John Smock, July, 1821 SO 13 

Armstrong Brandon, July, 1821 80 14 

James Pell, July, 1821 42 14 

William A, Johnson, July, 1821 95 14 

John Stephens, December, 1821 66 14 

Alexander Ewing, July, 1821 53 14 

William Wiles, July, 1S21 74 14 

James Pell, July, 1821 98 14 

John Stephens, February, 1821 73 14 

Michael Vanblaricum, July, 1821 80 15 

Joel Wright, July, 1821 80 15 

Morris Morris, July, 1821 160 15 

Jacob Ogle, August, 1821 80 15 

Zadoc Smith, August, 1821 80 15 

Laben Harding, July, 1821 160 15 

Cornelius Vanarsdal, July, 1S21 104 22 

Cornelius Vanarsdal, July, 1 S21 80 22 

Abraham Ileaton. August, 1821 71 22 

Noah Sinks, October, 1823 54 22 

John G, Brown, July, 1821 80 23 

Alexander Ewing, July, 1S21 80 23 

James Lewis, August, 1821 66 23 

John Stephens, December, 1821 73 23 

Robert Brenton, July, 1821 160 23 

ElialT. Foote, July, 1821 68 23 

George Vandegriff, July, 1821 80 23 

James T. Bradley, July, 1821 80 24 

Henry Bradley, July, 1821 80 24 

John Cutler, July, 1821 80 24 

John Smock and John Cutler, July, 1821 80 24 

Wickliff Kitchen, July, 1821 160 24 

John Smock, July, 1821 160 24 

Town 15 Norlli, Rmge A East. 

Mieajah Ferguson, July, 1821 48 4 

Alexander Ewing, July, 1821 80 4 

Mieajah Ferguson, July, 1821 80 4 

Isaac Kinder, July, 1821 160 4 

James Linton, July, 1S21 150 5 

George Porter, July, 1821 153 5 

John G. Brown, July, 1821 160 5 

John P. Ross, July, 1821 77 6 

Rezin Hammond, July, 1821 77 6 

James, George, and Benjamin Barrett, July, 1821 75 6 

Joseph McCormick and Noah Noble, July, 1821.. 75 6 

James Givan, July, 1821 77 6 

Cassa Ann Pogue, July, 1821 77 6 

John Wilson, July, 1821 160 7 

John Robinson and John D. Lutz, July, 1821 76 7 

William Craig, July, 1821 76 7 

John Wilson, July, 1821 SO 7 

Daniel Stephens, July, 1821 80 7 

Rezin Hammond, July, 1821 76 7 

Abel Potter, July, 1821 76 7 

Willis G. Atherton, July, 1821 80 8 

Wickliff Kitchen, July, 1821 80 8 

Wickliff Kitchen, July, 1821 80 8 

Robert Smith, July, 1821 80 8 

William McLaughlin, July, 1821 160 8 

John Shafer, July, 1821 80 8 

Nathan Aldridge, August, 1821 80 8 

Harvey Pope, July, 1821 160 9 

Willis G. Atherton, July, 1821 160 9 



Name «nd Date. Acres. ^'"^' 

David Acre, February, 1823 80 9 

Hervey Gfegg, January, 1823 80 9 

Robert Weightman, November, 1822 80 9 

Jonathan Gillam, July, 1821 SO 9 

William McLaughlin, October, 1821 80 17 

John Graham, August, 1821 80 17 

John Graham, August, 1821 80 17 

S. G. Huntingdon, August, 1821 80 17 

William Sanders, July, 1822 80 17 

Maxwell Chambers, January, 1822 80 17 

Jacob Mason, January, 1822 80 17 

Obed Foote, October, 1821 SO 17 

Joseph Catterlin, July, 1821 80 18 

Archibald C. Reid, July, 1821 80 18 

John W. Redding, July, 1821 155 18 

David Mallery, August, 1821 80 18 

Humphrey Griffith, August, 1S21 80 18 

.Lames Curry, August, 1821 78 18 

James Curry, August, 1821 78 18 

Henry Bowser, August, 1821 160 19 

Jacob Moyer, September, 1821 158 19 

Henry Bowser, August, 1821 160 19 

Henry Bowser, August, 1821 78 19 

John Dickson, July, 1821 78 19 

Otis Hobart, December, 1821 SO 20 

John Hobart, December, 1821 80 20 

Hervey Bates, June, 1822 80 20 

Hervey Bates, June, 1822 80 20 

John Hobart, December, 1821 SO 20 

Joseph Greer, July, 1822 80 20 

Isaac Limpus, July, 1821 80 20 

Robert McGill, July, 1822 80 21 

William Brind'le, November, 1822 SO 21 

William Brindle, November, 1822 80 21 

Jacob L. Doup, August, 1821 '. 80 21 

Joseph Scott, November, 1822 160 21 

Samuel Dickson, October, 1821 160 21 

Town 16 North, Range 3 East. 

Thomas Bishop, July, 1821 174 22 

Francis Griffin, August, 1821 126 22 

John Moler, July, 1821 160 22 

James Vanblaricum, July, 1821 60 22 

John Burns, July, 1821 76 22 

Noah Wright, July, 1821 160 23 

William D. Rooker, July, 1821 80 23 

William Nugent, July, 1821 SO 23 

Levi Wright, July, 1821 160 23 

Joseph Hanna, July, 1821 SO 23 

Abraham Barnett, July, 1821 SO 23 

John G. Brown, July, 1821 160 24 

Willi.am Powers, July, 1821 SO 24 

Noah Wright, July, 1821 80 24 

JohnGallaher, July, 1821 160 24 

David Huston, July, 1821 160 24 

Isaac Kinder, July, 1821 80 25 

John Sutherland, July, 1821 80 25 

John Sutherland, July, 1821 160 25 

William Reagan, July, 1821 160 25 

Thomas O'Neal, July, 1821 160 25 

Robert Smith, July, 1S21 160 26 

Joseph S. Benson, July, 1821 80 26 

William Nugent, July, 1821 80 26 

John Wolfington, July, 1821 80 26 

Richard Williams, July, 1821 80 26 



OKIGINAL ENTRIES OP LANDS IN THE COUNTY. 



61 



Name and Date. Acres. j- " 

Noah Flood, July, 1S21 80 26 

James Rariden, July, 1821 80 26 

Francis Davis, July, 1821 80 27 

James Mollvain, July, 1821 SO 27 

James Mcllvain, July, 1821 65 27 

Benjamin McCarty, July, 1821 79 27 

Alexander Ewing, July, 1821 95 27 

Samuel P. Booker, July, 1821 160 27 

Edivard Carvin, July, 1821 143 27 

Samuel Glass, July, 1821 160 34 

Fielding Geter, July, 1821 95 34 

Zenas Lake, July, 1821 83 34 

Joseph S. Benham, July, 1821 78 34 

Isaac Wilson, July, 1821 74 34 

Jesse McKay and E. D. Reed, July, 1821 101 34 

Jesse McKay and Jacob Collip, July, 1821 160 35 

Cyrus 0. Tivis, July, 1821 160 35 

Robert Smith and H. Gregg, July, 1821 160 35 

John Moler, July, 1821 80 35 

James Linton, July, 1821 80 35 

Jeremiah Johnston, July, 1821 160 36 

Samuel Henderson, July, 1821 160 36 

Robert Culbertson, July, 1821 160 36 

Jonathan Lyon, July, 1821 80 36 

John Carr and Samuel P. Rooker, July, 1821 80 36 

Town 16 North, limuje i East. 

Noa"h and Thomas G. Noble, July, 1821 160 19 

Christopher Hager, July, 1821 76 19 

Enoch Clark, July, 1821 76 19 

Joseph Curry, July, 1821 160 19 

ReasonReagan, July, 1821 151 19 

Newton Claypool, August, 1821 160 20 

Newton Claypool, August, 1821 160 20 

Tobias Smith, August, 1821 160 20 

Joseph Curry, July, 1S21 160 20 

James D. Conroy, October, 1823 80 21 

John Chamberlin, June, 1822 160 28 

William Mitchell, August, 1821 160 28 

Benjamin Taffe, June, 1822 80 28 

Tobias Smith, August, 1821 160 28 

William Mitchell, August, 1821 80 29 

Tobias Smith, August, 1821 80 29 

Bazil Roberts, August, 1821 160 29 

Tobias Smith, August, 1821 160 29 

George Buokner, April, 1823 80 29 

John Senour, October, 1823 80 29 

Jared Say re, October, 1821 80 30 

Newton Claypool, August, 1821 75 30 

Isaac Kinder, July,1821 75 30 

David Bloyd, October, 1821 80 30 

Jacob Bloyd, July, 1821 80 30 

Jared Sayre, October, 1821 76 30 

Jeremiah Johnson, Jr., July, 1821 76 30 

John Shafer, August, 1821 160 31 

Stephen Bartholomew and Wm. Smith, July, 1821 154 31 

William McCleery, July, 1821 160 31 

John Carr, July, 1821 79 31 

Elial T. Foote, July, 1821 79 31 

John Carr, July, 1821 80 32 

George Taffe, August, 1821 80 32 

Vincent Rawlings, October, 1821 80 32 

Lewis Robinson, October, 1821 80 32 

Daniel Pattengill, July, 1821 160 32 

Daniel Pattengill, July, 1821 160 32 



Name and Date. Acres. 

John F. Right, August, 1821 160 

Levi Beebee, 1821 160 

David Johnson, April, 1821 80 

Isaac Cool, April, 1821 80 

Decatue Township. 
Town 14 North, Range 2 East. 

Ludwell Gains, August, 1824 77 

Ludwell Gains, August, 1821 140 

Ludwell Gains, August, 1821 80 

John Cook, June, 1824 160 

John Kenworthy, July, 1824 80 

Joshua Compton, December, 1825 '..... 80 

Reason Reagan, November, 1826 78 

Jesse George, January, 1826 77 

John Ballard, October, 1823 78 

Thomas J. Matlock, July, 1821 78 

Caleb Easterling, November, 1822 160 

Joseph Allen, February, 1824 80 

Caleb Rhoads, November, 1822 160 

Isaac George, December, 1823 80 

Isaac George, November, 1823 80 

Robert Furnas, January, 1826 80 

Robert Furnas, January, 1826 80 

Uriah Carson, June, 1826 80 

Thomas Davis, January, 1825 80 

Azel Dollarhide, July, 1821 80 

Absalom Dollarhide, January, 1825 80 

Aaron Coppock, August, 1826 80 

Aaron Coppock, February, 1826 SO 

Zimri Brown, May, 1824 80 

Zimri Brown, December, 1826 80 

Abner Cox, December, 1824 80 

William Barnett, December, 1825 80 

Jesse Barnett, December, 1824 80 

William Barnett, 1823 80 

Thomas Barnett, 1823 SO 

James v. Barnett, 1823 80 

Athanasius Barnett, 1823 80 

James Haworth, November, 1824 80 

James Haworth, November, 1824 80 

James Haworth, October, 1826 80 

James Ilorton, November, 1824 80 

James Horton, November, 1824 80 

Christopher Wilson, November, 1822 80 

Christopher Wilson, November, 1822 80 

Christopher Wilson, November, 1822 160 

Jonathan Clark, February, 1824 SO 

Joseph Jessup, December, 1823 160 

Richard Mendenhall, October, 1823 160 

Christopher Wilson, November, 1822'. 80 

Christopher Wilson, December, 1824 80 

Christopher AYilson, December, 1824 80 

Gusper Koons, February, 1824 80 

Joseph Mendenhall, October, 1823 160 

Samuel Dodds, July, 1821 160 

Samuel Dodds, July, 1821 80 

Azel Dollarhide, July, 1821 80 

John Dollarhide, July, 1821 80 

John Dollarhide, November, 1S2S 80 

Christopher Wilson, December, 1824 80 

Town 15 North, Range 3 East. 

Eli Sulgrove, August, 1821 430 

Eli Sulgrove, October, 1822 206 



62 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Name and Date. Acres. 

Eli Sulgrove, August, 1821 3i 

George Miller, July, 1S21 ■. 160 

Jesse Wright, July, 1821 160 

Ludwell G. Gains, August, 1821 229 

John Thompson, July, 1821 80 

Demas L. McFarland, August, 1821 160 

DemasL. McFarland, July, 1821 160 

Aaron Wright, May, 1823 109 

Levi Hoffman, August,1821 llli 

Cornelius Hoffman, Aiigust, 1821 112J 

Levi Beebee, July, 1821 160 

Seth Goodwin, July, 1821 80 

Town 14 North, Range 3 East. 

Joseph Beeler, George H. Beeler, July, 1821 131 

Samuel Winter, August, 1821 49 

Elijah Elliott, July, 1821 160 

Azel Dollarhide, July, 1821 107 

Azel Dollarhide, July, 1821 107 

Evan Dollarhide, August, 1821 744 

Zimri Brown, November, 1822 40 

Charles Beeler, March, 1824 47i 

Charles Beeler, September, 1826 106 

Seth Curtis, July, 1821 60 

Seth Curtis, October, 1822 106 

Seth Curtis, July, 1821 65J 

Seth Curtis, October, 1822 67i 

Seth Curtis, October, 1822 106J 

Sibert Waugh, August, 1821 53 

Levi Wooster, August, 1821 53 

John Cox, December, 1823 66i 

Martin D. Bush, June, 1821 240 

Town 15 North, Range 2 East. 

Cader Carter, June, 1823 80 

John Rozier, October, 1824 80 

Levi Hoffman, September, 1821 80 

Christopher Ault, December, 1825 80 

Adam llozier, December, 1825 80 

John McCreery, April, 1824 80 

Parker Keeler, April, 1824 80 

Joshua Compton, June, 1824 SO 

Peter Hoffman, December, 1825 80 

Henry Ault, February, 1825 80 

Charles Merritt, August, 1825 SO 

Charles Merritt, December, 1826 80 

Charles Merritt, April, 1822 80 

Peter Hoffman, December, 1825 80 

John Kenworthy, July, 1824 160 

Caleb Cook, November, 1822 160 

Jesse Hawkins, December, 1822 SO 

Reason Keagan, April, 1825 80 

Wayne Township. 
Town 15 North, Range 2 East. 

Joseph Frazee, July, 1821 169 

Nicholas Hendricks, October, 1821 85.5 

James Parker, January, 1822 85.5 

David Cassctt, July, 1821 160 

John Gallaher, July, 1821 160 

James Parker, January, 1832 84 

John M. Jamison, January, 1822 160 

William Castolo, May, 1822 166 

Samuel Castolo, May, 1822 80 

William Gladden, December, 1821 165 



Sec- 
tion. 
28 
29 
29 
29 



Name and Date. Acres. 

William Gladden, November, 1822 82 

John Moore, February, 1824 82 

Samuel Ca.stolo, May, 1822 80 

John Houghton, November, 1822 80 

John Houghton, November, 1822 160 

Reuben Houghton, November, 1822 160 

Reuben Houghton, November, 1822 80 

Sarah Barnhill, January, 1822 80 

John Miller, October, 1820 80 

Moses Silvery, September, 1822 80 

John Fawcett, October, 1822 160 

Joseph Scott, November, 1822 160 

J. R. Crumbaugh, John Skinner, August, 1821.... 80 

Franklin C. Averill, October, 1821 80 

Jacob Railsbaok, July, 1821 160 

Obadiah Harris, December, 1826 80 

Joseph Scott, April, 1826 80 

Joseph Scott, January, 1823 160 

Joseph Scott, February, 1823 80 

Joseph Scott, January, 1823 80 

Robert Furnas, November, 1822 80 

Robert Furnas, November, 1822 80 

Caleb Easterling, November, 1822 80 

Isaac Furnas, November, 1822 160 

John Furnas, November, 1822 160 

John Porter, November, 1822 160 

William McVey, December, 1825 80 

William McVey, September, 1829 80 

John Byrkett, December, 1826 80 

Joseph Scott, January, 1823 80 

James Rhoads, October, 1821 80 

Joseph Scott, January, 1823 80 

John Hendricks, March, 1823 80 

Andrew Hoover, May, 1823 80 

James Rhoads, January, 1822 80 

Andrew Hoover, December, 1825 80 

Town 16 North, Range 2 East. 

Enoch D. Woodbridge, August, 1821 160 

Jacob P. Andrew. December, 1825 80 

Jacob P. Andrew, December, 1825 _ 80 

John M. Strong, August, 1821 160 

John Ad.Tms, October, 1823 80 

Enoch Railsback, December, 1825 80 

William Ivors, January, 1822 80 

Robert Barnhill, July, 1821 160 

Robert Barnhill, July, 1821 160 

Robert Barnhill, July, 1821 160 

George Avery, April, 1824 80 

John Fox, April, 1824 80 

Enoch Railsback, December, 1825 80 

Enoch Railsback, June, 1830 SO 

Jesse Lane, December, 1822 80 

Jesse Lane, July, 1821 160 

Merrick Sayre, R. Armstrong, September, 1822... 80 

James Logan, March, 1824 SO 

John Stoops, August, 1821 80 

Robert Stoops, August, 1821 SO 

Isaac Pugh, August, 1821 80 

William Criswell, August, 1821 SO 

John Hall, August, 1821... 80 

Stephen H. Robinson, August, 1821 80 

Isaac Pugh, August, 1821 160 

James Miller, July, 1821 160 

Jacob Pugh, August, 1821 80 



ORIGINAL ENTRIES OF LANDS IN THE COUNTY. 



63 



Name and Date. Acres. 

Jacob Pugh, July, 1821 80 

Jacob Pugh, July, 1821 160 

Jacob Pugh, July, 1821 160 

Robert Barnhill, July, 1821 160 

Robert Barnhill, July, 1821 160 

Asa B. Strong, August, 1821 160 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, August, 1821 80 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, September, 1821 80 

William Adams, June, 1824 80 

James Adams, August, 1825 80 

Joel Conroe, August, 1821 80 

James L. Givan, December, 1821 80 

Uriah Hultz, October, 1821 160 

Francis McClelland, July, 1821 160 

Israel Phillips, October, 1821 160 

Hans Murdough, October, 1822 80 

Reuben Houghton, November, 1822 80 

Adam Kemple, October, 1821 80 

Jacob Moyer, September, 1821 160 

Francis McClelland, October, 1822 80 

Bartis Boots, March, 1S26 80 

Aaron Masterton, June, 1825 80 

Hans Murdough, October, 1822 80 

Jacob Pugh, August, 1821 80 

Martin Martindale, July, 1821 SO 

James Andrew, Jr., July, 1821 80 

James Andrew, Sr., July, 1821 80 

George L. Kinnard, May, 1825 80 

Archibald Boyle, January, 1825 80 

Archibald Boyle, January, 1825 80 

Hiram Hornaday, November, 1822 80 

Martin Martindale, July, 1821 160 

Martin Martindale, August, 1821 80 

Martin Martindale, September, 1822 80 

Samuel Johnston, July, 1821 160 

Lewis Smith, May, 1826 80 

Martin Martindale, December, 1829 80 

Town 15 North, Range 3 East. 

Jesse McKay and Joseph Frazee, July, 1821 174 

Jesse McKay and Joseph Frazee, July, 1821 177 

Enoch Warman, July, 1821 160 

Rezin Hammond, July, 1821 .' 160 

Joseph Hanna, July, 1821 87 

John Holmes, July, 1821 87 

Noah Noble, July, 1821 180 

Israel Harding, July, 1821 160 

Noah Noble and Enoch MoCarty, July, 1821 160 

Samuel Harding, July, 1821 180 

Amos Higgins, July, 1821 107 

Noah Noble and Enoch McCarty, July, 1821 80 

John Holmes, July, 1821 80 

John Holmes, July, 1821 55 

Jesse Cole, July, 1821 160 

Jesse Cole, July, 1821 , 160 

Gilbert Fuller, July, 1821 104 

James Oliver, July, 1821 160 

Amos Higgins, July, 1821 160 

Thomas Clarke, July, 1821 80 

David Hardman, July, 1821 80 

Frederick Wallz, July, 1821 160 

Enoch Warman, July, 1821 80 

Obadiah Harris,1821 80 

Obadiah Harris, July, 1821 80 

Abel Potter, July, 1821 80 



tion. 
26 



Name and Date. Acres. .. 

tion. 

Jonathan Lyon, July, 1821 160 9 

Ichabod Corwin, July, 1821 160 9 

Solomon Stewart, July, 1821 160 17 

John Fox, October, 1822 80 17 

Amos Higgins and James Burns, July, 1821 160 17 

James W. Johnston, Octobei-, 1821 160 

Hannah Skinner, July, 1821 80 

Lawrence Miller, October, 1821 80 

James W. Johnston, October, 1821 160 

Samuel Covington, January, 1823 51 

George Bell, October, 1821 51 

Joshua Glover, October, 1821 103 

Daniel Closser, October, 1823 80 

Jesse Jackson, November, 1821 80 

John Byrkett, December, 1825 104 

Daniel Closser, July, 1821 80 

Daniel Closser, September, 1821 80 

Daniel Closser, February, 1823 53 

John Hendricks, March, 1823 53 

Andrew Hoover, July, 1821 80 20 

John Miller, July, 1821 80 20 

John Miller, July, 1821 80 20 

John Miller, August, 1821 80 20 

William McClary, July, 1821 160 20 

Abraham Miller, July, 1821 160 20 

Levi Beebee, July, 1821 160 21 

Noah Wright, July, 1821 160 21 

Levi Beebee, July, 1821 160 21 

Luke Bryan, April, 1824 80 21 

Daniel Closser, February, 1824 80 21 

Town 16 North, Range 3 East. ■ 

Isaac Kelly, August, 1821 80 20 

John Fox, July, 1821 160 20 

William Wolverton, April, 1822 80 21 

Frederick Hartman, July, 1821 80 21 

Isaac Kelly, August, 1821 SO 21 

John C. Lane, August, 1821 80 21 

William D. Jones, August, 1821 80 21 

William McCaw, August, 1821 160 21 

John Carr, July, 1821 77 28 

John Carr, July, 1821 66 28 

John Carr, July, 1 821 3 28 

Archibald C. Reed, July, 1821 160 28 

Jonathan Lyon, July, 1S21 142 28 

Elial T. Foote, July, 1821 6 28 

Jonathan Lyon, July, 1821 160 28 

Samuel Hoover, July, 1821 80 29 

Abraham Coble, Jr, July, 1821 80 29 

Jonas Hoover, October, 1823 SO 29 

Benjamin McCarty and James Wiley, July, 1821.. 160 29 

William Walker, July, 1821 80 29 

John Senours, October, 1823 80 29 

Levi Beebee, July, 1821 160 31 

John Biggs, August, 1821 55 31 

Martin Martindale, August, 1821 55 31 

Benjamin MoCarty, Sr., July, 1821 160 31 

Dempsey Reeves, July, 1821 54 31 

S.amuel Johnston, July, 1S21 64 31 

Joseph Hanna, July, 1821 80 32 

David Stoops, July, 1821 80 32 

David Stoops, July, 1821 80 32 

William Stoops, August, 1823 SO 32 

George H. and Joseph Beeler, July, 1821 160 32 

Thomas G. Noble, July, 1S21 160 32 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Name and Date. Aci-es, 

Elial T. Foote, Julj', 1821 43 

Jonathan Lyon antl Thomas Anderson, July, 1821 95 

John Wolf, July. 1821 80 

Joseph S. Benham, July, 1821 SO 

Jesse McKay and Janet Van Blarioum, July, 1821 160 

Pike Township. 
Town 16 North, Range 2 East. 

Seth Rhodabaugh, June, 1823 80 

David MeCurdy, September, 1822 75 

Isaac Pugh, August, 1821 75 

David McCurdy, September, 1821 160 

Isaac Pugh, August, 1821 75 

George Muse 

Abraham McCorkle, May, 1825 80 

Abraham McCorkle, May, 1825 80 

Sarah Barnhill, April, 1823 80 

Jacob Whitinger, June, 1823 ;.. 80 

Thomas Jones, April, 1823 80 

John Jones, December, 1822 80 

Anthony Swaim, March, 1824 160 

David McCurdy, December, 1825 80 

David McCurdy, September, 1821 160 

David McCurdy, September, 1824 80 

David McCurdy, March, 1822 160 

Aaron Gullifer, November, 1822 80 

Aaron Gullifer, February, 1824 80 

Valentine Kinoyer, December, 1825 80 

David Fo.t, October, 1823 80 

Thomas Burns, October, 1821 80 

David McCurdy, September, 1821 160 

Thomas Burns, October, 1821 80 

Thomas Burns, October, 1821 80 

Thomas Burns, August, 1821 80 

Toion 16 North, Range 3 East. 

John Fo.x, April, 1824 80 

Amos Robertson, July, 1821 150 

Seth Rhodabaugh, December, 1825 52 

Aaron Gullifer, June, 1823 56 

William W. Wilson, March, 1823 112 

Joseph Staten, January, 1823 80 

Jcseph S. Benham, July, 1821 160 

Joseph S. Benham, July, 1821 80 

John Fisher, July, 1821 160 

John Fisher, July, 1821 160 

Martin Davinport, February, 1825 80 

Martin Davinport, February, 1825 56 

Town 17 North, Range 2 East. 

James Harman, October, 1823 80 

Chesley Wray, September, 1822 80 

John B. ILarmon, November, 1822 160 

David McCurdy, April, 1823 : 80 

Elijah Fox, September, 1822 80 

Henry Jackson, August, 1825 SO 

David McCurdy, September, 1822 160 

David MoCurdy, September, 1822 80 

David McCurdy, September, 1822 80 

David McCurdy, September, 1822 160 

James Duncan, December, 1823 ., 80 

Alcxus Jackson, September, 1822 SO 

William Conner, September, 1S22 80 

John Duncan, December, 1823 80 

John Railsback, September, 1822 160 



Name and Date. Acres. 

John Railsback, September, 1822 80 

David AVilson, December, 1825 80 

Robert Rhea, September, 1822 80 

Washinoton Township. 

Toxon 16 North, Range 3 East. 

Jesse McKay and Jacob Collip, July, 1821 150 

Jesse McKay and Jacob Collip, July, 1821 160 

Andrew Jones, July, 1821 150 

Andrew Jones, July, 1821 160 

John Pugh, July, 1821 69 

Alexander Pugh, August, 1821 120 

Alexander Pugh, August, 1821 76 

Joseph Swett, June, 1823 76 

Samuel Stephens, April, 1823. 76 

Isaac Stephens, April, 1823 

Andrew Jones, July, 1821 160 

Jacob Miers, October, 1823 155 

John Fox, October, 1822 80 

Jeremiah Roberts, November, 1822 80 

Nimi-od Ferguson, December, 1823 80 

John T. Basye, February, 1824 80 

John Fox, October, 1822 80 

Eli Wright, November, 1823 80 

John Roberts, Jr., November, 1822 80 

Jeremiah and Edward Roberts, November, 1822.. 80 

Noah Leaverton, July, 1821 71 

Edward Roberts, November, 1822 80 

Joseph Swett, June, 1823 6 

John Pugh, July, 1821 77 

Lismund Basye, October, 1S21 55 

Andrew Jones, October, 1821 61 

Andrew Jones, July, 1821 94 

David Huston, Jul)', 1821 160 

William Jones, July, 1821., 80 

David Huston, July, 1821 80 

Jesse McKay and Jacob Collip, July, 1821 160 

Henry Hardin, July, 1821 80 

Jacob Wright, July, 1821 80 

William Hardin, July, 1821 160 

William Sanders, July, 1821 80 

Daniel Aiken, July, 1821 80 

Daniel McDonald, July, 1821 160 

Simeon Slawson, July, 1S21 160 

Rezin Hammond, July, 1821 160 

Rezin Hammond, July, 1821 80 

Isaac Stipp, July, 1821 80 

James Givan, July, 1821 160 

William Appleton, July, 1821 ;. 70 

Thomas MeOuat, October, 1821 78 

Jonas Hoover, July, 1821 80 

Sylvanus Halsey, July, 1S21 80 

Thomas McOuat, October, 1821 80 

William Sanders, July, 1821 80 

William Sanders, July, 1821 ■ 89 

Jacob Whitinger, July, 1821 60 

Jacob Whitinger, July, 1821 78 

Samuel McCormick, April, 1823 78 

William Sanders, July, 1821 89 

Joseph S. Benham, July, 1821 74 

Ephraim D. Reed, July, 1821 67 

AVilliam C. Vanblaricum, July, 1S21 59 

Town 16 North, Range 4 East. 

James Griswold, December, 1825 68 

Philip Ray, July, 1S21 160 



tion. 
33 



ORIGINAL ENTRIES OF LANDS IN THE COUNTY. 



65 



Name and Date. Acres. ^^^^ 

Philip Ray, July, 1821 80 4 

James Ellis, November, 1824 80 4 

William Tucker, July, 1821 138 5 

Enoch Clark, November, 1821 68 5 

Elijah Fox, July, 1821 68 5 

John Jarrett, August, 1821 160 5 

Nicholas Criss, October, 1823 80 5 

William Bacon, July, 1821 80 5 

Elijah Fox, July, 1821 68 6 

Hezekiah Smith, July, 1821 68 6 

Jonas Huffman, July, 1821 128 6 

William Bacon, July, 1821 80 6 

Robert Dickerson, March, 1822 80 6 

Moses Huffman, March, 1822 75 6 

William Rector, July, 1821 75 6 

William Bacon, July, 1821 80 7 

Lewis Nichols, October, 1821 80 7 

Robert Smith, October, 1821 75 7 

Christian Eager, July, 1821 75 7 

William Hardin, July, 1821 80 7 

William MoCleery, July, 1821 80 7 

William McCleery, July, 1821 150 7 

Abrah.am Epier, July, 1821 160 8 

James Williams, July, 1821 80 8 

Richard Williams, July, 1821 80 8 

John McClung, July, 1821 160 8 

John Hendricks, July, 1821 160 8 

James Templer, August, 1821 80 9 

Enoch Clark, July, 1821 80 9 

Christian Hager, July, 1821 160 9 

John Whittaker, October, 1821 160 9 

Jonas Huffman, July, 1821 160 9 

Daniel Rumple, May, 1822 80 17 

Joseph Bartholomew and Rezin Hammond, July, 

1821 80 17 

Joseph Bartholomew and Rezin Hammond, July, 

1821 160 17 

Joseph Bartholomew and Rezin Hammond, July, 

1821 80 17 

Joseph Bartholomew and Rezin Hammond, July, 

1821 80 17 

William D. Rooker, July, 1821 80 17 

Henry Hardin, July, 1821 160 18 

William Hardin, July, 1821 75 18 

William D. Rooker, July, 1821 75' 18 

Samuel Glass, July, 1821 160 18 

Jeremiah Johnson, July, 1821 76 18 

Rezin Hammond, July, 1821 76 18 

Toion 17 North, Range 3 East. 

John Vincent, September, 1822 80 13 

Thomas Todd, October, 1824 80 13 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1823 80 23 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 80 24 

Abraham Bowen, September, 1822 80 24 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 80 24 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 80 24 

William Hobson, September, 1822 80 24 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 81 25 

Levi Wright, September, 1822 55 25 

Levi Wright, September, 1822 77 25 

Levi Wright, September, 1822 62 25 

Samuel Ray, November, 1822 67 25 

James Bonnell, September, 1822 147 25 

James Bonnell, August, 1823 80 26 

5 



Name and Date. Acres. 

John Roberts, November, 1822 160 

Joseph Gladden, September, 1822 109 

Thomas Ellis, February, 1824 85 

Samuel and Jeremiah Johnson, April, 1823 50 

Elijah Dawson, November, 1822 106 

James Young, September, 1822 139 

James Young, September, 1822 63 

Charles Rector, March, 1825 45 

Jonas Huffman, September, 1822 60 

Jesse McKay and John Oollip, September, 1822... 88 

Jesse McKay and John CoUip, September, 1822... 59 

Toion 17 North, Range 4 East. 

Morgan Parr, November, 1822 , 80 

George Midsker, December, 1823 80 

Thomas Reagan, September, 1822 19 

William Sanders, September, 1822 127 

George Midsker, December, 1823 140 

Eliakim Harding, September, 1822 160 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 160 

Joseph Coats, December, 1822 80 

Lewis Huffman, September, 1822 80 

John Vincent, September, 1822 80 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 147 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 161 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 141 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 160 

Thomas Reagan, September, 1822 Ill 

Thomas Reagan, September, 1822 117 

Thomas Reagan, September, 1822 160 

Thomas Reagan, September, 1822 160 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 26 

William Sanders, September, 1822 26 

Joseph Coats, October, 1823 80 

Joseph Coats, September, 1822 160 

William Wilkinson, November, 1823 80 

Michael West, October, 1822 80 

Silas Moppit, November, 1823 80 

Jacob Burkitt, September, 1822 80 

William Coats, November, 1822 80 

Thomas Brunson, December, 1825 80 

James Tarr, September, 1822 80 

Fielding Jeter, September, 1822 137 

Jacob Whitinger, September, 1822 119 

John G. Mcllvain, July, 1824 80 

John G. Mcllvain, March, 1824 40 

James McNutt, October, 1822 77 

Levi Wright, September, 1822 83 

Levi Wright, September, 1822 80 

Charles Daily, September, 1822 80 

Charles Daily, September, 1822 80 

Eliakim Harding, September, 1822 80 

Hiram Bacon, September, 1822 160 

Jonathan Hawkins, September, 1822 160 

Aaron Carter, September, 1822 160 

William Bacon, November, 1822 80 

Harlan Carter, September, 1822 160 

William Bacon, November, 1822 160 

Lawrence Township. 
Town 16 North, Range 4 East. 

Hugh Beard, November, 1822 74 

John Johnson, July, 1825 71 

John Johnson, July, 1824 74 

Samuel Marrow, August, 1824 71 



Sec- 
tion. 
34 
35 

35 
35 



66 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Name jind Date. Acres. 

William Hardin, July, 1821 142 

William Hardin, July, 1821 141 

Ephraim Morrison, August, 1824 70 

Robert MoClaine, September, 1821 ?0 

Peter Casteter, October, 1821 69 

William McClaren, Jr., April, 1824 fi9 

David Sheets, Marcb, 1824 SO 

Daniel Ballinger, October, 1823 80 

Daniel Ballinger, October, 182.3 80 

Philip Ray, July, 1821 SO 

Adam Eller, August, 1824 80 

Leonard Eller, April, 1825 80 

James Templer, August, 1821 SO 

David Jamison, Jr., June, 1S24 160 

William D. Rooker, April, 1823 160 

John North, September, 1823 80 

John North, September, 1S23 160 

Leonard Eller, April, 1825 80 

Joseph Eller, March, 1824 80 

John Eller, March, 1824 80 

Robert Kelley, December, 1S22 80 

Town 17 North, Raiicje 4 Eaal. 

Gilbert A. Cheney, March, 1825 40 

Jesse Enlow, October, 1822 160 

Joshua Reddiok, December, 1825 80 

Robert Warren, October, 1824 80 

Toion 17 North., Range 5 East. 

John and Daniel Kuns, February, 1824 80 

James Wilson, December, 1825 160 

Christian Beaver, October, 1824 80 

Daniel Rumpal, October, 1824 80 

Christian Beaver, October, 1824 SO 

Daniel Rumple, October, 1S24 80 

Jesse Enlow, October, 1822 160 

Warren Townsiup. 
Toim 15 North, Range 4 East. 

Joseph Charles, November, 1822 ; 80 

Samuel Ferguson, January, 1825 SO 

David E. Wade, March, 1824 SO 

William Ferguson, February, 1825 64 

Asa Grewell, December, 1823 80 

William Riley, December, 1S25 80 

Jacob W. Fisher, October, 1S22 160 

William Clemens, August, 1S21 136 

William Clemens, August, 1821 70 

Michael and Zinna Skinner, August, 1821 :.t^. 70 

Jacob Sowduski, January, 1822 160 

Jacob Sowduski, January, 1822 SO 

J.>hn Wilson, October, 1821 SO 

Joshua Stephens, October, 1824 80 

Benjamin Atherton, December, 1823 80 

Edward Heizer, August, 1823 80 

Edward White, December, 1823 80 

John Hall, October, 1821 160 

William J. Morrison, December, 1825 80 

Andrew Morehouse, August, 1823 160 

Jacob Sowdusky, August, 1824 SO 

David BuckhannoD, February, 1824 80 

Joel Blacklidge, October, 1823 80 

Ambrose Shirley, November, 1822 80 

Edward Morin, December, 1S25 80 

William Morin, December, 1S25 SO 



lion. 
2 



Name and Date. Acres. 

William S. Whitaker, October, 1824 SO 

John Grewel, December, 1823 80 

Samuel Ferguson, January, 1825 80 

Henry Brady, December, 1823 80 

Benjamin Atherton, December, 1823 80 

Jacob Blacklidge, October, 1823 SO 

Andrew Morehouse, March, 1824 SO 

Jacob Sowduski, August, 1824 80 

Robert Brown, February, 1824 80 

John W. Redding, January, 1823 160 

Levi Becbee, July, 1821 160 

James Doyle, March, 1822 ISO 

James Doyle, January, 1822 160 

Jacob Daringer, November, 1823 160 

David Buckhannon, February, 1S24 SO 

Archibald C. Reed, August, 1824 80 

Tom, 15 North, Range 5 East. 

Lorenzo Dow, May, 1826 66 

William Sanders, December, 1825 SO 

Samuel Fullen, October, 1825 80 

Luke Bryan, December, 1825 56 

Luke Bryan, December, 1825 55 

Luke Bryan, December, 1S25 55 

Calvin Fletcher, James Rariden, November, 1826.. 80 

Cornelius Williams, December, 1825 SO 

James Holliday, April, 1822 160 

Stephen Brown, November, 1826 112 

Joseph Bray, December, 1825 80 

Cornelius Williams, December, 1825 80 

Stephen Brown, November, 1826 160 

Stephen Brown, November, 1826 113 

Stephen Brown, November, 1826 87 

Stephen Brown, November, 1S26 160 

Willoughby Conner, September, 1826 43 

Joseph Charles, November, 1822 43 

Daniel Yandes, November, 1S24 .. 63 

Demas L. McFarland, December, 1825 '^SQ ^ 

James Harris, November, 1824 , 80 

Polly Holliday, January, 1823 80 

James Holliday, April, 1822 SO . 

Jacob Blacklidge, November, 1823 160 

Samuel Ferguson and John Pogue, January, 1825 80 

John Ketley, December, 1825 80 

Betjamin Sailor, March, 1823 SO 

Bishop & Stevens, January, 1825 80 

Benjamin Sailor, March, 1823 80 

Benjamin Sailor, April, 1823 SO 

Samuel Beeler,\ August, 1823 80 

Nathan Harlau, October, 1823 80 

Totcn 16 North, Range 4 East. 

Robert Ivelley, December, 1825 80 

Jacob Mason, August, 1S22 80 

William Vanlaningham, March, 1822 ; SO 

Harris Tyner, January, 1823 80 

David Shields, December, 1821 160 

Thomas Askren, September, 1825 100 

Razain Hawkins, August, 1825 80 

Razain Hawkins, August, 1825 80 

Fkankun Township. 
Town 14 North, Range 4 East. 

Nehemiah Smith, December, 1825 SO 

Abraham Lemasters, February, 1825 80 



ORIGINAL ENTRIES OP LANDS IN THE COUNTY. 



67 



Name and Date, Acres. 

Luke Bryan, December, 1825 80 

Luke Bryan, April, 1825 80 

Luke Bryan, April, 1825 80 

Town 14 North, Range 5 East. 

Jeremiah Bernight, February, 1823 78 

Moses Huffman, Marcli, 1822 78 

William Kector, January, 1822 78 

John Dawson, 'January, 1823 80 

Benjamin Rector, March, 1825 80 

Powler Hibs, December, 1825 80 

Hugh Beard, December, 1825 80 

John Dawson, January, 1823 160 

Peter Mann, October, 1822 80 

William Rector, January, 1822 80 

Jacob W. Fisher, October, 1822 160 

Andrew 0. Porter, October, 1821 160 

Peter Carberry, July, 1822 80 

John Dawson, January, 1823 160 

Jacob Smock, December, 1824 40 

William Morris, December, 1824 40 

Town 15 North, Range 4 East. 
Robert McCather and Isaac Brazleton, December, 

1825 80 

Stephen Yager, December, 1825 80 

George Smith, April, 1825 80 

William Townsend, December, 1825 160 

Town 15 North, Range 5 East. 

John Patterson, November, 1821 80 

John Patterson, November, 1821 80 

Josiah Bisbee, July, 1821 80 

Charles W. Wilson, August, 1821 80 

Michael Clpyd, August, 1821 80 

Isaiah Bisbee, July, 1821 80 

Michael Cloyd, August, 1821 80 

Reuben Adams, October, 1824 160 

Reuben Adams, February, 1825 80 

Charles W. Wilson, August, 1821 160 

William Griffith, October, 1824 160 

Perry Township. 

Tomi 14 North, Range 3 East. 

Henry D. Bell, October, 1821 154 

Isaac Kelly, August, 1821 152 

Peyton Bristow, May, 1823 80 

Henry Riddle, September, 1824 80 

Henry Riddle, September, 1822 80 

Elijah T. Foote, July, 1821 75 

Elijah T. Foote, July, 1821 75 

Peyton Bristow, May, 1823 80 

Peyton Bristow, August, 1821 160 

John Johnston, July, 1821 74 

Philip W. Sparger, October, 1821 80 

John Bowen, December, 1821 80 

John Watts, October, IS21 80 

David C. Cassett, July, 1821 80 

Rudy Daily, March, 1823 69 

Rudy Daily, March, 1823 85 

Elijah Elliott, July, 1821 88 

Martin D. Bush, July, 1821 80 

James Martin, July, 1823 80 

Richard Watts, July, 1821 160 



Name and Date. Acres. 

Henry Myers, August, 1821 80 

Dempsey Overman, July, 1821 160 

John Watts, July, 1821 160 

Henry Alcorn, July, 1821 SO 

Henry Alcorn, July, 1821 80 

Martin Riley, July, 1821 80 

James Burns, July, 1821 80 

David Marrs, October, 1821 80 

Cline Roland, December, 1825 80 

Dempsey Overman, July, 1821 80 

Jacob Pence, August, 1822 80 

James Cully, July, 1821 80 

James Cully, July, 1821 80 

Thomas Sbelton, December, 1825 80 

David Marrs, October, 1821 160 

Robert Murphy, April, 1825 80 

Jacob Pence, August, 1822 80 

Samuel True, December, 1825 , 80 

Samuel Dabney, December, 1823 80 

Samuel Dabney, September, 1825 80 

Richard Good, February, 1825 80 

Jacob FuUenweider, December, 1825 80 

Henry Alcorn, March, 1831 80 

Samuel Dabney, December, 1825 80 

Moses F. Glenn, May, 1822 80 

George Vandegriff, July, 1821 80 

William McBride, July, 1825 80 

Joseph Smith, December, 1822 160 

Anthony W. Bowen, December, 1821 80 

Henry Hardin, May, 1822 160 

Robert Hunt, July, 1821 80 

Robert Hunt, July, 1821 160 

Hezekiah Smart, August, 1822 160 

Hezekiah Smart, December, 1823 80 

Town 14 North, Range 4 East. 

Robert White, December, 1824 73 

Thomas Carle, September, 1825 

Thomas Bryant, April, 1825 

Mary Aldridge, February, 1S25 

Jacob Turner, September, 1825 

Jacob Turner and Thos. Bryant, December, 1825. 

Peter Demott, November, 1826 

Isaac Helms, October, 1824 

Baker F. Ewing, March, 1825 

John Danner, June, 1823 

Francis Vorie, December, 1825 

JacobSmock, May, 1822 

Samuel Brewer, October, 1823 

Luke Bryan, December, 1825 

Luke Bryan, December, 1825 

Abraham Lemasters, December, 1825 

Gerrardus R. Robbins, November, 1822 

Jacob Smocli, May, 1822 

Samuel Smock, November, 1826 

Nehemiah Smith, December, 1825 

William McClain, December, 1825 

Robert Brenton, August, 1822 

Cornelius Demott, May, 1822 

Randal Litsey, October, 1822 

Randal Litsey, October, 18^2 

William Sanders, August, 1825 

William Sanders, December, 1825 

David Brewer, Decemberl824 

Daniel A. Brewer, December, 1824 



tion. 
9 
10 



73 
147 



147 
71 



79 
158 



160 
160 
160 
160 
80 



68 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Town 15 North, Range 3 East. 

Name and Bate. Acres. S°°" 

Simeon Smock, October, 1821 160 25 

John McFall, August, 1821 160 25 

Lewis Nichols, October, 1821 80 25 

Peter Demott, October, 1821 80 25 

Peter Demott, October, 1821 80 26 

Henry Brenton, August, 1821 80 25 

George Marquis, November, 1824 80 26 

John Shaffer, August, 1821 80 26 

Lewis Davis, August, 1821 160 26 

James Andrew, Jr., July, 1821 80 26 

Isaac Senseney, August, 1821 80 26 

Abraham Lemasters, July, 1821 80 26 

Joseph S. Benham, July, 1821 80 26 

Lewis Davis, August, 1821 80 27 

William Vandegriff, July, 1821 30 27 

William Sanders, July, 1821 160 27 

William Sanders, June, 1822 43 27 

Richard Vest, November, 1821 70 27 

Samuel Whitcher, April, 1822 139 33 

Emanuel Olympse, March, 1823 80 33 

William Myers, July, 1821 160 34 

William Sanders, January, 1823 80 34 

John D. Lutz, August, 1821 80 34 

William Townsend, July, 1821 160 35 

George Norwood, July, 1821 160 35 

Abraham Lemasters, July, 1821 160 36 

Amos Cook, July, 1821 160 35 

Henry Ballinger, July, 1821 160 36 

John Smock, July, 1821 160 36 

Henry Brenton, August, 1821 80 36 

David Marrs, October, 1821 80 36 

John Poole, July, 1821 160 36 

Toion 15 North, Range 4 East. 

William S. Hughey, April, 1825 80 28 

Nathan AUdridge, November, 1823 80 28 

Susannah, Jacob, and Azariah Mosly, February, 

1823 80 28 

James Thompson, June, 1824 160 28 

William Arnold, August, 1824 160 28 

James McLaughlin, July, 1823 80 29 

Sarah Jane Smith, December, 1S26 160 30 

Lawrence Demott, October, 1821 157 30 

Henry Comingore, November, 1822 156 30 

John Smock, August, 1821 80 31 

Richard Corwine, July, 1821 157 31 

John Smock, July, 1821 160 31 

Stephen Miller, January, 1822 159 31 

S. G. Huntington, August, 1821 80 32 

S. G. Huntington, August, 1821 80 32 

John Smock, August, 1821 80 32 

Milton White, October, 1824 80 32 

Milton White, September, 1824 80 32 

Jacob Coffman, August, 1821... 160 32 

Benjamin L. Crothers, August, 1821 160 33 

George Petro, August, 1821 80 33 



CHAPTER IV. 

Social Condition of the Early Settlers — Amusements — Religious 
Worship — Music— General Description of Pioneer Life in 
Marion County — Diseases once Prevalent — Causes of Dimin- 
ution. 

Thus far this history has followed as closely as any 
record, or accurate memory, or other authentic ac- 
count would permit, the course of events in the first 
settlement and growth of the town and county up 
to the opening of the year 1825, occasionally pausing 
to group about some conspicuous locality or occur- 
rence such incidents of the later history as closely 
connected themselves with it, and presented at a 
single view a summary of the subject, which would 
be less intelligible if broken up by scattering the 
points about in chronological order. Brief biograph- 
ical references also have been introduced with the 
first appearance of citizens who were then or sub- 
sequently became conspicuous for services to the 
community. But there is a good deal more of the 
history of any State or town than appears in its 
public records and the accounts of its material growth 
and development. How the people lived, worked, and 
amused themselves is quite as much to the purpose 
of a faithful chronicle as the building of mills, open- 
ing streets, and holding courts. For the first two dec- 
ades of the existence of the town and the settlement 
about it the social conditions were so little changed 
that an account of any part of that period will be no 
misfit for any other part. The changes towards city 
development and conditions were not distinctly shown 
till the impulse of improvement that ran a little 
ahead of the first railway began to operate. There- 
fore the incidents, anecdotes, and descriptions in this 
division of the work are used as illustrative of a 
period of substantially unchanging conditions, and 
not of any particular year or condition. They are 
substantially true of any year for two decades or 
thereabouts. 

For the first few years the relations of the settlers 
and Indians were occasional points of interest or 
alarm. One or two incidents will show that the 
New Purchase was not different in its chances of 
Indian trouble from settlements beyond the Missis- 



1 



SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE EAKLY SETTLERS. 



sippi twenty years ago, and beyond the Rocky Moun- 
tains now. Mr. Nowland describes one of these 
incidents : " John McCormick kept the first tavern 
or place of entertainment in the place, and provided 
for the commissioners a portion of the time when 
they were here for the purpose of locating the 
capital. His house stood on the east or left bank 
of the river, a few steps below where the National 
road now crosses it. One bright sunny morning 
about the middle of March my father and I took 
a walk to the river. When within about fifty yards 
of the cabin of Mr. McCormick we heard cries of 
'Help! Murder!' coming from the house. We ran, 
and by the time we got there several men had 
arrived. A well-known and desperate Delaware, 
called ' Big Bottle,' from the fact that he generally 
carried a large bottle hung to his belt, had come to 
the opposite side of the river and commanded Mrs. 
McCormick to bring the canoe over for him. This 
she refused to do, knowing that he wanted whiskey, 
and when drinking was a dangerous Indian. He 
set his gun against a tree, plunged into the river, 
and swam over, and when we reached the house was 
ascending the bank, tomahawk in hand, preparatory 
to cutting his way through the door, which Mrs. 
■ McCormick had barricaded. At the sight of the 
men he desisted, and said he only wished to ' scare 
white squaw.' He was taken back to his own side 
of the river in a canoe, and admonished that if he 
attempted to scare the ' white squaw' again her hus- 
band would kill him. This rather irritated him. 
He flourished his scalping-knife towards her, and 
intimated by signs from her head to his belt that he 
would take her scalp." 

Not far from the time of this pleasing incident of 
aboriginal amiability another of a more serious char- 
acter occurred, illustrating the inevitable proclivity 
of whites to cheat Indians, and the very probable 
effect of the cheat when discovered. Mr. Now- 
land is authority for the story. " Robert Wilmot, 
the second merchant (Daniel Shaffer was a little 
earlier), had a small stock of Indian trinkets, and 
for a short time carried on trade with the Indians, 
but a little occurrence frightened him, and he soon 
returned to Georgetown, Ky., his former residence. 



A Delaware Indian named Jim Lewis had pledged 
some silver hat-bands (there is something to open 
the eyes of the ' dudes' of 1883 !) to Wilmot for 
goods, and was to return in two moons to redeem 
them. He kept his word, but when he came back 
Wilmot had sold the bands to another Indian, which 
so exasperated Lewis that he threatened if he ever 
caught Wilmot going alone to his corn-field he would 
take his scalp. This frightened him so much that 
he never would go alone, but often requested and 
was accompanied by Dr. Livingston Dunlap. His 
alarm grew so serious finally that he sold out and 
returned to Kentucky. As it was pretty generally 
known that Lewis was the murderer of the white 
man found near the Bluffs, on an island of the river, 
this threat against Wilmot had a tendency to alarm 
and put on their guard other settlers." 

The Indians had been greatly irritated by the 
intrusion of the whites into their favorite hunting- 
ground, and occasional manifestations of enmity were 
to have been and were expected ; still, the relations 
of the races were not always those of ill-will and ill- 
service. The late James Sulgrove, who came to the 
settlement in 1823, and at his death in 1875 was 
the oldest business man in the city continuously in 
the same business, used to tell a little incident of the 
good feeling of the Indians that may go to set off 
the less pleasant ones. His father, while riding 
through the dense woods where West Indianapolis 
now stands, with a child before him, saw an Indian 
following at a rapid pace, as if to overtake him. 
Feeling a little alarmed, he hurried his horse ahead, 
but saw that the Indian hurried too. Knowing the 
impossibility of escaping by speed in the deep, miry 
mud of the river bottom with the child to take care 
of, he slackened his pace and let the native come up. 
As he approached he held out a child's shoe in his 
hand, which had dropped from the foot of the little 
fellow on the horse, and been picked up by the 
Indian, who had followed pertinaciously through the 
mud to return it. Trivial as such an affair is, it is 
worth noting as an evidence that the Indians then, 
as now and always, treat the whites in much the 
same way the whites treat them. If there is no 
special cause of dislike or hostility, the Indians are 



70 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



as well disposed to be kindly and hospitable as other 
men. If they are swindled and abused they can 
hardly be more vindictive, if we may trust the early 
reports of revengeful white murders. 

Of the homes and modes of life of the early set- 
tlers some little suggestion has been made in occa- 
sional allusions, but a better idea is given in Mr. Now- 
land's account of the way his father's family settled 
themselves here in the fall of 1820 on their arrival. 
He says that a Quaker from Wayne County by the 
name of Townsend, the same who afterwards joined 
in putting in operation the first wool-carding machine 
here, had come out to the settlement and built a 
cabin and covered it, but had left the sawing out of 
the necessary openings to a more convenient season 
and returned to the White Water. Mr. Nowland's 
father took possession, by the advice of a friend, but, 
for fear of cutting openings for doors, windows, and 
a chimney in the wrong place, decided to cut none at 
all, and made an entrance by the novel process of 
prying up two corners of the house and taking out 
the third log from the bottom. A few clapboards 
taken from the middle of the roof let the smoke out, 
and the whole affair was about as comfortable as a 
wigwam. The fire was built on the ground, which 
was the floor, and rag carpets were hung round the 
walls to exclude the wind, against which there was 
no provision of "chinking and daubing." The 
neighbors, in the generous fashion of the backwoods, 
all assisted readily in anything that required their 
help, and a cabin of their own was soon provided for 
the family. There may possibly be in the city yet 
one of these primeval cabins weather-boarded over, 
as a good many were, and made most excellent resi- 
dences too, as handsome as a frame and as solid as 
a brick ; but the unhewed cabin, unfaced and left in 
its native roughness, probably disappeared with the 
burning of a double log house on the bank of Pogue's 
Run, near Mississippi Street, some years before the 
war. The double cabin was the palatial structure 
of the early settlements of the New Purchase. A 
two-story, hewed-log house was sometimes built, but 
it was as phenomenal as Vanderbilt's marvelous 
home. There was one on Maryland Street, south 
side, west of Meridian, near the present east end of 



the Grand Hotel, that was occupied by a family 
named Goudy for a time, and afterwards by some 
of the hands employed on the National road in 1837 
or 1838 or thereabouts. It may have been the first 
house used by the Methodists as a place of worship 
in 1825, for they did use a hewed-log house on 
Maryland Street, near Meridian. It disappeared 
forty years ago. One-story houses frequently made a 
sort of second story of the garret by a ceiling of 
loose plank or puncheons and a ladder, and this 
was sometimes the children's room and sometimes a 
guest's room. Doors were usually battened, swung 
on large wooden hinges, and fastened with a wooden 
latch, lifted from the outside by a string fastened to 
it and passing through a hole in the door above. 
The hospitable assurance of a backwoodsman that his 
" latch-string was always out" can be readily appre- 
ciated with this explanation. It meant that his 
house could be entered at any time by anybody. If 
the latch-string were drawn in through the hole a 
person outside would have no chance to get in. A 
close-jointed hewed-log house was warmer in winter 
and cooler in summer than a brick, and, except that 
it would rot, was preferable. Unhewed houses were 
always more or less subject to the intrusion of va- 
grant breezes and curious eyes by the falling out or 
knocking out of the " chinking" and " daubing" that 
filled the spaces between the logs. This was usually 
made of blocks of split wood, from six inches to a 
foot long by three or four inches wide and an inch 
or two thick, laid in oblique rows between the logs 
and covered thick with the mud of the country. 

Chimneys were usually built clear outside of the 
house, against a hole eight or ten feet wide by five 
or six high cut out of the logs or left by measure- 
ment when the logs were cut before the raising, as 
other openings were arranged for frequently. The 
square of the chimney at the bottom, as high as the 
fireplace inside, was built of heavy split timber 
notched like the logs of the wall and heavily 
" daubed." The upper part was narrowed from the 
square structure below to the usual size of a smoke- 
vent of brick, but made of small split sticks laid on 
each other in courses of pairs and thickly plastered 
with clay or mud. As dangerous as such work would 



SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE EARLY SETTLERS. 



71 



appear in such close contact with the huge fires of 
the backwoods, there was not more danger if the 
" daubing" was well looked to than there is in the 
" defective flue" that is the terror of city house- 
holders and the pest of insurance companies. Be- 
sides, if a chimney should take fire it could be dis- 
cerned at once, for the whole extent of the flue was 
as open as the door, and a tinful of water could do 
all that a steam-engine is needed to do now, and with- 
out damaging anything, where the engine would do 
as much harm as a fire. With all the rudeness and 
lack of luxuries and even of conveniences, the pio- 
neers of the West had some countervailing advan- 
tages even in the structure of their houses. 

Log cabins were abundant here when cooking- 
stoves came round, but they had been going out for 
some years, and there was never any considerable 
association between the home of the backwoods and 
the kitchen of the city. The cooking of the cabin 
was all done in the big fireplace. Mr. Nowland tells 
how the fires were made. The back-log, cut the full 
length of the fireplace, was laid at one end on a sled 
called a " lizard," and hauled into the house by a 
horse till it was opposite the fireplace, when it was 
rolled in, and followed by a " forestick" of the same 
size, and brought in the same way. Smaller wood 
filled in the space between the two on the heavy and- 
irons, — sometimes stones or smaller logs, — and with 
proper attention to the small fuel such a fire would last 
twenty-four hours. The baking was done in skillets, 
set in front of the fire on a bed of coals, with the lid 
covered with coals. If it was a "johnny-oake" that 
was to be baked, it was spread out by hand till it was 
a foot or so long and half as wide or more by nearly 
an inch in thickness, and then laid on the "johnny- 
cake board," about like the half of a modern sleeve- 
board, and set on edge before the fire, supported by 
a big chip or a stone or anything handy. Nothing 
more savory was ever made of grain than a "johnny- 
cake." The frying was done like the baking, and 
not unfrequently with the same utensil. For boiling, 
an iron crane usually hung in the fireplace, with two 
or three heavy iron hooks, that could be moved along 
the lever, like the weights on a steelyard, to find the 
best spot of the fire. Against the end walls of the 



big fireplace it was a common sight to see venison 
hams hanging to dry, or "jerk," as the phrase is now. 
Pumpkins cut into thin strips and dried were fre- 
quent adornments of strings or poles near the ceiling 
or along the walls. A " smoke-house," to cure the 
winter's bacon, was an usual adjunct of the cabin, 
and the family meat was kept there with other pro- 
visions. Before there were any mills, or when low 
water prevented them from grinding, corn was often 
made into "lye hominy," or, when just hardening 
from the roasting ear into maturity, was grated on a 
half-cylinder of tin punched outwardly full of holes, 
the outturned edges of the hole rasping an ear away 
rapidly in the deft hands of a backwoods housewife. 
Potatoes were roasted in the hot ashes and embers, 
and the boy who has eaten them thus cooked, and 
will not swear that no other cooking is comparable, 
is " fit for stratagems" and all other bad things. 

In the year 1830, Mr. John Finley, of Wayne 
County, wrote a New Year's address for the Indian- 
apolis Journal, at the close of which occurs so 
admirable a description of a " Hoosier" pioneer cabin 
that no apology is required for reproducing it here: 

" I'm told in riding somewhere West 
A stranger found a ' Hoosier's nest,' 
In other words, a buckeye cabin. 
Just big enough to hold Queen Mab in. 
Its situation, low but airy, 
Was on the borders of a prairie; 
And fearing he might be benighted, 
He hailed the house, and then alighted. 
The Hoosier met him at the door, 
Their salutations soon were o'er. 
He took the stranger's horse aside 
And to a sturdy sapling tied, 
Then, having stripped the saddle off, 
He fed him in a sugar-trough. 
The stranger stooped to enter in, 
The entrance closing with a pin. 
And manifested strong desire 
To seat him by the log-heap fire, 
Where half a dozen Hoosieroons, 
With mush and milk, tin cups and spoons, 
White heads, bare feet, and dirty faces, 
Seemed much inclined to keep their places. 
But madam, anxious to display 
Her rough but undisputed sway, 
Her offspring to the ladder led, 
And cuffed the youngsters up to bed. 



72 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Invited shortly to partake 

Of venison, milk, and johnny-cake, 

The stranger made a hearty meal, 

And glances round the room would steal. 

One side was lined with divers garments, 

The other spread with skins of varmints; 

Dried pumpkins overheard were strung, 

Where venison hams in plenty hung; 

Two rifles placed above the door, 

Three dogs lay stretched upon the floor. 

In short, the domicile was rife 

With specimens of Hoosier life. 

The host, who centered his affections 

On game and ' range' and ' quarter sections,' 

Discoursed his weary guest for hours. 

Till Somnus' all-composing powers 

Of sublunary cares bereft tliem. 

And then No matter how the story ended, 

The application I intended 
Is from the famous Scottish poet. 
Who seemed to feel, as well as know it. 
That ' burly chiels and clever hizzies 
Are bred in sic a way as this is.' " 

The nickname of an Indianian, " Hoosier," occurs 
in this poem the first time that it ever appeared in 
print, say some old settlers. It could not have been 
very old or generally known throughout the country 
if it originated, as the most credible accounts relate, 
in a fight among the hands employed in excavating 
the canal around the Falls of the Ohio at Louisville. 
Some big Irishman, after keeping out of the shindy 
as long as he could stand it, at last vpent in and 
knocked down four or five of the other party in 
quick succession. Jumping up in high glee he 
cracked his heels together, and shouted, " I'm a 
husher." The boast crossed the river, and was 
naturalized by the residents there, and thence passed 
all over the State and into other States. Except 
" Yankee," no other State or sectional nickname is 
so well known, and it is not unfrequently used as 
a designation of a Western man, as " Yankee" is of 
an Eastern man. Governor Wright, of Indiana, once 
told a foreign visitor that the name originated in a 
habit of travelers calling out when they would ride 
up to a fence at night with the purpose of staying 
till morning, "Who's here?" Repetition made one 
word of it, and finally made a name for backwoods 
settlers of it, which in some unexplained way was 



appropriated to Indiana. Another explanation is 
that Col. Lehmanowski, a Polish officer of the first 
Napoleon, who occasionally visited this place, and 
preached here to a Lutheran association and lec- 
tured on Napoleon's wars, about 1840 to 1842, 
started the name by his pronunciation of the word 
" Hussar," which some " gostrating" fellow got hold 
of and used to glorify himself This, however, oc- 
curring as late as 1840, will not explain the use of the 
word in Finley's poem in 1830, except in the fashion 
of " Merlin's prophecy," made by the " Fool" in 
" Lear." 

Dr. Philip Mason, of White Water, in his " Au- 
tobiography," gives an account of the agricultural 
implements in use on the farms of these "Hoosiers" 
that will not be uninteresting to the later generation 
of farmers. " The plow was the common shovel- 
plow mostly, though a few called the ' bar-share' 
were used. This was a bar on the land side, with 
a broad, flat share running to a point at the forward 
end, attached to a coulter with a steel nose in front. 
The coulter extended up through the wooden beam of 
the plow. Two wooden handles, one attached to the 
beam and the bar, and to the bar of the land side of 
the plow, the other handle connected with a wooden 
mold-board, which pressed out the dirt and partially 
turned it. It was connected with the other handle 
by wooden pins or rounds. Horses were often at- 
tached to the plow without an iron clevis. The 
double-tree was connected with a fixture not unlike 
a clevis ; the single-tree fastened to the double-tree 
by a hickory withe, sometimes with a kind of wooden 
clevis. The horses were mostly geared for plowing 
with a collar made of corn-shucks ; hames made from 
the roots of the ash or oak, fashioned as best they 
could be with a drawing-knife, a hole at top and bot- 
tom, so as to fasten with a cord or a thong made of 
rawhide ; not uncommonly a hole was made with an 
auger near the middle of the hame to take in the 
trace, which was made of hemp or flax tow, and spun 
and made on a rude rope-walk. The trace was run 
through the hole in the hame and secured by a knot, 
and looped over the end of the single-tree, on which 
there was a notch at the back part to keep it in place. 
For a back-band a strong piece of tow cloth doubled 



SOCIAL CONDITION OP THE EARLY SETTLERS. 



73 



was used. The horses were guided by a bridle with 
a rope headstall and a rope line, mostly driven with 
one line. When using two horses they were coupled 
together by a rope at the bits, sometimes by a stick, 
with strings tied to the stick and then to the bridle- 
bit. Double lines were seldom used in driving one 
or two horses. Even a four-horse team was driven 
with a single line attached to the near forward horse. 
Salt and iron were obtained at Cincinnati, and fortu- 
nate was he who could by any means obtain salt 
enough to preserve his meat and salt his food. Corn 
was often sold at sis cents a bushel, and wheat at 
twenty-five cents. Salt was often as high as two 
dollars and a half and three dollars a bushel." 



seasoned. From these I made a high post bedstead, 
which has been in use ever since till the last seven 
years." The common chair of the backwoods was the 
"split-bottom," still made and used occasionally, and 
superior to anything of the fashionable kind made 
now. Long thin strips of tough wood that would 
split in flakes about an inch wide were used to weave 
the seat. They wore out or broke readily, but were 
readily replaced. Sometimes buckskin was stretched 
and tacked to the frame of the seat, and made a better 
chair than any costly cushioned afiair of this day, 
until it stretched into too deep a cavity, as it always 
did sooner or later. 

From this account of a pioneer it will be seen that 




AN EMIGRANT SOENB. 



Although the pioneers all had to build their own 
houses, they were not all nor generally so destitute 
as to be forced to make their own furniture. Dr. 
Mason thus describes his labor in this direction : " My 
next object was to make us seats. For this purpose I 
went into the creek bottom and selected a suitable blue 
ash tree, cut it down, then cut notches into the sides, 
and split off pieces of suitable length and width for 
benches. With the broad-ase and drawing-knife they 
were made smooth. Some were made for a single per- 
son and had three legs, while the longer ones had four 
legs. Our next object was a bedstead. I found on 
the place some black walnut rails which were well 



farmers did a good deal towards making for themselves 
the appliances and implements they needed. It was 
often their only chance, consequently it was no un- 
usual thing to see about a farmer's barn or back yard 
a rough carpenter's bench with a wooden clamp or 
vise, or a " horse" with a treadle, and a notched head 
pressed by the treadle down on a stick to hold it fast 
against the " horse" for the use of the " drawing- 
knife," the universal tool of the backwoods, only less 
indispensable than the axe. The ready adaptability 
of the American pioneer was balked by little in the 
way of wood-work, but blacksmithing was too much, 
and the blacksmith-shop was universally coeval with 



74 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the tavern and village store. He made the crane for 
the fireplace, the " dog-irons" or andirons, the shovel 
and tongs, the plowshare and clevis, the horse's bit 
sometimes, the gearing of the vfife's loom, the irons 
of the husband's wagon, shod the horses, sharpened 
the plows, made the grubbing hoes and the fishing 
gigs, hammered smooth the battered poles of axes, 
riveted the blade in the boy's broken knife, and some- 
times ventured to repair the broken lock of the hunter's 
rifle. ■ Pretty much all else the family did for them- 
selves, even to the wagon-making once in a while. 
The spinning, weaving, cutting, and clothes-making 
were the good wife's work, with plenty more besides, 
and if she didn't make as neat fits or graceful drapery 
as a fashionable tailor or dressmaker to-day, her 
breeches were sound and durable, her " wamuses" 
comfortable and convenient, her dresses admirably 
adapted to the service and situation. Buckskin was 
largely used for clothing and frequently for moccasins. 
It is queer that the infinite superiority of the latter 
in comfort to all other forms of foot-gear for those 
distressed by the distortions and excrescences of civil- 
ization has not reintroduced them, at least among sen- 
sible people who care more for comfort than appear- 
ances. Buckskin wamuses and breeches disappeared 
forty years ago, except in rare instances of well-pre- 
served pioneer relics. The deer was driven ofif into 
the remotest parts of the county even before that, 
and the hides becoming scarce, and dear in a double 
sense, were gradually replaced in saddlery and other 
manufactures by sheepskin, by no means its equal, j 
Ex-Coroner Dr. Wishard tells an amusing story of j 
Emmanuel Glympse, one of the first settlers of Perry '' 
township. He had been wearing a pair of ill-tanned 
buckskin breeches, which got soaked in a shower as 
he was going from home to a school he kept in the 
neighborhood. They were pliable enough when he 
sat down in them wet, but they dried before he 
attempted to rise, and then they were as hard as 
sheet-iron, and he had to get water and resoak them 
before they would allow him freedom of muscle 
enough to walk. It was much such a case as " Sut 
Lovengood's" shirt. For a number of years carding 
machinery was frequently attached to the motive- 
power of mills to make " rolls" of the farmers" 



wool, but a farm-house was rarely without its pair 
of cards for hand-made rolls if an emergency required 
them. As late as 1832 or 18.33 there was a carding- 
machine run by horse-power — a huge wheel fifteen 
feet in diameter set at a slope with a vertical shaft 
in the centre, on the lower side of which a horse 
was in constant motion — on the northwest corner of 
Maryland and Illinois Streets, and another on Ken- 
tucky Avenue near where the first tobacco-factory 
was situated. These were used for no other purpose, 
but in at least two mills near the city the same kind 
of machinery was attached to the water-power. One 
was on Fall Creek race, the other on the bayou, near 
the present line of the Vincennes Railroad, in a mill 
erected by the late Daniel Yandes and his brother-in- 
law, Andrew Wilson. Spinning and weaving machi- 
nery came, temporarily and uselessly, in a big steam- 
mill enterprise some years later, but it failed, and 
woolen manufacture was left to show itself nearly 
twenty years later. " Store clothes" were by no 
means unknown, but a large dependence was held on 
the mother's skill in the country, and to some extent 
in the town too, where a good deal of the country 
life was retained in the woods and corn-patches that 
surrounded many of the houses. It was not till the 
settlement was getting into its teens that it began to 
put on city airs and distinguish itself and its ways 
from the country. 

A portion of the home labors of the backwoods 
was of a kind that required co-operation, and these 
were made occasions of fun and frolic, though rarely 
to the neglect of the real business. Among these 
were the " quiltings" for women and girls, with the 
necessary attendance of young men later, when the 
games of the period were zealously kept up as long 
as it seemed decorous. These were much the same 
as country games in all parts of the country, of 
English origin and traditional repute, and rarely 
mixed up with later inventions till the town and 
country began to be less closely assimilated. The point 
or purpose of most of them was a kiss claimed as a 
forfeit or penalty. The more intellectual entertain- 
ments, like making and solving puzzles, were not so 
popular as those with a little material satisfaction 
lodged in their conclusion. " Apple-parings" were 



J 



AMUSEMENTS. 



75 



not so common here as in the East, but they were 
another kind of co-operative work that was made an 
amusement. " Houise-raisins;" was a male task with 
a similar accompaniment belter adapted to masculine 
tastes ; " log-rolling" was another. The trees that 
had been cut down to clear the land for cultivation 
had to be put out of the way, and no way was so 
expeditious as to roll them into great heaps and burn 
them, trunks, chips, limbs, brush, and leaves. So 
the neighbors gathered to a " log-rolling" as to a 
" raising," and many a rivalry of strength and skill 
with the handspike was raised or settled there. There 
was fighting of course, especially on visits to town 
and to the "grocery," as the liquor-shop was called 
then ; but the exhibition at a " log-rolling" was quite 
as satisfactory proof that a man was a " good man," 
"stout," "hold his oTrn," and so on, as a successful 
fight at Jerry Collins' eorner. " Sugar-making" 
was frequently turned into a frolic, though co-opera- 
tion was not so necessary to it as the other work. 
The processes were much the same as now, except 
that the " troughs" were not buckets or crocks, but 
wooden vessels roughly hewed in the halves of 
short logs split in two, unhandy, easily overturned, 
and readily inclined to get dirty. They were visited 
at regular intervals, and the sugar-water emptied 
into a barrel on a sled, or in a wagon if there was 
not snow enough for a sled, and reset, while the sled 
with its load went back to the fire, usually made 
between two good-sized long logs, on which the 
kettles rested. Here the evaporating water was re- 
placed from the barrels till it was sweet enough to 
finish with, and then came the fun, " the stirring ofi'," 
and hunting out lumps to eat, or filling egg-shells 
with thick syrup to harden into a lump like a stone, 
or pouring a great mass into a pan of sugar-water for 
the boys and girls to pull at, or making cakes of it, 
or scalding fingers with it for some favorite to doctor. 
" Sugar-making" was capable of being made the 
most entertaining event of the year, and it was often 
done. 

Besides the amusements made of occasions of really 
necessary neighborly co-operation, the men of both 
town and country during the first decade of the 
settlement, or in some cases the first two, contrived 



amusements that made no pretence of work. The 
chief of these were "quarter races" and "shooting 
matches." For some years the portion of West 
Street along the Military Ground was the favorite 
race-track, the outcome being near the crossing of 
West and Indiana Avenue on the Michigan road. 
Nags taken from the plow or the wagon, and ridden 
by the owners or by some boy, were the contestants, 
and the stake was anything from a plug of tobacco 
to ten dollars, the latter not usually risked on any 
animal that had not a local reputation. Forty years 
ago or more these quarter races on West Street took 
place nearly every Saturday, and were usually dec- 
orated with a fight or two. 

A conspicuous character concerned in them fre- 
quently was a very remarkable man named Nathaniel 
Vise, who settled and named the town of Visalia, in 
California. Though constantly associated with drink- 
ing men all his life and making drinking-places his 
principal haunts, he was never known to drink. 
Though he gambled, he was notoriously as honorable 
a man as there was in the place. Possessed of phe- 
nomenal strength and agility, and living among fight- 
ing men, he never fought when he could help it, and 
he never fought without whipping his man. His 
checkered career took him to Texas after he left here, 
and he became the intimate friend of Jack Hays, the 
noted " Texas Ranger." They went to California 
together, and there his amazing strength and skill 
made him so formidable that not one of the many 
noted prize-fighters then in San Francisco, like 
" Yankee" Sullivan and " Country" McClusky, would 
fight him " rough and tumble" for ten thousand 
dollars. He was killed but a year or so ago by the 
fall of a building in Texarkana. He came to this 
place a mere lad with his father from Kentucky, and 
grew up here. At one time, about 1839, he had a 
contract on the Central Canal, near the town, and 
when the public works were suspended that year he 
made a jyro rata division of all the money he had 
among his hands. They came to the town and got 
drunk on it, and were then easily persuaded by a 
fractious Irishman that they had been cheated and 
ought to lick Vise. Happening to pass along the 
street where a group of them was gathered, a little 



76 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



east of Meridian Street on Washington, they assailed 
him, first with savage language and then with their 
clubs and fists. He knocked and kicked down a 
half-dozen of them before he got clear of them. 
His activity was so great that he jumped high enough 
to kick both feet in the stomach of one of the mob 
and prostrate him senseless. He once beat a pro- 
fessional foot-racer in racing costume, without chang- 
ing a single thing he wore, and beat him so badly in 
a hundred yards or so that at the outcome he turned 
and walked towards his antagonist, meeting and laugh- 
ing at him. He was a cousin of Judge N. B. Taylor, 
of the Superior Court. So much notice of him is 
due to the conspicuous place he held among the early 
settlers and the reputation he left here. 

After the abandonment of the canal, its bed south 
of Pleasant Run, where there was a long stretch of 
level bottom, was made a race-track by the ambitious 
residents of Perry township, especially the section of 
it some half-dozen miles south of the town in the 
river bottom, called " Waterloo," a region noted for 
fighting, drinking, betting, and wild frolics of all 
kinds. Here lived the Snows, the Stevenses, the 
Fanoillers, the Mundys, the Glympses, the Myerses, 
some quiet and orderly, some a good deal like the 
modern " cow-boy." All were " drinking" men, 
however. 

" Shooting matches" continued to be a popular 
amusement till near the time the completion of the 
first railroad changed the direction of men's minds to 
the graver occupations of establishing industries and 
multiplying business. There were two kinds of 
matches. In one the shooting was done at a target, 
in the other at the object which was made the stake. 
In the first case the usual prize was a beef divided 
into five " quarters," the fifth being the hide and 
tallow, and worth more cash value than either of the 
others. In the second case the object shot for — a 
turkey commonly, sometimes a goose — was set against 
a tree or stump, with a log rolled before it so as to con- 
ceal all of it but the head and upper part of the neck. 
The contestants stood off an agreed distance, usually 
sixty yards, and shot at the head " off hand." The 
first to bring blood won it. Each contestant put in 
enough to make the aggregate a good price for the 



fowl. The rifle was the only weapon of the time in 
the backwoods, whether the game were deer or bear, 
turkey, quail, or squirrel. Small game could usually 
be hit close enough about the head to leave the eat- 
able portion uninjured. But nobody could shoot a 
running turkey's head off with a rifle, as one of T. 
B. Thorpe's apocryphal stories makes Mississippi old- 
time hunters do frequently. It might be possible if 
a turkey were running directly away from or towards 
a hunter, but barely possible then, and utterly impos- 
sible, except by accident, in any other direction. The 
shot-gun was thought beneath the dignity of hunters 
and marksmen, and even boys disdained it. The rifle 
was the weapon of a man ; " shot-guns will do for 
girls," said an old pioneer once in Mr. Beck's gun- 
smith-shop. It was not till the German immigration 
began to affect social conditions that the shot-gun be- 
gan to displace the rifle. Now the hunter here never 
uses the rifle, and the shot-gun has become the es- 
pecial agent even of the humanizing murders of our 
enlightened land. Several prominent citizens were 
noted for skill with the rifle. Robert B. Duncan was 
probably the most formidable of all, but Squire Wea- 
ver and Nathaniel Cox and several others were little 
inferior, if at all. Mr. Cox was one of the conspicu- 
ous pioneers of the New Purchase. He was a me- 
chanical genius, and was employed to do all sorts of 
work that nobody else could or would try. He was 
carpenter, cabinet-maker, cooper, turner, painter, boat- 
builder, anything that was wanted, — a quaint, humor- 
ous, generous man, full of queer stories and dry fun, 
passionately fond of hunting and fishing, and always 
at it when he had no work to do. In 1842, when 
he wanted to run for county treasurer, probably, he 
announced himself in handbills as " Old Nat Cox, 
the Coon-Hunter." He was the drummer of militia 
musters, and made his own drums. He lived west of 
Missouri Street on Washington for a great many 
years, and died about 1851. According to Mr. Now- 
land, he was the prototype of " Sut Lovengood" 
in drinking the two components of a Seidlitz powder 
separately and letting them mix in his stomach, an 
experiment that he said " made him feel as if Niagara 
Falls were running out of his head." He was a 
Marylander, and came here in 1821. 



AMUSEMENTS. 



77 



Another amusemeot of the early settlement of the 
place was " gander-pulling." This was imported from 
the South by the settlers from North Carolina and 
Tennessee, of whom there were a good many. Those 
who have read some of the sketches of Southern life 
and scenes by Hooper and Longstreet will know all 
that can be known about a " gander-pulling" without 
taking part in it. One of the places — possibly the 
only one — where it was practiced in this county was 
at AUisonville, in Washington township, on the road 
to Conner's place and Noblesville. Here two resi- 
dents, Lashbrook and Deford, offered an enlightened 
and Christian public the refined and intellectual en- 
tertainment of a " gander-pulling" at such times as 
promised to make the speculation profitable. An old 
gander was caught, his neck stripped of feathers and 
thickly covered with soft soap, and hung by his legs 
to a strong but yielding limb of a handy tree. The 
contestants mounted their horses and in turn rode at 
full speed under the swinging fowl, catching its soapy 
neck with one hand and holding on with all their 
might to pull the head off: that was the victory. 
There is no record or recollection of the frequency of 
this elegant sport or of the persons that took part 
in it. 

It may savor a little of the extravagance of a joke 
to suggest that one of the primitive entertainments 
of the settlement was fighting, and yet the frequency 
and ready reconciliation of that sort of enlivenment 
certainly looked that way. Fighting at elections is 
common now, but it was inevitable then ; and it was 
a rare Saturday that didn't see a " passage at arms" 
of the backwoods kind, "a rough and tumble" fight, 
at some of the " groceries." Occasionally the diversion 
was diversified by fisticuff duels of a more sedate if 
not satisfactory character than the whiskey-nurtured 
rows of street corners and handy open lots. Pretty 
early in the annals of the village one of these affairs 
occurred between Andrew Wilson, one of the owners 
of one of the early mills, and a neighbor by the name 
of Zadoc (universally called " Zedick") Smith. The 
pair went off alone into the thick woods about the 
mill situated on the " old bayou," near the crossing 
of the Belt Kailroad and Morris Street, and fought 
out their quarrel, came back roughly handled, and 



never to their dying day told anybody which was the 
victor. Not improbably the result was a good deal like 
that of the fight celebrated in a " nigger" ballad of this 
period between " Bill Crowder" and " Davy Crockett" : 
" We fought half a day, and then agreed to stop it, 
for I was badly licked, and so was Davy Crockett." 
Another fight of the same secret and undetermined 
kind took place later between Captain Wiley and Jim 
Smith, both tailors and " sports," and both unusually 
stalwart and fine-looking men. They went off to the 
State House Square, a remote and rural spot then, 
and settled the matter, but how they never told. 
So infectious was this fighting humor that Calvin 
Fletcher when prosecutor took offense at some action of 
Squire Obed Foote, and undertook to thrash him in 
his own ofiice, with poor success, however, which he 
signalized by informing on himself and having himself 
indicted and fined. Eye-gouging and biting were 
practiced in these affairs in the Southern fashion, but 
never or rarely to the maiming or serious injury of 
anybody. 

Of this period militia musters and militia officers 
form too important an element to be overlooked. 
When the county was organized the battle of New 
Orleans was but seven years old, and that was a militia 
battle on our side. There was enough military spirit 
in the people to demand a military system of some 
kind, and to sustain it till it got to be an old song and 
the events of the last war with England had faded 
into legend, and a militia force was organized of all 
the adult male population with some exceptions, 
divided into regiments by counties and brigades by 
Congressional districts. Judge William W. Wick was 
the first brigadier of this district ; James Paxton was 
elected the first colonel, Samuel Morrow the first lieu- 
tenant-colonel, and Alexander W. Russell the first 
major, as before stated. Musters were held annually, 
possibly oftener, and the turn-out was expected to 
embrace about all the able-bodied voting population 
who were not specially exempted. But it did not, as 
there were always plenty to look on besides the troops 
that followed the march. The parade was formed at 
the court-house usually, with no uniforms except 
what the officers wore, and no guns but " squirrel 
rifles," and many without them taking canes, papaw 



78 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



sticks, broken lioe bandies, or pieces of split plank. 
The march was sometimes out east to a grove, but 
oftener west down Washington Street and Maryland 
to the open ground between Georgia and Louisiana 
Streets west of Tennessee, where the force was put 
through an hour of drilling and marching, and another 
hour of idling about and talking and eating apples, 
and then the parade was dismissed, with about as much 
improvement of military knowledge and spirit as if 
all hands had stayed at home. But the parade was a 
great event. The regimental officers made a most 
inspiriting show. They were in their glory, as a 
" militia officer on the peace establishment" — as Cor- 
win said of Crary — ought to be at a militia annual 
parade. It was the day for which the other three hun- 
dred and sixty-four were made. They galloped back 
and forth, their red and white plumes swaying and 
bobbing, their sword-slieatbs rattling, their blades 
flashing, when they were not rusty, their voices duly 
husky with dust and duty, while old Peter Winchell 
and Nat Cox kept the drums rattling till no one could 
hear more than an infrequent squeal of Glidden True's 
fife. Little boys ran along and screamed, dogs barked, 
sedate old hogs in fence corners got up and ran oflF 
grunting, women stood in their doors holding up their 
babies to see the gorgeous spectacle, and for one hour 
of glorious life the militia officer bad a right to feel 
that he was a bigger man than any man without a 
commission. 

Although the militia system was intended, as Burke 
said of the feudal system, to be " the cheap defense 
of the nation," and the military tastes of the people 
were as strong as those of any people, yet so incessant 
were the demands of urgent duties and labors that 
little time was left for such as availed only in remote 
and improbable emergencies. Thus it came that after 
the settlement of the New Purchase there was never 
anything more made of the militia system than an 
annual show and a little personal distinction fre- 
quently used for political efiect by the officers. This 
will explain the reference to it here instead of in the 
general course of the history, where its infrequency 
would make it more irrelevant. 

Ex-United States Senator Smith gives an account 
of the " end of the militia system" on the White 



Water, which is at once so amusing and so fully illus- 
trative of the condition of the system all over the 
State that it is reproduced here. Premising that an 
ambitious young fellow named Lewis had been elected 
major of the regiment, and that he was possessed by 
a large idea of the importance of his position, Mr. 
Smith goes on thus : " The great and memorable day 
at last arrived. The aide-de-camp of the major came 
galloping into the field in full uniform directly from 
headquarters, and halted at the marquee of the adju- 
tant. In a few minutes the order from the major was 
given in a loud military voice by the adjutant, mounted 
on a splendid gray charger, ' Officers to your places, 
marshal your men into companies, separating the bare- 
footed from those who have shoes or moccasins, plac- 
ing the guns, sticks, and cornstalks in separate pla- 
toons, and then form the line ready to receive the 
major !' The order was promptly obeyed, when at a 
distance Maj. Lewis was seen coming into the field 
with his aids by his side, his horse rearing and plung- 
ing very unlike ' Old Whitey' at the battle of Buena 
Vista. The line was formed, the major took position 
on a rising ground about a hundred yards in front of 
the battalion ; rising in his stirrups, and turning his 
full face upon the line, he shouted, ' Attention, the 

whole ' Unfortunately the major had not tried 

his voice before in the open air, and with the word 
' attention' it broke, and ' the whole' sounded like the 
whistle of a fife. The moment the sound reached the 
line some one at the lower end, with a voice as shrill 
as the major's, cried out, ' Children come out of the 
swamp, you'll get snake bit !' The major pushed 
down the line at full speed. ' Who dares insult me?' 
No answer. The cry then commenced all along the 
line, ' You'll get snake-bit !' The major turned and 
dashed up the line, but soon had sense enough to see 
that it was the militia that was at an end, and not 
himself that was the object of ridicule. He dashed 
his chapeau from his head, drew his sword and threw 
it upon the ground, tore his commission to pieces, and 
resigned on the spot. The battalion dispersed, and 
militia musters were at end from that time forward 
in the White Water country." The system made a 
less comical exit in the White River country, but it 
went out about the same time and as completely. Its 



AMUSEMENTS. 



79 



offices ceased to be of any value even as means of 
electioneering for political positions. When it began 
to be replaced, as it was in ten or a dozen years after 
the removal of the capital to the White River region, 
the substitute took the form of voluntary associations, 
always sure to be more efficient than any statutory 
system in a country that couldn't enforce, and wouldn't 
try, a conscription in time of peace. 

In the way of ordinary amusements, such as usu- 
ally divert the inhabitants of towns, there was nothing. 
A theatrical performance had come and gone, and that 
was all till 1830, when the first circus, McComber & 
Co.'s, exhibited in the rear of Henderson's tavern. 
Such diversions, besides those referred to, as the 
young capital had to regale itself with it contrived 
for itself, owing nothing and paying nothing to any- 
body else. 

Thus it came that for the first decade or two the 
town and country were as closely assimilated in their 
amusements and general social condition as if the 
town had never been platted or its streets cleared, and 
in business and in ordinary duties the separation was 
little more distinct. The town was merely a little 
thickening of the country settlement. 

Mr. Mason speaks of the scarcity of money in In- 
diana in the first few years after the State's admis- 
sion into the Union, and all the survivors of the first 
dozen years of the settlement of the New Purchase say 
that most of their trading was barter. Money was hard 
to come by, and what little was encountered in this 
region was Spanish almost altogether or Mexican. 
The old copper cent, as big as a half-dollar, was the 
only home coin that circulated in any considerable 
force ; the next smallest was the " fip," or " fipenny 
bit," a little Spanish coin rated at six and a fourth 
cents, the sixteenth of a dollar. In later years, after 
flat-boats began running to New Orleans with our 
corn and pork and whiskey and hay, we imported 
the Southern designation and called it a " picayune." 
The next coin was Spanish too, worth two of the 
first,, and called a "levy," sometimes a " 'leven- 
pence," changed by Southern influence into " bit." 
Another Spanish coin worth eighteen to twenty 
cents was called a pistareen. It was so nearly the 
same size as the Spanish quarter that it was easily 



passed for that if worn so much as to make the 
stamp undiscernible. The quarter had the Pillars of 
Hercules on the reverse, and the pistareen had not. 
These coins were the common medium of business 
when money was used at all, except that the dollar 
coin was frequently Mexican, sometimes a French 
five-franc piece helped out by a fip, but never an 
American dollar. If the " daddies" had it, they 
kept it. Paper money began to show itself with the 
organization and operation of the old State Bank in 
1834. The first American coins, except an occa- 
sional ten-cent piece of the old pattern (the first 
with the seated figure of Liberty) ever brought to 
Indianapolis, so far as can be now ascertained, were 
brought in the summer of 1838 by a jeweler named 
Foster on his return from the East, and by him 
placed in the corner-stone of the first Christ Church, 
which was the first corner-stone laid in the place. 

The primitive condition of the country and the un- 
sophisticated character of the people can be better 
judged by a few incidents related by eye-witnesses than 
by chapters of elaborate description, wherefore it is 
deemed best to add here some of the anecdotes of the 
early settlement of the White River Valley, preserved 
in 0. H. Smith's and Mr. Nowland's reminiscences. 
The latter, in his sketch of a noted character of the 
early days of Indianapolis, " Old Helvey," tells an 
amusingly illustrative story of a wedding there. 
" After the bride and groom had retired the whiskey 
gave out. There was no way of getting more except 
at Mr. Landis' grocery. He was present, but there 
was no pen, pencil, or paper with which an order 
could be sent to the clerk. Old Helvey suggested 
that Mr. Landis should send his knife, which would 
be recognized by the young man, and would certainly 
bring the whiskey. This was done, and the whiskey 
came, to the great joy of all present. Blr. Helvey 
thought the bride and groom must be dry by this 
time, so he took the jug to them and made them 
drink the health of the guests." 

Another incident related by Mr. Nowland indicates 
a stronger matrimonial exclusiveness in a portion of 
the early settlers than prevails now, or ever prevailed 
in most of the country. This was the first dance 
given in the settlement, by Mr. John Wyant, at his 



80 



HISTORI OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



cabin on the river bank, near where Kingan's pork- 
house is, in December, 1821. Mr. John Wyant was 
the first man prosecuted criminally in Marion County. 
His ofiense was selling liquor without a license. 
There was a charge of twenty-five cents admittance 
for each adult male, to furnish the fluids, which were 
the only costly articles used on these occasions. The 
guests had begun to arrive, and while the landlord 
was in " t'other house," as the second cabin was called, 
Mr. Nowland (father), " having been educated in a 
different school of etiquette from that of Mr. Wyant, 
thought it but simple politeness to invite Mrs. Wyant 
to open the ball with him. She gracefully accepted, 
and they with others were going in fine style when 
the landlord returned. He at once commanded the 
music, which was being drawn from the bowels of a 
dilapidated-looking fiddle by Col. Russell, to stop. 
He said, ' As far as himself and wife were concerned 
they were able to do their own dancing, and he 
thought it would look better for every man to dance 
with his own wife ; those who had none could dance 
with the gals.' This order, as far as Mr. and Mrs. 
Wyant were concerned, was strictly adhered to the 
remainder of the night. When the guests were 
ready to leave at the dawn of day they were still 
' bobbing around' together." Not a bad example of 
matrimonial fidelity, which it can do no harm to 
recall at a time when a divorce is granted about 
every day in the year in their own county. 

Of one of the earliest marriages — the second prob- 
ably — Mr. Nowland says, " As the two rooms were 
already full the bride had to make her toilet in the 
smoke-house, where she received the bridegroom and 
his retinue." The wedding dinner is thus described ; 
" On either end of the table was a large, fat, wild 
turkey, still hot and smoking from the clay oven in 
which they were roasted. In the middle of the table 
and midway between the turkeys was a fine saddle 
of venison, part of a buck killed the day before by 
Mr. Chinn (the bride's father ; the bridegroom was 
Uriah Gates, a well-known citizen) expressly for the 
occasion. The spaces between the turkeys and veni- 
son were filled with pumpkin, chicken, and various 
other pies. From the side-table or puncheon Mrs. 
Chinn, assisted by the old ladies, was issuing oofiee, 



which was taken from a large sugar -kettle that was 
hanging over the fire. By the side of the coffee-pot 
on this side-table was a large tin pan filled with maple 
sugar, and a gallon pitcher of cream." Delmonico 
could not have got up a better dinner at twenty dol- 
lars a head. Mr. Nowland adds that " the dancing 
was continued for two days. I remember that father 
and mother came home after daylight the second day, 
slept until the afternoon, and then went back and put 
in another night." 

An incident of the first Fourth of July celebration 
is related in the same interesting collection of remi- 
niscences : " On the morning of the Fourth of July, 
1822, my father's family was aroused before daylight 
by persons hallooing in front of the door. It proved 
to be Capt. James Richey, who lived at the Bluffs, 
and a young man and lady who had placed themselves 
under his charge and run away from obdurate parents 
to get married. Mr. Richey and father soon found 
the county clerk, the late James M. Ray, at Carter's 
'Rosebush' tavern, procured the necessary legal docu- 
ment, and Judge Wick married them before breakfast. 
They had scarcely arisen from the breakfast table 
when the young lady was confronted by her angry 
father. Capt. Richey informed him that he was just 
a few minutes too late, and instead of losing a daugh- 
ter had gained a son. The parties were soon recon- 
ciled and invited to attend the barbecue and ball given 
in honor of the day, which they did." 

Mr. Smith tells the following in the same humorous 
vein : 

James Whitcomb, Governor of the State in 1843, 
and United States senator in 1848, dying 1852, 
was one of the foremost lawyers in the State, and 
practiced pretty much all over it, as did his lead- 
ing cotemporaries. In the New Purchase he and 
all the bar were in the habit of stopping at Capt. 
John Berry's tavern in Andersontown (he was the 
man who blazed out " Berry's trace," one of the 
first from the South into the White River region) 
and, as his custom was, the eminent lawyer, who 
greatly resembled the English premier Disraeli in 
face and complexion and fastidious taste, changed 
his shirt at night. Capt. Berry was exceedingly 
sensitive to any disparagement of his hotel, and 



FASHIONS OF THE TIMES. 



81 



this, says Mr. Smith, "was well known to Calvin 
Fletcher," who appears to have been the wag of the 
bar as well as one of the most enterprising and benefi- 
cent of the founders of the prosperity of Indianapo- 
lis. " Taking the captain to one side, he said, ' Do 
you know, Capt. Berry, what Mr. Whitcomb is 
saying about your beds ?' ' I do not ; what does he 
say ?' ' If you will not mention my name, as you 
are one of my particular friends, I will tell you.' 
' Upon honor, I'll never mention your name ; what 
did he say ?' ' He said your sheets were so dirty 
that he had to pull off his shirt every night and put 
on a dirty shirt to sleep in.' ' I'll watch him to- 
night.' Bed-time came, and Capt. Berry was 
looking through an opening in the door when Mr. 
Whitcomb took his night-shirt out of his portman- 
teau and began to take off his day-shirt. He pushed 
open the door, sprang upon Whitcomb, and threw 
him upon the bed. The noise brought in Mr. 
Fletcher and the other lawyers, and after explana- 
tions and apologies on all sides the matter was set- 
tled. Years afterwards Mr. Whitcomb found out, as 
he said, what he suspected at the time, that Mr. 
Fletcher was at the bottom of the whole matter." 

Among the fashions of the times was the disfavor 
of beards. Side-whiskers of the " mutton-chop" 
style were not uncommon, and occasionally they were 
allowed to grow around the face, except a couple of 
inches or so on the throat and chin, but this was the 
limit. A "goatee," or "imperial," or "moustache" 
would have been as strange a sight as a painted 
Indian as late as 1840. A. full beard would have 
been very generally considered a freak of insanity. 
Even whiskers were held " dandyish," and the wearer 
of low esteem. Though Judge William W. Wick 
cherished them when in. Congress, he could not make 
them fashionable. Forty years or more ago Joseph 
M. Moore laughed at them in some satirical verses in 
the Journal, and accused him of 

" Using ' Columbia's Balm* to make his whiskers grow, 
As forked as three WWW's all standing in a row." 

The first moustache that appears of record was worn 
by the then young 'Than West forty years ago or 
thereabouts, as perpetuated in a young lady's poetical 



address to some of the young bloods of the town. 
She refers to the ornament in speaking of Mr. West's 
avoidance of young ladies, — 

" For fear that they should kiss him, 
Has raised a thorn-hedge on his lip." 

The best-known wearer of the moustache, how- 
ever, and the most effective agent of its diffusion in 
respectable society was Mr. Charles W. Cady, one 
of the first insurance men of early times. Beards 
began to " increase and multiply" in area and num- 
ber before the civil war. That momentous experi- 
ence was the end alike of slavery and universal 



A case related by Mr. Smith illustrates the slender 
respect with which the early settlers sometimes re- 
garded the law and its ministers. A grand jury, 
while Mr. Fletcher was prosecutor, had found an 
indictment against a man for selling liquor without 
a license, much the most frequent offense of that 
time. The foreman of the grand jury refused to 
sign it ; the prosecutor urged it. " I shall do no 
such thing, Mr. Fletcher ; I sell whiskey without a 
license myself, and I shall not indict others for what 
I do." " If you don't sign it I will take you before 
Judge Wick." " What do I care for Judge Wick ? 
he knows nothing about such matters." " The grand 
jury will follow me into court." In the court-room, 
" This foreman of the grand jury refuses to sign his 
name to a bill of indictment against a man for selling 
whiskey without a license." Judge Wick : " Have 
twelve of the jury agreed to find the bill '?" " Yes, 
eighteen of them." " Foreman, do you refuse to 
sign the bill ?" " I do." " Well, Mr. Prosecutor, I 
see no other way than to leave him to his conscience 
and his God ; the grand jury will return to their 
room." In the jury-room the foreman said, " I told 
you Judge Wick knew nothing about such cases." 
Mr. Fletcher : " I am only taking legal steps to have 
the bill signed." " What are you going to do now? 
what are you stripping off your coat for?" "The 
law requires the last step to be taken." " What is 
that?" "To thrash you till you sign the bill." 
" Don't strike, Mr. Fletcher, and I'll sign." He did, 
and the jury returned to the court-room. " Has the 



82 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



foreman signed the bill ?" " He has." " I thought 
his conscience would not let him rest till he had 
signed it." 

Pertinent to this connection is Mr. Smith's account 
of the hardships of a political campaign. A year or 
so after the removal of the capital to Indianapolis he 
was a candidate for Congress in the eastern district 
of the State, then extending the whole length of the 
State pretty nearly. In a portion wholly unsettled 
he hired an Indian guide. They swam some of the 
streams on their ponies, but at last found one they 
could not cross in that way. 

" The moment we reached the river the Indian 
jumped down, peeled some bark from a hickory sap- 
ling, and spanceled the fore legs of the ponies ; I 
sat down on the bank. The Indian was out of sight 
in a moment in the woods, and I saw nothing of him 
for an hour, when he returned with the bark of a 
hickory-tree about twelve feet long and three feet in 
diameter. The bark was metamorphosed into a round- 
bottomed Indian canoe when the sun was about an 
hour high. The canoe was launched, my saddle, 
saddle-bags, and blanket placed in one end, and I got 
in the other. With my weight the edges were about 
an inch above the water. I took the paddle, and by 
the use of the current landed safely on the other 
side," paying the Indian two dollars for his services. 

During the rather indefinite period covered by this 
attempt to present an idea of the condition of the 
settlement aside from its material changes (loosely 
put at twenty years), there had been organized some 
ten churches, — one Baptist, two Presbyterian, two 
Methodist, two Lutheran, one Christian, one Catholic, 
one Episcopal, and all had places of worship of their 
own. The intention here is not to present a summary 
of the condition of the religious element of the settle- 
ment at this time, but merely to notice some of the 
early fashions and forms of public religious conduct. 
Until near the close of this first twenty years of the set- 
tlement the forms of worship, except in the Episcopal 
and Catholic Churches, were not so fixed as they are 
now. They were controlled more by the wish of the 
preacher or the impulse of the occasion. A written 
sermon was an unknown performance to many of the 
pioneers, and to some of them would have looked like 



a profanation. Choirs were unknown until introduced 
by Henry Ward Beecher, except in churches with 
established rituals. Mr. Beecher's brother, Rev. 
Charles, an accomplished musician, was the first 
choir-leader of a non-ritualistic service. Among the 
first choristers were Mrs. Dr. Ackley, Mr. John L. 
Ketcham, Lawrence M. Vance, A. G. Willard, 
Augustus Smith. The churches generally held to 
congregational singing, which was led by some man 
with an approved voice and taste, who could be 
trusted to select a good air of the right metre, and 
start it with a pitch that all could readily follow. 
Not unfrequently the starting was a volunteer efibrt, 
coming from some one in the body of the congrega- 
tion with a pet tune for the special metre of the oc- 
casion. Familiar hymns were sung right along, with 
or without books ; but when there were no books or 
but few, and for a good while after they became com- 
mon, the preacher would " line out" the hymn, or 
" deacon" it, as the Yankees called it, by reading two 
lines and waiting for the congregation to sing them 
before reading another couplet. This would produce 
an odd eflfect now to most hearers, even to those who 
were familiar with it iu childhood and youth, but it 
certainly in no measure or way affected the solemnity 
or sincerity of the worship. Sermons, as before re- 
marked, were unwritten, and not unfrequently unpre- 
pared, — by no means identical conditions necessarily, 
but often made so. They were uniformly longer than 
now, an hour being neither an unusual nor unreason- 
able duration. Probably they exercised a stronger im- 
mediate influence on thefeelingsof the audience than 
their shorter, pithier, more methodical and logical 
successors from the writing-desk do now. There was 
room for dramatic action and effect, for variety of 
tone and feeling, for a vigor that comes involuntarily 
with a fresh thought, and there is not much chance 
for these agencies of oratory to get at an audience 
through a carefully thought out and written out 
sermon of the year of grace 1883. 

There were a few hymns so popular from their 
spirit or the air usually associated with them that 
everybody knew them. One of the finest of these is 
still unmatched in sacred hymnology for the pious 
pertinence of the poetry or the spirited but stately 



MUSIC. 



83 



movement of the music, — " Am I a soldier of the 
cross ?" Another was " Come, thou fount of every 
blessing," frequently sung to the air that Rousseau 
dreamed ; a third was " Come, humble sinner," the 
air of which was a " minor" evidently adapted from an 
old Irish air called the " Peeler and the Goat" ; an- 
other, sung by John Brown on the scaffold, " Blow ye 
the trumpet, blow" ; another, " Oh, love divine," to a 
most spirited and pleasing air that is never heard 
now. Besides these there were camp-meeting tunes 
not greatly different from some that prevail among 
the Southern colored churches now. " Old Rosin the 
Bow" was one of these, adapted, and thus first named, 
to a secular and satirical song, " Old Rossum the 
Beau," wholly Southern however ; " John Brown's 
Body" was another ; and one of them was profanely 
applied by some " unrespecting boys," about the end 
of the period in question, to a comic song about 
" The Great Sea-Snake." Music was not much cul- 
tivated in a scientific or systematic way then, though 
occasional teachers formed classes and gave lessons 
from the " Missouri Harmony" in the "square note" 
system. The " round note," or " do, re!'' system came 
along about the time that church choirs did, and the 
diffusion of a taste for the higher kinds of music 
than ballad airs and dancing jigs came with the in- 
fiux of German immigration. The adoption of the 
piano as a piece of fashionable furniture was a coeval 
movement. Musical improvement made it fashion- 
able, and it made music fashionable. 

There has been an almost complete reversal of con- 
ditions since the beginning of the period of musical 
culture. Then the young lady who could play the 
piano or " sing by note" was the exception ; now the 
young lady who cannot is the exception. Of classic 
music very little was known, so little that when 
Madame Bishop first sang here in Masonic Hall in 
November, 1851, the first time that a celebrated vo- 
calist had ever appeared here, her performance of 
" Casta Diva" provoked a general smile, and not a 
few called it " squalling." Now there are few edu- 
cated ladies in this city who are not familiar with 
most of the best-known efforts of the great composers. 
It may amuse them to learn the kind of songs that 
were usually sung for social entertainment by the 



young people who are now their parents or grand- 
parents. Along in 1837 or 1838, when work on the 
canal was going on, a song much liked by the country 
boys and girls related to that sort of occupation. It 
began in this way : '■ I landed in sweet Philadelphia, 
but being quite late in the fall, I didn't stay long in 
that city, but anchored out on the canawl." Another, 
with a touch of broad humor, sang the horrors of a 
■wreck on the " raging canawl" : " We had a load of 
Dutch, aud we stowed 'em in the hold ; they were not 
the least concerned about the welfare of their souls. 
The captain went below, and implored them for to 
pray, but all the answer he could get was ' Ich kan 
se nich versteh'." Of the amatory kind there was 
the " Gallant Hussar," the " Minstrel returned from 
the Wars," " Gaily the Troubadour," " Barbara 
Allen," some of Burns' songs, popular everywhere, 
" William Riley," with, a few years later, a profusion 
of the earlier efforts of the colored muse, and a few 
as early as 1839 or thereabouts, such as " Jenny, git 
your hoe-cake done," " Jim Brown," " Clar de 
Kitchen," and the like. Patriotic songs were popu- 
lar and far more frequent than patriotic songs now, 
though far inferior in style and literary qualities, but 
by no means deficient in the spirit of the airs. One 
of these was known all over the West as the " Hunters 
of Kentucky," and celebrated the battle of New Or- 
leans. Another little less popular paid tribute to 
Perry and his heroes, beginning, " The tenth of Sep- 
tember let us all remember as long as the world on 
its axis rolls round." Another lamented St. Clair's 
defeat. Another crowed lustily over the victory on 
Lake Champlain, under the title, " The Noble Lads 
of Canada." The chorus of the first verses ran thus : 
" We're the noble lads of Canada, come to arms, boys, 
come 1" that of the last verse, owning defeat, changed 
tone, " We've got too far from Canada, run for life, 
boys, run !" Among the settlers from Guilford 
County, N. C, there was the fag end of a queer old 
patriotic song touching the French and English wars 
of the time of Wolfe and the conquest of Canada: 
" We'll send the news to France, how we made those 
Frenchmen dance when we conquered the place 
called Belle Isle," followed by a chorus that appeared 
to be a jumble of unmeaning French words, or, if 



84 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ever intelligible, so spoiled in pronunciation as to be 
mere gibberish. There were a number of comic 
songs that were frequently sung, of which four or 
five will serve for samples : " Poor Old Maids," 
" Near Fly-Market lived a dame," " Sukey Suds, she 
stood at her washing-tub" (a parody on " Lord 
Lovel"), " The Cork Leg," " Billy Barlow," " Three 
Jolly Welshmen," " I fell in love with a cook." 
Most of these, sentimental, patriotic, and comic, were 
contained in some of the collections called " Western 
Songster" or " Columbian Minstrel," or something 
of that kind. They are pretty much all forgotten 
now, except by an occasional relic of old times who 
retains them as indications of what old times were. 
People of education and cultivated tastes sang better 
songs, of course, but those cited were the favorites, 
or of the class of favorites of the great mass of town 
and country people. 

During this period of comparatively primitive con- 
ditions of life there was a steady increase of both edu- 
cational facilities and of the disposition to use them. 
The schools were all private, however, taught for two 
to four dollars a quarter per pupil, sometimes in pri- 
vate houses, sometimes in churches, and sometimes 
in buildings erected or altered purposely for them. 
The elementary course of instruction was much the 
same as in all schools of that time, and not greatly 
different from what it is now, — " Kirkham's Gram- 
mar," " Olney's Geography," " Pike's Arithmetic," 
" English Reader" or " School Companion," " Day's 
Algebra." The " Anthon Classics" and " Davies' 
Mathematics" came later. " Webster's Spelling- 
Book" was first seen here about 1833, shortly pre- 
ceding the other illumination from the great star 
shower in November. It was blue bound, and 
actually " in boards." The sides were made of thin 
veneers of sugar or beech apparently, pasted over 
with blue paper, and the usual calamity of the text- 
book was a back split and more or less of it torn oflF. 
The blackboard was not generally used, except in the 
town. Classic studies were rather unusual till the 
second decade of the settlement was well advanced. 
Music was taught to the boys in the " Old Seminary" 
by Rev. James S. Kemper and his brother, and in 
the female seminaries of course. With the County 



Seminary and the rival schools that followed it, and 
the female schools of higher pretensions than the 
mixed schools that had preceded them, which also 
came in the track of the Old Seminary, came a more 
extended course of study. In not a few cases it cov- 
ered as thorough a reading of the usual classic authors 
as any Western college, and the mathematical course 
ran the whole length of the science, from algebra and 
Euclid to the " Differential Calculus" and " McLau- 
rin's Theorem." So far in advance of the general 
mathematical instruction of the period was the course 
pursued in the " Old Seminary" that Mr. Kemper's 
class in "analytical geometry" had to copy his manu- 
script treatise on " Conic Sections," prepared by the 
late celebrated astronomer. Professor Mitchell, but 
never published, and study that. A fanciful but by 
no means idle variation of the usual school course 
was introduced here about 1843 or 1844 by an itin- 
erant teacher, who made a specialty of geography, 
and taught it by the " singing" method. A large 
map of one of the continents was set where all could 
see it, and the teacher with a long stick would point 
to one object and another, and call its name in a sort 
of sing-song or " intoning" fashion, and the pupils 
would repeat it after him. He would take the bays 
along the ocean coast, for instance, beginning with 
the most northerly, and call them over in this sing- 
ing way in exact succession, going back to the first 
after each addition, thus keeping the whole series 
constantly in mind, and repeating it tUl it became 
fixed and indelible. Location was, in a general way, 
conveyed in the order of names, and the teacher's 
stick helped its definiteness by indicating it on the 
map as the name was sung. In the same way the 
capes, lakes, rivers, capitals, principal cities, and 
other important geographical features were taught 
more rapidly and effectively than by the humdrum 
method of ordinary schools. The lessons drew large 
audiences to the Methodist Church, where they were 
given. Lessons in penmanship were given by the 
usual infallible methods in from six to a dozen lessons 
by wandering teachers ; so was music, and occasion- 
ally modern languages. French was always taught in 
the female seminaries, and was also taught in the 
" Old Seminary" by Mr. Kemper, and in " Franklin 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PIONEER LIFE. 



85 



Institute" by Mr. Marston, but G-erman was never 
taught at all, or only in a very few unsuspected cases, 
till about 1848, when Professor Samuel K. Hoshour, 
afterwards president of Butler University, and one 
of the most noted teachers of Eastern Indiana, formed 
a German class here, and Mr. Paul Geiser, a young 
German of good abilities and attainments, then editing 
the Volkshlatt, the first German paper here, taught a 
private class for a short time. 

The games of the pupils were much the same as 
now, — tops, marbles, hop-scotch, ball, prisoner's base, 
shinny. The games requiring room were more com- 
mon then, because adequate room cannot be had 
now, and it was all around most school-houses forty 
or more years ago. Several forms of ball games were 
practiced, — " cat," with one or two bases, " town ball," 
very similar to base ball, "bull-pen," "ante and over," 
" hand up," the last three rarely seen or heard of 
since the town began filling up. In "bull-pen" four 
corners were occupied by four players, who threw 
the ball from one to the other till one saw a chance 
to hit one of the players in the square, called the 
" pen," who ran constantly from one part to another, 
to keep at the greatest distance from the ball. If 
he missed he was out. If he hit, the boy who was 
hit or any one in the "pen" who got the ball 
first threw it at any one of the corner players who 
was handiest, and if he was hit he was out ; if he 
was not, the other was out. In " hand up" the ball 
was knocked against a wall with the bare hand, usually 
at the "bounce." In "ante and over," or " antuy 
over," the players stood in two groups, one on each 
side of the school-house. The one with the ball 
threw it over the house, calling out " ante and over." 
If the other side caught it they ran round the house 
to hit some of the players of the throwing side. 
Shinny, though, was the king game of the school-boy 
of the latter part of this period. It was played with 
a stout club curved at the bottom. — young sugars 
were usually taken, as their roots ran close along 
the surface of the ground, — and frequently charred 
to make them hard and prevent them from splinter- 
ing in their violent collisions with stones and gravelly 
surfaces. A ball, usually of wood, a couple of inches 
in diameter, was the other implement of the game. 



The players were arrayed in lines facing each other, 
their respective goals or " homes" being the limits of 
the play-ground. The game was for one side or the 
other to carry the ball " home" against the resistance 
of the other side trying to carry it to their " home." 
Two players in the middle began the "game by one 
taking the ball and calling to the other, " high buck 
or low doe," and throwing the ball in the air or on 
the ground according to the answer. The struggles 
were violent always, and the misdirected blows some- 
times serious ; scalps were laid open, legs lamed, eyes 
blacked, fingers and noses broken, shins skinned or 
bruised. A hard shinny player was rarely without a 
sore or limp or sprain somewhere. Though abandoned 
long ago by the school-boys of the later generation, 
partly from its violence and partly from the lack of 
convenient room, shinny is still revived at the annual 
reunions of the " Old Seminary Boys," who, if they 
did not intend it, made it the ruling game of the 
time forty odd years ago. And the bald-headed 
grandfathers who play it now — the judges, gen- 
erals, preachers, editors, doctors, legislators — -some- 
times exhibit a good deal of the skill they learned 
before the " hard cider" campaign of 1840. The 
history and condition of the schools will be treated 
in a special division of the work. The purpose here 
is merely to notice such incidental subjects connected 
with the schools and pupils of early times as will 
give the reader some idea of them beyond their 
studies, and that could not be so readily introduced 
into the body of a work dealing with public afiairs. 

The reference to the occupations and diversions of 
the school-boy of the first generation would be incom- 
plete if it omitted an account of one almost universal 
duty and one entirely universal diversion. Driving 
cows to pasture and home was the duty, and swimming 
was the amusement. A large portion of the donation 
outside the old plat of the town was used as farm- 
land and pastures, with no small share of the vacant 
squares inside the town limits. For a trifle a cow- 
owner, and that was pretty much everybody that had 
a house and family, could rent one of these pastures, 
keep a cow from straying, keep her well fed, and have 
her handy whenever she was wanted. A boy any- 
where from six to .sixteen could drive her out in the 



86 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



morning after milking and back in the evening after 
school. It was something for idle hands to do. Cow- 
driving was a part of every Indianapolis boy's disci- 
pline in early times. Of course he got fun out of it 
as well in gathering nuts, chasing ground-squirrels, 
or taking surreptitious swims. The chief " swimming- 
holes" in the creek were Noble's and Morris', the 
former on the property of Governor Noble, near Market 
Street and the creek, the latter just south of the house 
of Morris Morris on South Meridian Street. The spot 
is now covered by the south side of the Union Depot. 
In the river the larger boys made their favorite resort 
at the " snag," near the site of Kingan's upper pork- 
house. The " tumbles" of the canal, or rather of the 
" race" from it into the river, one in the Military 
Ground at the north end of the basin, the other at the 
river, where it still remains close to the water-works, 
were also favorite bathing-places. It is among the 
amusing traditions of the adventures of the boys in 
their indulgence of this diversion that one Sunday, 
instead of decorously betaking themselves to Sunday- 
school, a dozen or so slipped oif to Morris' hole. James 
Blake found it out, and mounted his horse, called his 
colored man to follow him, and went down to the 
" old swimming-hole," The darkey captured the 
clothes unperceived, and gave them up suit at a time 
as his master directed till all were dressed. Then the 
old superintendent started the darkey ahead, kept the 
frightened boys close together following, and brought 
up the rear himself to prevent escapes. Thus the 
delinquent procession marched up to the old Presby- 
terian Church, on North Pennsylvania Street, and 
the " hookey players" were forced to do proper Sun- 
day duty. It was said that the stern old Puritan 
even ventured to give some of them an occasional 
clip with his whip as a reminder of their double sin 
of running away from school and enjoying themselves 
on Sunday. 

James Blake was the son of James Blake who 
came from Ireland in 1774, and lived to the age of 
ninety-nine years, being among the earliest settlers of 
York County, Pa., where his son was born March 3, 
1791. He when a youth enlisted in the war of 1812, 
and marched to Baltimore when that city was threat- 
ened by the British forces, serving in the army until 



the declaration of peace in 1815. He then resumed his 
trade of a wagoner, and drove a six-horse team between 
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. In November, 1818, he 
started on horseback for the West, going as far as St. 
Louis, and returning the following spring to complete 
arrangements for a final removal thither. On the 
25th of July, 1821, he settled at Indianapolis, where 
he resided until his death. His history for fifty years 
was the history of Indianapolis, and no citizen has 
ever been more closely identified with the rise and 
progress of the city and its philanthropic and benevo- 
lent institutions than he. He, with Nicholas McCarty 
and James M. Ray, nearly fifty years ago built the 
first steam-mill in Indianapolis, and thus was the pio- 
neer in the manufacturing which is now so vital an 
element in the city's prosperity. As a surveyor, he 
assisted in laying out and platting the city. He was 
selected as commissioner to receive plans and proposals 
for the old State-House. He was the first to urge 
upon the Legislature the importance of establishing a 
hospital for the insane, and opened a correspondence 
with the Eastern States on the subject. To him was 
intrusted the duty of selecting a location for that in- 
stitution. He was an early friend and member of the 
first board of directors of the Madison and Indianap- 
olis Railroad, and was also director of the Lafayette 
and Indianapolis Railroad. He was a trustee of 
Hanover College, Indiana, and of the Miami Univer- 
sity, of Oxford, Ohio, and at his death the Indiana 
commissioner for the erection of the Gettysburg 
Monument. For thirty-five years he was president 
of the Indianapolis Benevolent Society, and present 
at every anniversary with two exceptions. In 1847 
he was the most liberal contributor to the relief of 
starving Ireland. Mr. Blake was a prime mover in 
the organization of the Indiana Branch of the Amer- 
ican Colonization Society. He was the founder of 
the Indianapolis Rolling-Mill, and embarked a large 
part of his fortune in that undertaking, having also 
started the first wholesale dry-goods house. On all pub- 
lic occasions Mr. Blake was looked to as the leader and 
manager of afi'airs. When the people of Indianapolis 
assembled to pay a tribute of respect to a deceased 
President, Governor, or other great man, Mr. Blake 
was selected to conduct and manage the matter. 





w/. 



^ 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PIONEER LIFE. 



87 



When Kossuth, the distinguished HunE;arian, visited 
Indiana, when the soldiers returned from the Mexican 
war, when the farmers came in with a procession of 
wagons filled with food and supplies for soldiers' fami- 
lies, when the Indiana soldiers came home from the 
South, Mr. Blake was the marshal of the day, and no 
public pageant seemed complete without him. His 
whole life was crowned with useful labors. There 
was, in fact, no enterprise or movement appealing to 
public spirit in which Mr. Blake was not conspicuous, 
constant, and efficient. He was among the first to 
organize a Sunday-school in the city of Indianapolis, 
and was ever foremost in this Christian work. For 
thirty years his majestic form headed the long and 
beautiful array of Sunday-school children in their 
Fourth of July celebration. In the temperance 
movement as in other matters he was a leader, and 
his adhesion to the Democracy was first broken by 
its conflict with his former adhesion to the cause of 
temperance. He was the patriarch of his church, 
admired and revered by all. In every relation of 
life — as head of a family, leader of society, chief of 
his church, or manager of business enterprises — he 
was always foremost, always honored, equally for his 
power and his disinterestedness. If Mr. Blake had 
pursued his own advantage with half the zeal he de- 
voted to the service of others and the good of the 
city, he might easily have counted his wealth by mil- 
lions. His ambition to become a useful citizen and a 
public benefactor outweighed all other considerations. 
He was not politically ambitious, and never held 
public office other than that of county commissioner. 
His desire for power never seemed to extend beyond 
the command of a Sunday-school procession or the 
presidency of a charitable meeting. The city of 
Indianapolis lost in him a man of intrinsic worth and 
a useful citizen, and the community a kind and sym- 
pathizing friend. Mr. Blake was married in March, 
1831, to Miss Eliza Sproule, of Baltimore, to whom 
were born four children, — William BIcConnell, James 
Ray, Walter Alexander (deceased), and John Gurley. 
The death of James Blake occurred Nov. 26, 1870. 

A prominent figure in the memories of most school- 
boys of that day is Henry Hoagland, the idiot son of 
a bricklayer of high respectability and good sense. 



Henry was a mere animal, with no human sense and 
hardly any human expression. He wandered harm- 
lessly everywhere, bareheaded and barefooted, because 
he preferred to be, carefully avoided by very small 
children and carefully followed and incessantly tor- 
mented by larger ones, who wanted to hear his queer 
muddled oaths and gabble. Sometimes he was dan- 
gerous when worried by his nimble persecutors too 
far, and he frequently frightened women in his furious 
moods and sometimes hurt the boys he caught. He 
was kept at the " County Asylum" or " Poor-House" 
for many years after it was put in condition for the 
care of such inmates, but he frequently got away and 
wandered into town. Another of later arrival and 
pleasanter character was John D. Hopkins, who ap- 
peared here first in the latter part of the second decade 
of the settlement, bareheaded and barefooted, with a 
Bible or hymn-book in his hand, and walking at a 
brisk pace with a peculiar stifi'-kneed step along the 
streets talking to himself. At times he would mount 
a horse-block or a goods-box, sing a hymn of his own 
making, and preach a wild, rambling sermon. Very 
early among his visits here he brought with him a 
number of sheet-copies of a song he called the " Good 
Gathering," sung to an old camp-meeting tune. These 
he sold, and he supported himself on such little gratui- 
ties as the crowd that stopped to hear him sing or to 
joke with him would give him. The song may be 
judged by one couplet, — 

"Good gathering is sailing around, round, and rounds 
Amidst many waters and hath no bounds; 
Come join the good gathering army," 

the last a refrain to every couplet. During the po- 
litical campaigns he changed from a preacher to a 
stumper, and made speeches at five cents apiece on 
any side the purchaser wished. He was said to have 
entered the army during the civil war, and died there. 
At all events he has not been seen here since, and had 
not but rarely for some time before. He was believed 
very generally to be careful of his money, and to have 
bought a good farm with it. At least he was sober, 
healthy, unusually robust, and when he chose to work 
few could equal him. His wanderings appear to have 
been the effect of a sort of periodic mental disturb- 
ance. Another well-known character of this period 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



was " Old Charley," a withered, weak-minded old 
colored man, who was the first auction bell-ringer here. 
There was nothing about him to make him noted but 
the fact that everybody saw him oftener than anybody 
else who was not in the family. His bent form, his 
old plug hat with an auction-bill tied in front, his 
noisy bell, traveling up and down Washington Street, 
were, as familiar to every man, woman, and child as 
the court-house steeple. Dr. Cool, in his later years, 
became a sort of public character in consequence of 
his constant drunkenness. He came here in 1821, 
an experienced and reputable physician, but bad 
habits got the mastery of him, and in his last years 
he was little better than a vagrant. 

Joe Lawson, known to both the early and later 
generation for his vagrancy, oddity, " dirt," and oc- 
casional gleams of wit and sense, figured contempo- 
raneously in part with Hopkins and Old Charley, but 
not so conspicuously as later. He was the brother of 
the wife of Dr. Soule, one of the earliest resident 
dentists, and son of Bishop Soule, of Tennessee. 
It was said Joe was always dirty, harmless, and good- 
humored, too much crippled to work, and too much 
indisposed if he had not been incapacitated. He 
usually lived on the " crumbs" of hotel tables, and 
wore any clothes that anybody gave him. No human 
being in forty years or more has seen him clean and 
decently dressed. He used to make great fun for the 
boys and for members of the Legislature by singing 
sentimental songs and reciting Shakespeare. He 
lived at the County Asylum a long time, and was 
then brought to the city, given a little shanty in 
Blake's woods, and supported by contributions of old 
residents. The last of the Indianapolis characters 
was the late John Givan. He and his brother James 
came here in 1820, in the fall or winter, opened one 
of the earliest stores here, and were both among the 
most prominent and active citizens. John was one 
of the half-dozen or more candidates for recorder at 
the first county election in April, 1822. After the 
death of his brother his business declined, and he be- 
came a sort of " old junk" dealer near the court- 
house. Then he quit all pretence of merchandising 
and lived a loose, half-vagrant life, supporting him- 
self mainly by little services for men occupying rooms 



in connection with their offices, and by serving as 
nurse to sick men who had no families or home. 
The last four or five years were smoothed for him by 
a provision made up by the Board of Trade and 
other business men, of which a committee used to 
clothe, house, and feed him comfortably. It was a 
tribute to the remains of the oldest merchant in the 
city and the remains of a once honorable and esti- 
mable man. Liquor ruined him, but to the last his 
memory was amazingly tenacious of dates and little 
events of the early history of Indianapolis, and he 
was always more than ready to tell them to anybody. 
He died three or four years ago. 

Among the early settlers were a good many from 
the slave States of the class since widely known as 
" poor whites," who brought here all the silly super- 
stitions they had learned among the slaves at home. 
A belief in witchcraft was the most conspicuous of 
these, with a score of omens and portents and pro- 
phetic dreams. Some of this class used to talk of a 
widow by the name of Myers, whose husband had a 
pottery where the Chamber of Commerce is, as a 
witch and having bewitched the cows of several of 
the neighbors whom she had a grudge against. The 
persecuted cattle either gave no milk or gave bloody 
milk, or the milk would not churn to any purpose, — 
" the butter would not come," as they called it, — and 
the calves died, or the cows had " hollow horn" or 
the " tail-worm," all the effect of witchcraft. No one 
of the set seemed to think it possible the ailments 
were the effect of natural causes. Some sort of 
remedy was applied, partly of mild incantation and 
partly of suitable medicine, but nobody ever learned 
the composition of either. 

In one case the victim was a boy of a family by 
the name of Catlin, or something like it, living on 
the southeast corner of Alabama and Washington 
Streets. Who the victimizing witch was does not 
appear to have been known. The boy was ailing and 
distressed, and witchcraft was finally decided to be 
the source of the trouble, and Dr. John L. Rich- 
mond, pastor of the Baptist Church as well as prac- 
ticing physician, was applied to for an effective exor- 
cism of the evil spirit. The old doctor was a good 
deal of a wag as well as a shrewd, hard-headed man. 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PIONEER LIFE. 



and he concluded that a remedy adapted to the faith 
and brains of the family would be the best he could 
use, so he arranged with one of his students, Mr. 
Barrett, a brother of Mrs. Bolton, the Hoosier poet- 
ess, to play the defeated and exorcised witch when 
the proper ceremonies had been completed. He com- 
pounded in the presence of the awe-struck family a 
charm of magic power in the shape of a ball of cat's 
hair, hog's lard, and a lot of other Macbeth remedies, 
and after a proper incantation, with many flourishes 
and ceremonies, threw the ball into the fire. The lard 
blazed up at once, and as it burned out the lights 
were put out, till at last all was dark, and then Bar- 
rett, the witch, ran through the house sprinkling 
beef blood as he went, to indicate that the witch's 
blood had been spilt and her power was at an end. 
The victim was cured at once, but was attacked again 
in a week or two and another ceremony applied. 
What the outcome was the legend does not relate. 
The incident is worth preserving to show that the 
negroes of the South who believe in voodoo and 
fetish are not so much more ignorant than some of 
the white ancestors of the city as we should like to 
believe. 

Among the fancies of this past generation was one 
that if a boy killed a toad his father's cow would 
give bloody milk ; if a man met a funeral procession, 
and did not turn back and accompany it, the next 
procession would be his own ; if a knife was dropped 
from the table a visitor was coming ; if the nose 
itched a visitor was likely to come ; if a dog howled 
long at night a death was soon going to occur in the 
house ; if a cat rubbed its face frequently the weather 
was going to be dry ; if one pared his nails on Sun- 
day he'd be made ashamed of something before the 
end of the week ; if he killed a snake and left it 
lying belly upward there would be rain before night ; 
the first note of a dove in the spring would be heard 
in the direction in which the hearer would travel 
farthest that year ; a new moon lying flat on its 
back portends a dry moon, because the water cannot 
get out of the hollow of the crescent, but if it is 
sloping or vertical the omen is of a wet month, be- 
cause the hollow can be emptied, — this is an Indian 
fancy ; water in which a gold coin has lain for some 



hours is a remedy for scrofula ; abundance of dog- 
fennel indicates a sickly season ; dreams were accepted 
as " signs,"' and " dream books" were no unusual 
accompaniment of combs and brushes on a woman's 
toilet table. 

The Hoosier dialect has been frequently attempted 
by authors of more or less pretension, but with no 
great success. " The Hoosier Schoolmaster," though 
written professedly as a picture of Hoosier life and 
lafaguage, misses the latter sometimes as badly as an 
Englishman misses the Yankee dialect. Our young 
poet, James W. Riley, strikes it more fairly than 
any other delineator, but some of its peculiarities, 
or those of the people using it, which gave it a tone 
and a turn of humor similar to that noticed in the 
Lowland dialect of the Scotch, had measurably dis- 
appeared before Mr. Riley was old enough to catch 
it in its full-grown raciness and quaintness. If he 
were twenty years older, we might expect from him 
as perfect a picture of Hoosier backwoods life as we 
have of the South in " Georgia Scenes" and " Simon 
Suggs," or of Yankee land in the " Bigelow Papers." 
The prevailing dialect of Indiana was that of the 
South. The bulk of the first settlers were from 
Kentucky or Tennessee or the Carolinas through 
the older portions of this State, or of Ohio some- 
times, sometimes by direct immigration. The East- 
ern immigration was mostly modified into a Western 
tone by a preceding residence in some part of the 
West. Thus little of the Yankee got here in so 
decided a form as to stay or affect the conditions 
around it. Correct pronunciation was positively 
regarded by the Southern immigration as a mark of 
aristocracy or, as they called it, " quality," and the 
children in some cases discountenanced in acquiring 
or using it. The " ing" in " evening" or " morning" 
or any other words was softened into " in'," the full 
sound being held finical and " stuck up." So it was 
no unusual thing to hear such a comical string of 
emasculated " nasals" as the question of a promi- 
nent Indiana lawyer of the Kentucky " persuasion," 
" Where were you a standin' at the time of your 
perceivin' of the hearin' of the firin' of the pistol ?" 
Other mispronunciations went to the Hoosier shibbo- 
leth, as tenaciously maintained as this. To " set" 



90 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



was the right way to " sit" ; an Indian did not 
" scalp," he " skelped" ; a murderer did not " stab," 
he " stabbed" ; a child did not " long" for a thing, he 
" honed" for it, — slang retains this Hoosier archaism ; 
a woman was not " dull," she was " daunsy" ; com- 
monly a gun was " shot" instead of " fired" in all moods 
and tenses. Indianapolis usually lost the first three 
syllables and became " Nopolis." It took the life- 
time of a generation to teacli the country settler to 
twist the " dia" of Indianapolis into the Yankee 
" j" and make " Injenapolis" of it. Most qf them 
do not do it fully yet, and probably never will. One 
good feature of the backwoods dialect was that it 
had no euphemisms. There were no delicate names 
for dirty things. If a woman's virtue was smirched 
she was not a " courtesan," or even a " prostitute," 
the name was hard Saxon. A drunken man was not 
" intoxicated," or " tight," or " full," or " slewed," 
or " screwed," he was plain drunk. It was an 
honest dialect. 

The race prejudices of the South were imported 
with its dialect into the New Purchase in full vigor. 
The colored man counted for little and claimed noth- 
ing. The inborn tribal animosity of the time occa- 
sionally broke out in riots, the only serious disturb- 
ances of the peace ever known here till the outbreak 
of the civil war. Probably the first exhibition of it 
was the meanest, though the least violent. Cader 
Carter, a quadroon, with the unmistakable eyes and 
heavy features of his colored ancestors, was an un- 
usually active politician of the Gen. Jackson school. 
He lived in 1836 or thereabouts with Jesse Wright, 
one of the leading Democrats of the county and at 
one time one of the County Board. When Mr. 
Wright was a candidate he was warmly opposed, and 
Carter made himself conspicuously active for his patron. 
The opposing party resolved to put Carter out of the 
fight and the election by drawing his colored blood, 
so to speak, and they proved his African contamina- 
tion beyond the legal limit, and the active and blatant 
politician was silenced. The Whigs did that. When, 
as heretofore noticed, the public works in this State 
were abandoned in 1838-39, a large body of idle and 
worthless men were left here to live as they could. 
They soon made quarrels with the few colored resi- 



dents here, and several times they attempted to mob 
a family by the name of Overall, living on what was 
then open ground a little east of the Military Ground, 
between Market and Ohio Streets. The negroes de- 
fended themselves with fire-arms, and the mob suc- 
ceeded in doing nothing more than making an alarm 
a few times. Not long after the completion of the 
first Episcopalian Church in 1838, a young lady was 
brought hero from the East to play the organ. With 
her came her sister, who married a colored man within 
a few months after her arrival. The aflFair got wind 
in some way, and a mob of unruly men and half- 
grown boys, led by Josiah Simcox, surrounded the 
house containing the bridal party and captured the 
groom. The bride was not badly used, but the col- 
ored offender was ridden on a rail (it is not believed 
that he was tarred and feathered to any distressing 
extent) and warned to leave, which he and his wife 
did at once. In 1845, some years beyond the limit 
of the period to which this sketch of the social and 
moral condition of the city and adjacent country re- 
lates, but logically connected with the subject of race 
prejudices, a negro by the name of John Tucker was 
murdered by a mob, near the corner of Illinois and 
Washington Streets, on the Fourth of July. As 
usually happens in such cases, the least guilty of the 
offenders was caught and punished, the worst escaped 
and never returned. It may be noted here that the 
leader of the mob in the miscegenation case never 
dared to return to the town openly, though he did 
secretly at times. The only other disturbance of the 
public peace that originated in race prejudice oc- 
curred at the election in 1875. One negro was 
killed and one or two others hurt. The police were 
mixed in it, and it was at least as much a political 
as tribal difficulty. The colored citizens of Indianap- 
olis have been in the main as orderly, respectable, and 
industrious as any class of the population. 

If the Southern immigrant brought his dialect and 
race prejudices, the Eastern immigrant brought his 
bigotry in no less fullness of fragrance, and made the 
whole social structure redolent of it. Maj. Carter's 
antipathy to the fiddle, as related in Mr. Nowland's 
anecdote, was but a slight exaggeration of the feeling 
of a large element of the community. Social pleas- 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PIONEER LIFE. 



91 



ures, pleasant games, dances were discountenanced 
as downright immoral or tending in that direction. 
It is only within the last two decades that dances at 
private houses have been conceded a reputable char- 
acter not inconsistent with religious duty. Many a 
gay young soul has been " hauled over the coals" by 
elders and pastors for dancing, and it is barely twenty- 
five years since the Widows' and Orphans' Society 
squarely refused a benefit tendered it by Mr. Sher- 
lock, of the old Metropolitan Theatre, soon after its 
opening, in the fall of 1858. The society needed 
money badly, and had been begging for contributions. 
The benefit would have given it full five hundred 
dollars. But the Puritanical exacerbations that came 
in the early settlement of the place condemned the 
theatre as immoral, and would have none of its avails. 
The male advisers of the female directors so decided, 
and so it was done. It did not occur to them that 
Christ never asked the young man to whom he said, 
" Go sell that thou hast and give to the poor," 
whether his father had made his money by selling 
rotten olives in Tyre or charging Pompey's soldiers 
five prices for wheat. As long as he came by it 
fairly and could use it for good, it was to be used for 
good. Ten years afterwards this same society sup- 
ported and conducted an amateur dramatic exhibition 
of regular stage comedies to raise money it needed, 
showing what a change in public sentiment had been 
made in the period including the war and a few years 
of peace at either end of it. Now social dances are 
as common as social conversations. Clubs for diver- 
sion or instruction are to be counted by scores. Dra- 
matic societies, operatic associations, masquerades, 
fancy dress balls, and all manner of forbidden delights 
are held as innocent as the old-time " singing-school" 
and " quilting" or " corn-shucking." 

Among the notable exhibitions of religious zeal in 
the latter part of the period covered by this sketch 
were public debates on points of sectarian theology. 
Challenges were issued by denominational " sluggers" 
in the very spirit of a challenge to Hanlon for a 
rowing match or to Schaffer for a game of billiards, 
except that there was no "stake" and no "gate- 
money." They were really an opportunity for a little 
personal parade, and that was no doubt the frequent 



motive of them, though the parties persuaded them- 
selves they were doing the Lord's service therein. 
Probably nobody was ever converted by such discus- 
sions, except from a moderate into a bigoted sectarian. 
The old denominations were not forward in these 
demonstrations. They took the defensive against the 
attacks of recent organizations like the " Disciples," 
as they were then called, now the " Christians," and 
by nickname always " Campbellites," and the Univer- 
salists. It was as common to see challenges from 
noted debaters of those denominations in their de- 
nominational papers as it is to see boxing or rowing 
challenges now in sporting papers. The first one was 
held in the early part of 1830, beginning January 
21st, on the subject of " Eternal Punishment," be- 
tween Rev. Edwin Ray, a distinguished pioneer Meth- 
odist preacher, and Rev. Jonathan Kidwell, a Uni- 
versalist. Probably the most noted of these debates 
occurred in 1838, between Rev. John O'Kane, a dis- 
tinguished evangelist of the " Disciples," and Rev. 
Mr. Haines, a Baptist at Belleville, Hendricks Co. 
Several have been held in the city the last ten or a 
dozen years ago between President Burgess, of But- 
ler University, and Rev. W. W. Curry, the one a 
" Christian," the other a Universalist. One day in 
1840, while the excitement of the " log cabin and 
hard cider" campaign was at its height and had filled 
" Main Street" — as Washington Street was then 
called — with a big Whig procession and the attendant 
crowd, Mr. O'Kane and Henry Ward Beecher met 
on the corner where the Palmer House (now Occi- 
dental) was in course of erection, and good-humoredly 
discussed politics during the passing of the procession, 
but getting upon more familiar ground when it had 
passed, talked of religious matters, and Mr. O'Kane 
said, "Suppose we have a debate on it." "No," 
said Mr. Beecher, laughing ; " you'd use me up, and 
I can't afford to be demolished so young." It is 
worth noting that certain preachers of that early day 
were noted revivalists, as Moody and Sankey and Mr. 
Harrison are now. Edwin Ray, father of John W. 
Ray, of this city, and brother-in-law of Mr. Nowland, 
was one of these; John Strange was another, both 
Methodists. John L. Jones, a Baptist, and later a 
Christian, and James McVey, also a Christian, were 



92 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



widely known for their persuasive powers or " exhor- 
tations." They were all men of rare native eloquence, 
like Wirt's Blind Preacher, and like him almost un- 
known outside of the denominations that cherished 
and admired them. Lorenzo Dow, who preached here 
in 1827, and was once a national notoriety, was merely 
an oddity of no great force of any kind except in his 
legs, — he traveled well. 

It is not improbable that the severity of religious 
opinion held by the professedly religious settlers may 
have reacted upon the portion less rigidly trained and 
made them, externally at least, more indifferent than 
they would have been. At all events, among a con- 
siderable section of the Southern immigration dis- 
paraging or even scandalous jokes on preachers and 
prominent church members were no unusual enter- 
tainment of social or accidental gatherings. Some 
parodies of camp-meeting songs and occasional popu- 
lar phrases, now forgotten, also indicated this re- 
pellance of overstrained discipline and harsh judg- 
ment. The nickname of Rev. James Havens, " Old 
Sorrel," came in this way. The " experience" of 
" Uncle Jimmy Hittleman," an enthusiastic but illit- 
erate Methodist, of genuine piety, was a frequent 
theme of joke and coarse parody. A favorite revival 
song was made to read, — 

" I went behind a stump to pray, 
Glory hallelujah ! 
The devil came and scared me away, 
Glory hallelujah ! 
Oh, Zion hallelujah !" 

Popular phrases and proverbial sayings were some- 
times framed from this sentiment of antagonism to 
ironclad religious feeling. One man was said to 
" pray his congregation to hell and back." A 
preacher of an orthodox sect once boasted that the 
members of his church could be found " all the way 
from heaven to hell." " Yes," retorted a heterodox 
adherent of another denomination, " and the nearer 
hell the thicker you'll find them." " Grace was said 
when the hog was shot" was a common announce- 
ment at the beginning of a dinner to put aside for- 
malities. 

Until the Washingtonian temperance movement 
reached here, along in 1S40 or 1841, under the lead 



of a Mr. Matthews, the use of liquor was hardly less 
general or habitual than the use of coffee. Nowa- 
days the exceptional man of good social position is 
the man who drinks publicly. In the early days 
under consideration the exceptional man was the 
man that would not drink anywhere, publicly or 
privately, though excess was rarer then than now. 
Liquor at social gatherings of the most respectable 
settlers was quite regular and in good taste, if the 
liquor was good. It was not esteemed a solecism of 
even clerical conduct for a minister to " take some- 
thing." Whiskey with tansy was considered a good 
general prophylactic, or, as Gen. S. F. Gary used to 
say, he was told by his father " it was good for 
worms" in children, and for almost anything in 
adults. Dogwood bark and prickly ash made a good 
medicine for the chills, or the whiskey they were 
soaked in. Though excess was not common, it was 
not considered so disreputable as now. A strictly 
temperance beverage, antedating lemonade and "pop," 
though very like the latter, was " spruce beer." It 
was largely consumed with the "gingerbread" of the 
period, cut in fipenny-bit squares called " quarter 
sections." This luxury was so great a favorite as to 
be very generally called " Hoosier bait." Spruce 
beer was not unfrequently made in households and 
consumed by the family like milk or coffee. South- 
ern settlers, accustomed to " persimmon beer," were 
the chief or only home manufacturers. " Mead" 
and " metheglin" were occasionally made of honey, 
but at home usually. Whiskey was different. Among 
the very first manufactured products of the settle- 
ment, as early probably as the removal of the capital, 
was whiskey distilled at the little establishment on 
the bayou, near the site of the Nordyke & Marmon 
Machine-Works, and called " Bayou Blue." It could 
not have been of a very high quality, but it was cheap 
and plenty, with occasional reinforcements brought 
by keel-boats " cordeled" up the river. Whiskey 
and gunpowder were the leading articles of importa- 
tion for a good while. In 1828 a temperance society 
was formed here, but it does not appear that any 
public or concerted effort was made to arrest drink- 
ing, though the very existence of such an association 
among the best class of citizens would have some 



DISEASES ONCE PREVALENT. 



93 



good effect. A change in society sentiment may 
have begun with this society, but it grew with the 
Washingtonian movement, and has grown steadily 
wider and stronger, till to-day the reversal of condi- 
tions of the use of liquor is complete. The senti- 
ment against it is as general and fixed as it was for it 
in early times. 

The reports of the Board of Health show that the 
death-rate of Indianapolis is smaller than that of 
most cities of any considerable size, and lower than 
that of Philadelphia, which is the healthiest large 
city in the world. But, as already related, the first 
years of the settlement were disastrously unhealthy, 
and ill-repute of the place repelled settlement and de- 
layed improvement so greatly that it would hardly be 
too much to say that the ague had shaken the town 
out of five years' growth. The change has come 
slowly. The " sickly season" thirty years ago was 
as definite a dread as Indian summer is a pleasurable 
anticipation. There were plenty of old residents who 
expected the chills just as the victim of hay-fever 
expects his annual swelled nose and watery eyes. 
How this change has come, what influences have 
worked towards it, will be best exhibited in a paper 
read to the Medical Society of this county by Mr. 
George W. Sloan, of Browning & Sloan, late presi- 
dent of the National Pharmaceutical Association. 

" Those who have been engaged in the practice of 
medicine for fifteen or twenty years or longer have 
noticed a material change in many of the forms of 
disease incident to this locality, and especially a dim- 
inution in the amount of those forms commonly 
known as bilious fever and fever and ague. In the 
first place, it should be remembered that this State 
was for the most part densely timbered, and this was 
supplemented by a thick matting of underbrush. 
These combined influences protected the surface from 
the direct rays of the sun, hence there was but little 
chance for rapid evaporation. The result was a thick 
slimy ooze, which was kept renewed by each rain 
during the early summer months. This condition ex- 
tended over a large portion of this and adjoining 
States, especially in the valleys formed by the various 
water-courses. We there have with the addition of 
heat the proper conditions for decay and the con- 



sequent production of noxious gases incident thereto, 
which gases during the early summer are absorbed by 
the tender succulent leaves of the plants and trees. 
But ' as the summer advances these leaves become 
hardened by the heat and continued dryness of the 
later summer, and their power of absorption is very 
much lessened. Hence the above-mentioned products 
of decomposition were given off into the atmosphere 
from an extended surface of country, and the conse- 
quent result was a poisonous air, In addition, the 
people, or at least a large portion of them, lived in 
poorly-constructed houses, often built of logs, with 
the floor resting upon the ground, and were compelled 
to breathe air tainted with decaying woody matter. 
Frequently the same apartment was used for the pur- 
poses of cooking, eating, and sleeping, while the food 
was often the same articles three times a day, — pork in 
some form, corn-bread, and coffee. It would be diffi- 
cult to name three articles more difficult of digestion. 
The water was often of poor quality, owing in many 
cases to shallowness of the wells, and no care being 
taken to protect them from surface pollution. 

" From the foregoing statement of the condition of 
things within a few years past, in which we have an 
unwholesome atmosphere to breathe, poor and un- 
healthy homes to live in, indigestible food to eat, and 
polluted water to drink, is it to be wondered at that 
sickness was rife ? It is within the memory of many 
that the sick were more numerous than the well, when 
the fall sickness was as confidently expected (and the 
people were rarely disappointed) and prepared for as 
was the winter. These were the influences that made 
Indiana known as the home of fever and ague, and 
the times when one of our drug-houses could spring 
the price of quinine by simply telegraphing an order 
to the Eastern market for one or two thousand ounces 
of that staple. This State was also the paradise of 
the patent medicine men who made liver pills and ague 
remedies. 

" This condition has very materially changed within 
a few years, consequent upon a clearing off of the tim- 
ber, the ditching and draining of the swamps, and tile 
draining of the surface of the country. This, together 
with the replacing of the cabins with good brick or 
frame dwellings, with cellars, plastered walls, separate 



94 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



apartments for living, eating, and sleeping, an abund- 
ance of the best of food, pure air, and good water has 
done the work. To this also may be added an improve- 
ment in the manner of clothing. It is not many years 
since the useof woolen underclothing was the exception, 
while overcoats, especially for children, were almost 
unknown. Now all, both young and old, are clad with 
warm underwear, and in addition a majority are sup- 
plied with water-proof garments which protect them 
from the dampness. These have removed the causes 
from which a great deal of the bilious type of disease 
was derived. 

" Again, another effect of the drying of the surface 
has been to more nearly equalize the temperature of 
the days and nights. As the low, swampy morasses 
did not contain water of suflScient depth to retain an 
adequate amount of heat to radiate during the night, 
the consequence was, when the heat of day was past, 
condensation began almost simultaneously with the 
setting of the sun, the result being hot days and cool 
nights. To this latter course many thinking minds 
have attributed the so-called malarious disturbance. 
Nevertheless, my mind clings to the former, and as 
an additional argument in its favor will cite what 
frequently happens in the spring of the year, especi- 
ally in our cities, after a severe winter. The remnants 
of the last year's vegetation, with the droppings from 
domestic animals, together with the usual amount of 
kitchen refuse that finds its way into our streets and 
alleys, have accumulated during the winter months. 
This has been held solid, as it were, by the ice and 
snow until perhaps the last of March, at which time 
the sun is high and its power great. The result is 
that almost at once this mass of matter begins the 
process of decomposition under the combined influ- 
ence of heat and moisture. This period of the year 
is fruitful of neuralgia, rheumatism, and other 
diseases that are attributed to a malarious cause, 
and this condition lasts until the fresh leaves put 
forth upon the trees and the green grass appears, 
when almost within the space of a week the major 
part of the sickness disappears, and then ensues the 
most healthful portion of the year, the season when 
the vegetation is fresh and its absorbing power 
greatest." 



Although the indigenous diseases were the chief 
dread of the settlers, they were not free from alarms 
of epidemics. On the 17th of May a colored woman 
by the name of Overall was found to have the small- 
pox, and a panic ensued. A public meeting was called 
and a Board of Health formed of all the leading 
physicians of the place, — Drs. Samuel G. Mitchell, 
Isaac Cox, Livingston Dunlap, John H. Sanders, John 
E. McClure, Charles McDougal, John L. Mothershead, 
and William Tichnor. They were authorized to take 
any measures they deemed necessary to arrest the dis- 
ease. Nothing was done, however, as no other case 
made its appearance. In June, 1833, a case or two 
that were supposed to be cholera excited alarm. The 
churches appointed and kept the 26th as a fast-day. 
The fatal prevalence of the epidemic in the southern 
part of the State, especially in Salem, Washington 
Co., renewed the fear here that had been allayed 
by its disappearance, and a public meeting was held 
in the court-house on the 17th of July, a thousand 
dollars contributed by the citizens for sanitary pur- 
poses, a Board of Health appointed, consisting of five 
doctors and five citizens, sanitary committees appointed 
in each ward, medicines obtained, and the Governor's 
house, in the Circle, fixed upon as the hospital, with 
Dr. John E. McClure as superintendent. Better pro- 
vision for a possible calamity was apparently made in 
that emergency fifty years ago than was made after- 
wards, except in the provision of the City Hospital. 
The city has been unusually free from fatal epidemics, 
the smallpox being the only one that has appeared, 
and it has never become epidemic here. 

During all this early period of the history of the 
city and county the primitive habits and conditions 
of the settlement were but little changed, though 
changes were on the way and at work in scattered 
influences both in the family, school, and church, and 
social and business conditions. The universal brother- 
hood of the days when there were no streets, or they 
were full of stumps and mud-holes, with cow-paths 
for sidewalks and worm-fences for borders, was giving 
way to the inevitable separation into classes and 
coteries. " Stores" were dropping one and another 
article or class of the miscellaneous stock they had 
been keeping and approaching the specialties of city 



CUERENCY AND MANUFACTURES. 



establishments. They were leaving sugar and coffee 
to grocery-stores, abandoning liquor altogether, con- 
fining themselves more exclusively to dry-goods, 
and putting away their red-flannel door-signs as un- 
becoming their maturer years. Barter was passing 
away before the advance of cash, and the supply of 
home necessities trusted less and less to the foresight 
of the head of the family. The winter's supply of 
meat, which for years had been contracted for during 
the fall with one or another farmer and cut up and 
cured at home, was gradually coming more and more 
largely from the butcher as the day's needs required. 



cious but liberal management was a great help to the 
early growth of Indianapolis and the region of which 
it was the centre and depot. When the crash of 
1837 was followed by the " hard times" of 1839 to 
1845, the State Bank's money was all the people 
had that they could trust. The State itself issued 
" scrip" or " treasury notes" receivable for taxes, and 
at first bearing six per cent, interest, but with all 
these advantages the money was discredited. It 
passed with difficulty at par here, and would not pass 
at all in Cincinnati, or only at a ruinous discount of 
fifty per cent, or more. This was a grievous embar- 




WAGON TRAIN ON NATIONAL KOAD. 



Home-made sugar was giving place to " Orleans," but 
no backwoods boy or man alive or that ever lived 
will substitute " Orleans" molasses for " home-made." 
"Store tea" was supplanting "spice-bush" and sassa- 
fras without being better or half as pure. Custom 
shops were sometimes encouraged to manufacture 
a little for stock and the chance of a market. The 
new State Bank, with its branches at the principal 
points of the State, furnished an excellent though 
by no means abundant currency, and by loans to 
enterprising men encouraged such industries as were 
adapted to the condition of the country. Its judi- 



rassment, and largely neutralized the benefit the Legis- 
lature hoped to find in thus " inflating" the currency. 
Some few who were wise in their day made money 
of the situation. They would go to Cincinnati with 
State Bank money or specie and buy State six per 
cent, scrip for fifty or even forty cents on the dollar. 
At home it was good in trade, would buy anything 
or pay any debt, though not always to the pleasure of 
the creditor or seller. Others who could afford it 
hoarded it for the interest and found their account in 
it. One of the Supreme Court, who was one of the 
least expensive men in the world, took his salary in 



96 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



" scrip" and saved it. By the time the State re- 
deemed it the accumulation of interest nearly equaled 
the principal. These financial incidents, though re- 
mote from the first settlement of the city, are still 
more remote from the present time, and will serve to 
illustrate to the present generation a condition of 
things that will never come again. A previous issue 
of treasury notes had been made shortly after the 
State's admission into the Union, and, though re- 
ceivable for taxes, were considerably depreciated, and 
in consequence embarrassed the purchasers of town 
lots seriously. 

During the continuance of the " hard times," 
from 1839 to 1845, interstate emigration did little 
for Indiana or the New Purchase. The " repudiation 
of the State debt," as it was often called, — the failure 
to pay interest on the bonds of 1836, — had a bad 
eifect on the hunters of new homes, and they passed 
through the State to Illinois and Missouri and Iowa. 
The National road, incomplete as it was, afforded so 
much better a route than others that it was largely 
used by emigrants. Long trains of wagons passed 
every day from sun-up till sun-down, sometimes in 
long procession, sometimes in groups, rarely singly. 
There were four-, three-, and two-horse wagons, cov- 
ered sometimes with canvas, sometimes with bed- 
quilta, with chairs tied about the " end gate," a tar- 
bucket swinging to the coupling pole, a dog hitched 
to the hind axle, tow-headed children stuck about 
among feather-beds and bureaus in front, a sturdy 
man on foot driving, and as sturdy a woman trudg- 
ing by his side with a baby in her arms, and the older 
children following with the cows and sheep. Thus 
came to their new homes many a man who has dis- 
tinguished himself at the bar, in the pulpit, in the 
school, in the doctor's office, in legislation, on the 
bench, on the battle-field. 

" And buirdly chiels and clever hizzies 
Are bred in sic a way as tliis is" 

in the backwoods to this day occasionally, but the 
land was full of them at the time referred to. 



CHAPTER V. 

Second Period — The Capital in the Woods. 

The second period of the history of Indianapolis 
is broken by conspicuous events into three divisions 
of nearly equal length, — first, from the removal of 
the capital to the incorporation of the town in 1832 ; 
second, from that event to the abandonment of the 
public works in 1839; third, from that time to 1847, 
when the impulse of improvement ran ahead of the 
opening of the first railroad. The whole period was 
so uneventful, and in the main so unpromising (except 
during the unfortunate real estate inflation that accom- 
panied the " Internal Improvement System"), that it 
can be treated more intelligibly by associating its 
events in logical rather than chronological connection. 

The removal of the State capital to Indianapolis 
produced two beneficial changes. It improved the 
tone of society by a large annual admixture of the 
best intelligence of the State. The meeting of the 
Legislature was for nearly a generation the great 
event of the year. The members came usually on 
horseback, with the now-forgotten "leggings" and 
" saddle-bags." In later days such as were on stage 
lines had the aristocratic privilege of riding. It was 
not till 1852 that they began to come mainly on rail- 
ways, and to be regarded as of little more consequence 
than other men. The hotels were all " taverns" for 
many a year, and the modes of life as simple and 
primitive as they were in any country town. Farmers 
came in with their families to see the Legislature. 
Visitors from other parts of the State, besides those 
with " axes to grind," came often, and it was long 
before even the townspeople lost their curiosity to see 
its proceedings. There were strong men among the 
legislators of the State in those days. The pay was a 
trifle, and a trifling man could not afford to take such 
a place. It was usually a man who was needed by 
the interests of his locality or a man of conscious 
ability who took a place in one house or the other as 
his first step in the ladder. Elections were rarely 
riotous and never corrupt, though electioneering then 
no more disdained mean arts and artifices than now. 
There was no money to buy votes, the consequence 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



97 



was a better class of men, in the average, than do 
the law-making now. Moreover, most, if not all, 
of them were immigrants, with the push and persist- 
ence of men who have enterprise enough to go from 
home to seek fortune, and brains enough to take ad- 
vantage of the chances that offer. In a little town 
numbering but a hundred families the preceding 
spring, and probably not more than six hundred 
inhabitants when the first legislative session was held 
here, the advent and free association of such a body 
of men could not but be improving. 

The other benefit following the change of the cap- 
ital was the improvement in the material prospects of 
the village. With no immediate or decided change, 
there was a confidence of prosperity that held up the 
courage of the s'ettlers against the terrors of annual 
chills. The fulfillment of this promise was long in 
coming. It took twenty years to bring the first evi- 
dences of probable prosperity and progress beyond a 
country town. 

The Legislature was always ready to do all that 
might be properly done to help the place, and fre- 
quently stepped in with relief laws for the embarrassed 
purchasers of town lots. At its second session here, 
on the 20th of January, 1826, it came to the relief 
of the ague-shaken debtors who could not pay the 
deferred installments of the purchase-money of their 
lots and extended the time for payment, and allowed 
the cash payments on lots that the holders could not 
keep and wanted to surrender to go upon the lots that 
were kept, thus wiping out in a large measure an 
indebtedness that would finally have proved ruinous. 

The condition of things urging this action is clearly 
set forth in a little article in the Journal of Dec. 15, 
1825, about a month before the bill was passed. 
After remarking that a bill to consolidate payments on 
lots would be introduced in a few days, the Journal — 
it had then borne this name less than a year — said, 
" Many circumstances combined to make lots sell for 
more than they were worth. At the time of the sale 
treasury paper, with which payments were authorized 
to be made, was plenty and at a considerable discount. 
Now payments which were expected to be made in 
depreciated paper, and in consequence of which lots 
sold very high, have to be made in specie or its 



equivalent. Many persons also paid enormous prices 
for lots contiguous to the State-House Square, under 
a belief that a State-House would be speedily erected, 
and that their property would consequently rise in 
value. We hope the Legislature will give this sub- 
ject due attention, and if they do not see the propriety 
of the measure suggested they will probably agree to 
extend the time of making payments." The Legis- 
lature did both. It was wiser than its latter-day suc- 
cessors, and took the suggestions of the press with 
becoming alacrity and deference. There is a consid- 
erable ray of light let in upon the condition of things 
in the first year of the new capital by this little ex- 
position. The donation outside of the town plat was 
partly sold by an act of Jan. 24, 1824, when eighty 
acres were laid off in four-acre blocks, — the size of the 
city squares, — and sold on the 25th of January, 1825, 
by auction, the highest bringing one hundred and 
fifty-five dollars, the lowest sixty-three dollars. On 
the 12th of February of the first session here, in 1825, 
an act was passed ordering twenty more four-acre out- 
blocks to be laid off north and south of those pre- 
viously sold, — they were on the north and south sides 
of the city, thus making a double tier on those two 
sides, — -and sold on the 2d of May. The same act 
ordered the sale of the reserved lots on Washington 
Street, the clearing of Pogue's Run Valley at an 
expense not to exceed fifty dollars, and the lease of 
the ferry at the foot of Washington Street for five 
years. The second series of out-blocks brought four- 
teen hundred and sixty-seven dollars, or about eighteen 
dollars an acre. The Washington Street reserved lots, 
even under the elevating influence of the possession 
of the State capital, did not approach the figures of 
the first sale nearly four years before. The highest 
brought three hundred and sixty dollars, the lowest 
one hundred and thirty-four dollars. An aggregate 
of street frontage equal to three squares brought but 
three thousand three hundred and twenty-eight dol- 
lars. 

The relief act for embarrassed lot-holders had the 
effect of concentrating the settlement in the centre of 
the town plat, along Washington Street, as heretofore 
noted. The court-house and State capitol in one was 
east of a central line, and the taverns and business 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



houses were gathering upon that direction. So the 
lot-holders who wished to surrender any of their pur- 
chases gave up those nearest the river, and applied the 
money paid upon them to lots farther east which they 
wished to keep. This tendency away from the river 
continued till the " internal improvement" impulse 
became so strong as to force the great " improvement 
system" through the Legislature of 1836. Antici- 
pating this a real estate speculation took wing in 1835, 
and from that time till the panic of 1837 got this far 
west the course of development was westward towards 
the line of the canal on Blissouri Street, where ware- 
houses were to grow thick and mills wake the echoes 
all night long. When this westward bulge was broken 
by the hard times the town's business settled down 
hopelessly on the two sides of Washington Street from 
Delaware to Illinois, while the residences spread about 
two blocks farther east and west, and only in widely- 
scattered clumps or single houses got as far north as 
North Street or as far south as South Street. In 
February of 1826 a local census showed a population 
of but seven hundred and sixty, with a Sunday-school 
attendance of one hundred and sixty-one, — a very large 
and healthy disproportion. 

For convenience and coherence, all the legislation 
of the State directly affecting the town, during the 
interval from the change of capital to the first incor- 
poration, may be thrown together in this connection. 
The first act was on the 26th of January, 1827, or- 
dering the State's agent to survey and sell seven 
acres on the river for a site for a steam-mill. The 
company that bought it at a mere nominal price was in- 
corporated a year later, on the 28th of January, 1828, 
and was mainly composed of the oldest and most 
prominent citizens, — Nicholas McCarty, James Blake, 
James M. Ray, Daniel Yandes, Noah Noble, William 
Sanders. This steam-mill, which stood till 1853 very 
near the east end of the old National road bridge, 
was the first manufacturing enterprise in the history 
of the place, and on that account may be particularly 
noted here. The Legislature favored it to an extent 
that would be tolerated for no enterprise now. On 
the 6th of January, 1831, the company was given 
the right to extend the time of completing the mill 
another year, and next day were given authority to 



cut any timber they needed on any of the lots held 
by the State. With good transportation facilities 
this grant alone would have been a nice little fortune. 
The mill was a very large frame, three stories high, 
with a two-story attic, so solidly put together by a 
noted workman of the time, James Griswold, that 
after thirty years of neglect, abuse, and total aban- 
donment, it was as strong when it was burned as it 
was the day it was erected. The western and smaller 
and lower division was a saw-mill, the lower part of 
the main building a grist-mill, and the upper stories 
a wool-carding mill. The machinery was brought 
here from Cincinnati, partly by wagon and partly, 
some say, by the first and only steamer that ever 
came so high up White River. The building was 
finished in December, 1831. The saw-mill, a less 
formidable structure, was finished and at work the 
fall before. The grist-mill began operations in Jan- 
uary, 1832, for the first time since the settlement of 
the " New Purchase," giving its customers bolted 
flour. Previously flour, like corn-meal, had to be 
sifted at home. For over two years the establish- 
ment was maintained in an ineffective way, fre- 
quently idle and never remunerative, and was finally 
abandoned in 1835 and the machinery offered for 
sale. For a number of years, however, portions of 
the saw-mill works were left for idle boys to abuse or 
break up and sell for old iron, and the building was 
made the haunt of thieves and strumpets, except 
during the occupancy of the Messrs. Geisendorff with 
their woolen-factory, from 1847 to 1852. The enter- 
prise was too big for the place. It could supply a 
home demand treble that to which it could look for 
business, and beyond that it could do nothing. 
The cost of getting flour to the Ohio River or any 
shipping market would have been as much as the cost 
of the flour itself It is among the traditions of this 
first enterprise and failure that it took a hundred 
men two days to raise the frame- work, and that they 
used no liquor in the labor. The singularity of this 
abstinence no doubt gave life to the legend. Liquor 
at a " house-raising" or " log-rolling" or " corn-shuck- 
ing" or any of the co-operative labors or neighborhood 
frolics was as indispensable as food or Rouse's or 
Bagwell's fiddle, though, as previously noted, mis- 




^^^//A^^^ /^l^^ 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



99 



chievous excesses were far less frequent than now. 
Three of the men conspicuously connected with this 
enterprise were quite as conspicuously connected 
with the whole history of the earliest development 
of the city's industrial and commercial interests. 
These were Nicholas McCarty, Daniel Yandes, and 
James Blake. Others, like Calvin Fletcher, Morris 
Morris, Hervey Bates, and James M. Ray, were as 
closely identified with the general progress of the 
city, but less so with the special interests indicated. 
Mr. McCarty and Mr. Yandes were the chief capital- 
ists, so far as can now be learned. The former stands 
as the representative of the commercial as the latter 
and Mr. Blake of the manufacturing development of 
the city. Though Mr. McCarty was behind neither 
of his compeers of their own special direction, he is 
best known as the leading merchant of Central 
Indiana. 

Nicholas McCartt was born on the 26th of 
September, 1795, in the town of Moorefield, Harding 
Co., W. Va., among the Alleghanies. His father 
dying when he was very young, his mother removed 
to Pittsburgh, Pa., where he remained until he 
was well advanced toward manhood, with little 
opportunity for early school education. While still 
under twenty he left Pittsburgh for Newark, Ohio, 
where as a boy he won the favor of Mr. Bucking- 
ham, then one of the leading merchants of Ohio, by 
the sterling qualities that in later years won him the 
respect of every honorable man to whom he was 
known. He speedily made himself master of the 
mercantile business, so far as it was developed within 
his range, and Mr. Buckingham made him superin- 
tendent of one of his branch houses near Newark. 
His success was as speedy and conspicuous here as in 
a lower position, and in a few years he had acquired 
both the experience and the means to begin business 
for himself His trade was large and prosperous 
from the beginning. Here his career gives the key- 
note of his character, — a sensitiveness of honor that 
feels a reproach like a stab, a strength of gratitude 
that counts no sacrifice a loss in returning the good- 
will he has received. Finding that his business was 
growing at the expense of his benefactor's, when he 
had counted confidently on a sufficiency for both, he 



sold out and came from Newark to Indianapolis in the 
fall of 1823, at twenty-eight years of age. 

He established himself in a building on the south- 
west corner of Washington and Pennsylvania Streets, 
known for thirty years as " McCarty's Corner," and 
south of this building some years later built an im- 
posing brick residence, the home of the family for 
many years. He was the first merchant educated to 
business who conducted it systematically. He began 
in a larger way, too, than others, and his success was 
proportional. He established branch stores in Laporte, 
Greenfield, Covington, Cumberland, and Waverly, and 
trained several young men afterwards conspicuous in 
the business of the city or State, imbuing them all 
with his own scrupulous and resolute integrity. It 
was reserved for the great crisis of his life to exhibit 
his best qualities at their best. When the panic of 
1837 and the subsequent hard times had made his 
great resources, largely in real estate, unavailable, he 
became involved, and made a settlement with his 
creditors upon such terms as to enable them to 
realize more than the principal and interest of his 
obligations. 

James Blake had come to Indianapolis in 1821, 
under the advice of some Philadelphia friends, with 
an eye to the preparation of ginseng — a profuse 
growth of the woods all about the settlement at that 
time — for shipment from Philadelphia to China, 
where it sells at high figures, and its use is universal 
now, as it was then. He established a drying and 
purifying apparatus in a little house south of the 
creek, on the present East Delaware Street, and Mr. 
McCarty here, and by his agents at his branch stores 
and elsewhere, collected the roots from farmers and 
their families, who frequently helped out a short corn 
crop with what they called " sang." A little hoe 
was made especially for this use called a " sang-hoe," 
obsolete for forty-five years or more. The extent of 
his business in a little place of less than two thousand 
people may be judged by the fact that the freezing of 
the Ohio in 1829 compelled him to haul in wagons 
his entire season's stock from Philadelphia, requiring 
sixteen six-horse Conestoga wagons to do it. The 
freight of ginseng back made the audacious enterprise 
profitable, — an illustration of his business perception 



100 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and prompt decision, for the cold snap froze the Ohio 
just as his goods reached Pittsburgh to take steam 
passage to Madison. Besides his ordinary mercantile 
business, he took large contracts for Indian supplies, 
and made himself quite familiar with the dialects of 
two or three of the tribes on the " Miami Reserva- 
tion." 

His enterprise appeared repeatedly in attempts to 
introduce new industries or develop new resources. 
He was largely interested in the eiFort to establish 
silk-growing about 1835, and went with character- 
istic energy into the planting of the Morus muJti- 
caulis. A few years later (about 1840) he began 
one of the most important enterprises of his life, 
though the distress of the country was too great and 
general to permit it the success it would probably 
have achieved a half-dozen years later. This was 
the cultivation and manufacture of hemp on his 
" bayou farm," now " West Indianapolis," where are 
located the "stock-yards," "car-works," and other 
improvements. The fibre was rotted, broken, and 
cleaned in vats and mills on the bluff bank of the 
creek just below the present line of Ray Street at 
Church, Carloss, and Wilkins Streets. Proving un- 
profitable, the enterprise was abandoned in two or 
three years. 

Mr. McCarty's personal popularity was so great 
that the Whigs, who had been placed under the 
cloud of " hard times" from 1843 onward, thought 
it possible to save a seat in Congress by him, and ran 
him against Judge Wick in 1847. It was his first 
experience as a politician, but his native shrewdness 
served him better than many an older politician's 
more devious ways. He made no pretence of oratory, 
and for that reason made a stronger impression by his 
solid sense and effective humor than his opponent, 
who was really an unusually good speaker when he 
chose to be. But the Whigs were not strong enough 
to win even with a man stronger than the party. A 
few years later he ran for the State Senate in the 
county and was elected, serving three years, the last 
three under the old Constitution. In 1852, much 
against his inclination, he was unanimously nomi- 
nated by the dying Whig party for the first guber- 
natorial term under the new Constitution. He made 



an admirable canvass against Governor Joseph A. 
Wright, one of the best " stumpers" in the United 
States, and by familiarity with public speaking had 
become a ready, perspicuous, and forcible speaker. 
The Democrats, however, being greatly in the ma- 
jority, he was defeated. 

He was married in Boone County, Ky., July 
27, 1828, to Margaret, daughter of Rev. Jameson 
Hawkins, one of the earliest of the Baptist preachers 
of the county, and died May 17, 1854, in his fifly- 
ninth year. Three children survive him, — Margaret, 
(Mrs. John C. S. Harrison), Nicholas, and Francis J. 
Susannah, the eldest daughter, and wife of Rev. 
Henry Day, many years pastor of the First Baptist 
Church, died several years ago. Mr. McCarty was 
an example of Christian purity, integrity, and char- 
ity during his whole life. He was generous " as the 
day," tolerant of offenses that affected only himself, 
peaceable, frank, and honorable. No man that ever 
lived in the city was more sincerely or generally 
loved and honored, and certainly none ever deserved 
it better. He was always prompt in his aid of be- 
nevolent efforts, and one of the most active in urging 
the organization of the Orphans' Home. A meeting 
of the citizens held on the occasion of his death 
adopted the following resolution, prepared by a com- 
mittee consisting of James M. Ray, Robert Hanna, 
Bethuel F. Morris, Calvin Fletcher, John D. De- 
frees, John M. Talbott, and Nathan B. Palmer : 

" Resolved, That in the departure of our fellow-citizen, Nich- 
olas McCarty, Esq., we realize the loss of one who, since the, 
early days of the city, has deservedly ranked as a most worthy, 
generous, and valuable man, and who, by his affectionate 
heart, clearness of mind, and strict integrity of purpose, had 
warmly endeared himself to all who knew him. In the im- 
portant public trusts committed to him — as commissioner of 
the canal fund in effecting the first loan of the State, as sena- 
tor of this county, and in other engagements — he manifested 
remarkable judiciousness and ability. It was with reluctance 
he was drawn into the pursuit of ofiicial station, and with de- 
cided preference enjoyed the happiness of an attached circle 
of family and friends. His hand and heart were ever at com- 
mand for the need of the afflicted, and his counsels and sym- 
pathies were extended where they could be useful with unaf- 
fected simplicity and modesty." 

Daniel Yandes belonged to that class of men who 
naturally become pioneers. He was born in Fayette 



"V^ 

^ 





.■<^3 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



101 



County, Pa., in January, 1793, when it was yet a new 
country, with fertile soil, a hilly but beautiful surface, 
and underlaid with coal. He was the son of Simon 
Yandes, whose wife before marriage was Anna Cath- 
arine Rider, both natives of Germany. His parents 
lived upon a farm near the Monongahela River west 
of Uniontown. They had two sons, Daniel and 
Simon, who received only the limited education usual 
at that time. Both of the sons worked on the farm. 
They enlisted in the year 1813 under Gen. Harrison, 
in the last war with Great Britain, and served six 
months in Northern Ohio, but were not engaged in 
battle. The father of Governor Albert G. Porter en- 
listed in the same company. In 1814, when Wash- 
ington City was first threatened by the British, they 
again enlisted, and Daniel Yandes at the age of twenty- 
one was elected major of the regiment. Before leaving 
the place of rendezvous the order to march was coun- 
termanded, and the troops were not again ordered 
out. In 1815 occurred the most fortunate event of 
his life, and that was his marriage to Anna Wilson, 
the oldest daughter of James Wilson and his wife, 
Mary Rabb. James Wilson was a leading farmer 
and magistrate of the county. The Wilsons were 
Scotch-Irish Presbyterians, and the Rabbs Scotch- 
English Presbyterians, and Anna Wilson was a 
Presbyterian. Her educational advantages were but 
moderate as compared with those at present. James 
Wilson's father, Alexander Wilson, was born in 172*7, 
and removed from Lancaster County, Pa., to Payette 
County, where he died in 1815. 

After the marriage of Daniel Yandes, he acquired 
a mill and opened a coal-mine. In 1817 his father 
died, at the age of eighty-four, and in 1818, when the 
advantages of the fertile soil of Indiana were heralded 
in Western Pennsylvania and enthusiasm aroused, he, 
with his wife, mother, and two children, floated down 
the Ohio to Cincinnati, and went from thence to 
Fayette County, Ind., where he opened a farm in the 
woods near Connersville. In the spring of 1821 he 
removed to Indianapolis, which had been fixed upon 
as the seat of government for the State, and resided 
there until his death in June, 1878, at the age of 
eighty-five years and five months. His portrait and 
signature represent him at the age of eighty. His 



first residence was a log cabin which he built near the 
northeast corner of Washington and Illinois Streets. 
In 1822 he erected and resided in a double log cabin 
near the southwest corner of Washington and Ala- 
bama Streets, opposite the Court-House Square. In 
1823 he built a new frame residence of three rooms 
in that locality. About 1831 he erected a two-story 
brick residence where the Citizens' National Bank 
now stands, and part of the same building included a 
store-room where Harrison's Bank now is. In 1837 
he was the owner of an acre of ground where the 
First Presbyterian Church now stands, and where he 
built a large plain two-story brick residence. Here 
he lived until it was sold to the above church in 1863, 
and here his wife died in 1851. After her death he 
did not marry again. 

He came to Indianapolis with about four thousand 
dollars, and, strange as it may seem, that constituted 
him the largest capitalist of the incipient metropolis 
for the next ten years. That amount included the 
total of his inheritance and of his own acquisitions 
up to 1821. He was, in common with pioneers gen- 
erally, a man of rugged health, and hopeful, confiding, 
and enterprising. He was fond of building mills, 
manufactories, and introducing other improvements. 
On his arrival in Indianapolis, with his brother-in-law 
he erected the saw- and grist-mill on the bayou south- 
west of the city where the McCarty land now is, the 
dam being built across White River at the head of 
the island which was opposite the Old Cemetery. This 
is said to have been the first mill in the New Purchase. 

About 1823 the firm of Yandes & Wilkens estab- 
lished the first tannery in the county, and continued 
in that business together about thirty years. The 
active partner was John Wilkens, a man well known 
for his uncommon merits. Afterwards Daniel Yan- 
des continued the same business with his nephew, 
Lafayette Yandes. After the death of Lafayette he 
formed another partnership with his nephew, Daniel 
Yandes, Jr., and James C. Parmerlee in an extensive 
tannery in Brown County, and in a leather-store at 
Indianapolis. About the year 1825, Mr. Yandes be- 
came the partner in a store with Franklin Merrill, 
brother of Samuel Merrill. Stores in the early history 
of Indianapolis contained a miscellaneous assortment, 



102 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



more or less extensive, including dry-goods, groceries, 
queensware, hardware, hats, shoes, etc. About 1831 
he became the partner of Edward T. Porter, and the 
store of Yandes & Porter was in a brick building 
which preceded that where Harrison's Bank now 
stands. At nearly the same time he started Joseph 
Sloan in business as a merchant at Covington, 
Ind.,; and continued his partner for several years. 
In 1833 he and Samuel Merrill, treasurer of State, 
dug a race along Fall Creek, and built a grist-mill, 
a saw-mill, and the first cotton-spinning factory in 
this region. A few years afterwards he and William 
Sheets, then late Secretary of State, built on the canal 
west of the State-House grounds the first paper-mill 
in the county. About the same time he became the 
partner of Thomas M. Smith in a store, and about 
1 838 was the partner of John F. Hill in another 
store, both of which were on the north side of Wash- 
ington Street, a little west of Pennsylvania Street. 
In 1839, under great difficulties, he alone built at La- 
fayette, Ind., a grist-mill, saw-mill, and paper-mill, 
and opened with his son James a large store. While 
engaged in this enterprise the panic was precipitated 
upon the country, and Mr. Yandes found himself in- 
volved heavily in debt, both as principal and indorser, 
at Indianapolis and Lafayette. While he enjoyed the 
good-will of his creditors, he did not command their 
entire confidence as to his solvency, and during the 
years 1839 to 1844 judgments in Marion County 
accumulated against him to the amount of over twenty- 
two thousand dollars, when he sacrificed some of his 
most valuable property at much less than cost. At 
the same time be was under protest at the bank at 
Lafayette. In due time, however, he paid the full 
amount of his debts, and it is a matter of honest 
pride that he and his children have always paid in 
full individual and all other indebtedness. About the 
year 1847 he and Thomas H. Sharpe built the Col- 
lege Hall, a brick building, which preceded the Fletchef 
& Sharpe bank and store property, at the corner of 
Washington and Pennsylvania Streets ; and a few 
years afterwards he erected the brick building where 
Ritzinger's Bank now is. In 1847 he built ten miles 
of the Madison Railroad, which was completed about 
September of that year, and was the first railroad to 



Indianapolis. The same year he joined in building 
a grist-mill at Franklin. In 1852 he and Alfred 
Harrison built thirty miles of the eastern end in 
Indiana of the Bellefontaine Railroad. Previous to 
this time he had twice ventured successfully in send- 
ing large cargoes of provisions by flat-boats from In- 
diana to New Orleans. About the year 1854, during 
the Kansas excitement, his desire for the freedom of 
that State impelled him to aid some young men to 
settle there, whom he accompanied to the West. 
About 1860 he joined Edward T. Sinker as partner 
in the Western Machine- Works, where he continued 
for some years. 

One of his most curious traits was the manifestation 
of unusual energy and labor for a series of years until 
an enterprise could be put upon a solid basis, after 
which he evinced unusual indolence and inattention 
to details for several years until he became again en- 
listed in a new enterprise. As a consequence, after 
new enterprises were fairly started and tested he lost 
interest in them, and in a few years would usually sell 
his interest. He was senior partner, and in most cases 
the capitalist. Although he matured his plans pa- 
tiently and carefully, he was nevertheless a little too 
fond of hazard. 

If his business career had terminated when seventy- 
five years of age he would have been a successful 
business man ; but an undue fondness for enterprise, 
and a hopeful enthusiasm, together with the fascina- 
tions of the far West, an over-confidence in others, and 
the deterioration incident to old age, with his unwil- 
lingness to be advised, resulted in disaster. He lost 
a considerable amount in mines in the West, and a 
large sum in the Brazil Furnace, stripping him in 
effect of his property when he was past the age of 
eighty. One of these mines is now more promising. 

In politics he was a very decided Whig and Re- 
publican, but cared little for the distinctions of o£5ce. 
He was, however, the first treasurer of Marion County, 
and in 1838 Governor Noble, unsolicited, appointed 
him one of the Board of Internal Improvements to 
aid in carrying out the extensive system of improve- 
ments provided for by the Legislature in 1836. 

In church matters he was a Lutheran by preference, 
but there being no church of that denomination at 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



103 



Indianapolis in early times, he became a Presbyterian, 
and was for some years one of the first elders and 
trustees of the Second Presbyterian Church. From 
1823 to 1845, and until the failure of his wife's health, 
his house was one of the favorite stopping-places of 
the Presbyterian clergy. Rev. Mr. Proctor, and after- 
wards Rev. George Bush, were his guests for months. 
He was liberal to charities and the church, having 
given away up to 1865 about sixty thousand dollars. 
It would require at least double that amount, according 
to the present value of money, to be an equivalent. 

Five of his children died young. His daughter, 
Mary Y. Wheeler, died in 1852, leaving five children, 
three of whom yet survive. His children yet living 
are Catharine, the widow of Rev. Elijah T. Fletcher ; 
Elizabeth Y. Robinson; Simon, formerly a lawyer; 
James W., formerly a merchant; and George B., now 
president of the Citizens' National Bank. 

Besides the favor extended by the Legislature to 
the enterprising spirit of the town in the cheap sale 
of the steam-mill site, a direct appropriation of four 
thousand dollars was made to build an official resi- 
dence for the Governor in the Circle. This was done 
on the 26th of January, 1827. A contract for the 
work, at a cost of six thousand five hundred dollars, 
was made on the 17th of March, with Austin Bishop, 
Robert Culbertson, William Smith, and William 
Speaks, by Samuel Merrill and Benjamin I. Blythe, 
on the part of the State. It was of brick, about 
fifty feet square, two stories high, with a sort of Man- 
sard roof, containing a level space in the centre about 
fifteen feet square, surrounded by a railing, standing 
upon a basement some six feet above the ground, 
with a large hall-door in the middle of each of the 
four sides, and separated by ten-feet halls crossing 
each other in the middle into four large rooms in 
each corner. Its complete exposure on all sides 
made it an undesirable residence for a family, and it 
was never occupied except for public offices, chambers 
of the Supreme Court judges, and in its later days 
for almost any use that respectable applicants desired 
it for. As heretofore related, it was sold for old 
brick and torn down in 1857. School-boys used to 
make a " circus" of. its basement-rooms, and one day, 
some forty years ago, a wild turkey, scared by hunters 



from the noted " turkey-roost" in the sugar grove 
near the line of Seventh and Illinois Streets, ran into 
one of these basement-rooms, and was caught there 
by a school-boy of the period. Another house, built 
at the same time, was the little brick at the east gate 
of the Court-House Square, for an office for the clerk 
of the State Supreme Court. At the preceding ses- 
sion the Legislature had ordered the State agent to 
contract with Asahel Dunning for a two-story brick 
ferry-house near the foot of Washington Street, on the 
south side. It was built in 1827, partially burned in 
1855, repaired, and reoccupied until some half dozen 
or so years ago, when it was torn down. 

In this connection belongs the act ordering the first 
State-House, which passed 10th of February, 1831, 
upon the recommendation of a committee at the ses- 
sion of 1829-30. The report estimated the cost at 
fifty-six thousand dollars, and stated that the unsold 
land in the donation would be fairly estimated at fifty- 
eight thousand dollars. James Blake was appointed 
commissioner to attend to the work and obtain mate- 
rial (three hundred and sixty perches of stone by the 
second Monday of May was specified), with an appro- 
priation of three thousand dollars. He was instructed 
to offer one hundred and fifty dollars for a plan, embrac- 
ing halls for the two houses, rooms for Supreme Court 
and State Library, and twelve rooms for committees, 
with such others as would be needed, and report to the 
nest Legislature. The cost was limited to forty-five 
thousand dollars. The commissioner procured a plan 
from Ithiel Town, a distinguished architect of New 
York, and I. J. Davis. The Legislature approved 
Jan. 20, 1832, and appointed Noah Noble (Gov- 
ernor), Morris Morris (auditor), and Samuel Merrill 
(treasurer), Feb. 2, 1832, as commissioners to 
superintend the work, employ architects, and use the 
material purchased by Mr. Blake. The work was to 
be finished by November, 1838, and to be examined 
and approved by a committee of five from each house 
before acceptance. The contract was made with Mr. 
Town at fifty-eight thousand dollars. Work began in 
the spring of 1832. The site, previously a dead level, 
was plowed and scraped into an elevation in the centre 
under the survey and supervision of Gen. Thomas A. 
Morris, then a young West Pointer, after serving a 



104 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



faithful term at the printer's " case." The building 
was so far completed as to be ready for occupancy 
when the Legislature met on the 7th of December, 
1835. The actual cost was sixty thousand dollars, 
but two thousand dollars in excess of the estimate. 
It was two hundred feet long by one hundred feet 
wide, and two stories high. The style was the Doric 
of the Parthenon, spoiled by a contemptible little 
dome that was about as suitable in that place as an 
army-cap on the Apollo Belvidere. The basement 
was of blue slate from the Bluffs, and soon began de- 
caying. The whole exterior was stuccoed, and looked 
well till frost and thaw, damp and heat began to 
make it peel off, and then it looked worse than a 
beggar's rags. It was so dilapidated as. to be unsafe 
before it was torn down in 1878. The trees planted 
in the square made a fine grove there, which was the 
favorite resort of Sunday-school celebrations of the 
Fourth of July and the usual out-door place for 
political meetings. 

At the same time the order was made to sell the 
steam-mill site all the reserved, forfeited, and unsold 
lots in the town were ordered to be sold,' It was 
done on the 7th and 8tli of the following May, when 
one hundred and fifty-three lots, of which twenty-four 
were on Washington Street, were offered, with over 
thirty squares of four acres each. Sales were made 
of one hundred and six lots at one hundred and 
eighty dollars an acre, and thirty-eight out-lots and 
squares at twenty-three dollars an acre. On the 22d 
of January, 1829, an act extended the time of pay- 
ment of the deferred installments of the purchase- 
money of out-lots, and declared inoperative the for- 
feitures worked under the existing law by delinquent 
payments. The next legislative order touching the 
town and the State's property was made on the 9th 
of February, 1831, when the agent was directed to 
plat the whole donation outside the town into out-lots 
and sell them at public auction. The subdivision 
was made, and the aggregate of lots offered in and 
out of the town plat was nearly nineteen hundred 
acres. The divisions ranged from two to fifty acres. 
The minimum price was ten dollars an acre, but only 
a portion was sold. It may be noticed here that the 
order for the clearing of Pogue's Run Valley was 



never executed, probably because the fifty-dollar limit 
was too little. Property-holders, however, gradually 
cleared it, and improved the health of the place by 
it. The low, swampy " bottom" and dense woods and 
underbrush made the very home of malarious disor- 
ders, and they trooped out in force during the sickly 
season. There is nothing but two or three shivered 
stumps left of this dense woods now, except for a short 
distance above the mouth of the creek and near the 
Morris Street bridge. Here some old sycamores and 
elms still remain, but one of them was blown over by 
the tornado that did such damage to some of the 
manufacturing establishments on the West Side last 
summer. All the papaws, black haws, apple haws, 
ginseng, prickly ash, spice-brush, and hazel-bushes 
are gone as completely as if such things had never 
grown there, yet it was a valley prolific of wild fruit, 
as its clear stream was of good fish. 

At the time the order of Jan. 26, 1827, was made 
for the sale of forfeited and reserved lots certain 
squares and alleys were vacated. Square 22 was re- 
served for a State hospital, and square 25 for a State 
university ; it is now University Park. The " State 
University" at Bloomington has tried to get possession 
of this valuable property under cover of a title it has 
assumed since that dedication was made, but has failed. 
On the 26th of January, 1832, the agent was em- 
powered to lease the square to the trustees of Marion 
County Seminary for thirty years, with the proviso 
that if it should be needed for a university in that 
time a half-acre should be sold in fee-simple in either 
the southwest or southeast corner, where a seminary 
building was authorized to be erected under the lease. 
The trustees built the " Old Seminary" in the south- 
west corner in 1833-34, the most noted local school 
of the State, and maintained with unvarying success 
and wide benefit for twenty years. It will be noticed 
more fully in the department of this work assigned 
to " Schools." In October, 1827, Miss Matilda 
Sharpe, the first milliner, came to Indianapolis, — 
not the least important event of the year. 

While the Legislature, as above related, was dis- 
posing of unsold lots, erecting buildings, and forward- 
ing the improvement of the place, the citizens were 
not inactive in their own moral and social interests, 




^ ^ . , ^/ .x?^!^ . .^ l^^": 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



105 



though it was late before their enterprise turned to 
points of business advantage, and with no great good 
fortune to encourage them when they did turn. In 
April, 1825, the Indianapolis Bible Society was 
formed, and is still living in the Indianapolis Female 
Bible Society, a most active and beneficent agency 
among the soldiers during the civil war. Mrs. Mar- 
garet Givan was the first president, and the wife of 
Professor George Bush, pastor of the First Presbyte- 
rian Church, and since then known all over the literary 
world for eminence in oriental scholarship, was one of 
its most active promoters. On the 13th of November, 
1825, the Marion County Bible Society was formed, 
with Bethuel F. Morris as president and James M. 
Ray as secretary. It may be noted here that Mr. 
Ray was secretary of pretty much every organiza- 
tion ever formed during the first thirty years of the 
city's existence. Whether town-meeting or bank 
directory, fire company or missionary society, James 
M. Ray was invariably made its business manager or 
secretary. It is to his undying honor that he always 
served and was never paid. He was born in the first 
year of this century, in New Jersey, and learned the 
trade of making coach lace, came West to Kentucky 
when a young lad, and worked there with his family ; 
came later to Lawrenceburg, in this State, and came 
here in the summer or fall of 1821. His intelligence, 
activity, and integrity put him at once among the fore- 
most men of the settlement. Quiet, unobtrusive, vigi- 
lant, never idle, never careless, his word was as good 
as any other man's oath, and his aid in any good work 
as confidently expected as the continuance of his ex- 
istence. It would be impossible to gather up here all 
the associations of which he was secretary at one 
time or another in more than fifty years of active life 
in the settlement and city, but it is really no exagger- 
ation to say that the first generation of settlers trusted 
him with every work of that kind that they had to 
do. He was the first county clerk, as already noted, 
and served till he was made cashier of the old State 
Bank in 1834. He continued in that position as long 
as the bank lived, and then went into its successor, 
the " Bank of the State." He was Governor Mor- 
ton's most trusted agent during the war, and managed 
all the external finances of the State during that 



momentous period. Financial disaster overtook him 
in some unfortunate mining operations to which he 
had given his means largely, and several years of his 
later life were passed in an easy but well-paid position 
in the Treasury Department at Washington. During 
the last year or so he returned to his old home, and 
died here Feb. 22, 1881. 

The Indianapolis Tract Society was another kindred 
organization made during the same year, 1825 ; and 
on September 8d the first agricultural society was 
formed by the late Calvin Fletcher, Henry Bradley, 
Henry Brenton, and others. The following year an 
artillery company was formed under Capt. James 
Blake, upon the reception of a six-pounder iron gun 
sent here by the government. It blew ofi' William 
Warren's hand while firing a salute to the " Bloody 
Three Hundred" in 1832, when mustering to march 
away to the Black Hawk war. It afterwards blew ofiF 
one of Andrew Smith's hands. Mr. Smith is still 
living in the county, a hale and venerable gentleman, 
far beyond the scriptural limit of life, after many years 
of service in important county offices. On the 20th 
of June, 1826, the first fire company was formed, 
with John Hawkins as president and James M. Ray 
as secretary. Its implements were buckets and lad- 
ders, and its alarm general yelling and the ringing of 
church and tavern bells. It was incorporated in 1830, 
and continued in existence till the formation of the 
" Marion Fire-Engine Company" in 1835, when the 
old company was absorbed into the new one. In 
July, 1828, the Indianapolis Library Society was 
formed, the library being made up of donations. It 
lasted half a dozen years or so. A musical association 
called the Handelian Society was formed in the 
spring of 1828. In August a cavalry company was 
formed by Capt. David Buchanan. On the 24th of 
April, 1829, the Methodist Sunday-school was colo- 
nized from the Union School on the completion of the 
old church on the southwest corner of Circle and 
Meridian Streets. It began with eleven teachers and 
forty-six scholars, and in a year had twenty-seven 
teachers and one hundred and forty-six scholars. In 
November, 1829, the Colonization Society was organ- 
ized, with Judge Isaac Blackford as president. On 
the 11th of December, 1830, the Indiana Historical 



106 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Society was formed, with Benjamin Parke as presi- 
dent and Bethuel P. Morris as secretary. John H. 
Farnham was afterwards secretary, and the books and 
papers were long kept in the office of Henry P. Co- 
burn, clerk of the Supreme Court. The library was 
given to the Union Library Society about 1846, and 
when that association went to pieces the library went 
to pieces too. The Historical Association numbered 
among its members some of the most distinguished 
men in the State, and among its " honorary members" 
were Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, Lewis Cass, John 
C. Calhoun, and other men of national renown. It 
has been revived within a few years by some of the 
leading citizens of the State, who are interested in 
historical affairs, and promises to be a useful as well 
as durable organization. In the fall of 1831 the In- 
dianapolis " Lyceum" or " Athenjeum" was organized 
to promote literary culture by lectures and scientific 
discussions. It lasted usefully for a few years, and 
was succeeded by the Young Men's Literary Society 
in 1835. This organization was superseded by the 
Union Literary Society, composed mainly of the 
elder pupils of the " Old Seminary," which collected 
a considerable library, was incoi-porated in 1846 or 
1847, and began the lecture system here by procuring 
lectures from Mr. Beecher, Rev. Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Fisher, of Cincinnati, and others. It was disbanded 
by gradual decay, but in 1853 its last effort obtained 
a lecture by Horace Greeley on Henry Clay. 

In 1831, near the end of the first division of the 
city's second period or stage of growth, came the first 
illusive promise of public improvements, which soon 
grew strong enough to realize itself partially, and to 
send a forecast nearly twoscore years ahead of the 
fact that only began to be forcefully felt in 1850 or 
just before. The Legislature on the 2d and 3d of 
February chartered a group of railroads that reads in 
its titles very much like a time-table in the Union 
Depot today. There was the Madison and Indianap- 
olis, the Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis, the New 
Albany, Salem and Indianapolis, the Ohio and In- 
dianapolis. Surveys were made on all them, and 
some grading done in patches, but nothing came of 
any of them except the Madison and Indianapolis, 
which was incorporated in the State's great and disas- 



trous " Internal Improvement System" of 1836. This 
reference is all that need be made here, as the history 
of the city's railroad system will appear fully in its 
proper place. 

Almost contemporaneously with the charters of 
these railroads came the only steamer that ever reached 
Indianapolis. It was on the 11th of April, 1831. 
The steamer was the " Robert Hanna," owned by 
Gen. Robert Hanna, one of the prominent citizens, 
and some of his associates, who intended to use it in 
the transportation of stone and timber for the work on 
the National road, a contract for which they held. The 
arrival created a great excitement. Between a steamer 
actually at the wharf, as it were, and the recent charter 
of four or five railroads the victims of chills and 
many disappointments began to take heart and hope 
that their dreams, when the capital came, might be 
prophecies after all. The cannon was fired, crowds 
visited the vessel, a public meeting was held on the 
12th, with Judge Blackford, president, and Judge 
Morrison, secretary, to make a formal welcome, and 
a banquet for the officers and owners. Resolutions 
demanded the improvement of the river, and the 
speeches expressed the usual invariable confidence of 
" the realization of our most sanguine expectations." 
That was the end of it. After making a couple of 
little excursions up the river on the 12th, she started 
back down the river on the 13th. It was a slow 
voyage. The pilot-house and chimneys got in the 
way of the tree limbs, the bends were too short for 
her length, the bars too frequent and shallow. She 
knocked off her pilot-house and damaged her wheel- 
house in one of her excursions, and scared her un- 
familiar passengers so badly that a good many jumped 
off into the water. With such ill omens and a slow 
voyage down, probably nobody was surprised to hear 
that she had grounded at Hog Island, where the 
captain's child was drowned, and never got off till 
the fall rise came. Hopes of river navigation never 
flourished after this experiment. It was a very gen- 
eral belief that the river would be made practically 
navigable as Congress had formally declared it to be, 
and to this impression must be attributed the early 
preference of settlers for locations near the river. On 
the 12th of February, 1825, Alexander Ralston, who 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



107 



had laid out the town, was appointed by the legisla- 
tive commissioners to make a survey of the river and 
estimate the cost of clearing out the obstructions 
and the extent of practicable navigability. 

During the summer he made the survey, and re- 
ported that an annual outlay of fifteen hundred dol- 
lars would make the stream navigable for three months 
in each year. From Sample's Mills, in Randolph 
County, to Indianapolis was one hundred and thirty 
miles, from here to the junction with White River 
proper two hundred and eighty-five miles, and from 
there to the Wabash forty miles, with a fall of eighteen 
inches eight miles above Martinsville, and another of 
nine feet in three hundred and ten miles above the 
junction, with a great drift at the line of Daviess and 
Greene Counties. On the basis of this report Congress 
was several times petitioned by the Legislature to 
make an appropriation for the proposed improvement, 
but nothing was ever done. The State made some 
considerable appropriations, expended by the County 
Board along the river, but no improvement of any 
real value could be made by such disjointed labors and- 
slender means, if indeed anything could be done by 
any possible expenditure short of a system of '' slack- 
water" dams and locks. Schemes for this sort of 
improvement were urged upon the Legislature by 
John Matthews and others for several years after 
1830, and renewed again in 1851, when the "White 
River Navigation Company" was chartered for twenty 
years. That was all that was ever done. In 1865 a 
little picnic steamer called the " Governor Morton" 
was built by some of the citizens, and made some 
short excursions during the year following, but she 
never amounted to anything. She sank below the 
old bridge after a life of a year, and her machinery 
was taken out and put into some sort of a mill. This 
is all of the history of the navigation of White River, 
except that the steamer "Traveler" came up as far 
as Spencer in 1830, and the " Victory" came up 
within fifty-five miles of this place the same year. 
Of the use of the river for commercial purposes more 
will be said under the head of " Transportation." 

The first stage line into the town was started by 
Mr. Johnson, a relative of Col. Richard M. Johnson, 
to Madison in the summer of 1828. Mr. Johnson 



about the same time established a coach-making or 
repairing shop on the block where the post-office and 
the Odd-Fellows' Hall stand. On the 8th of July, 
1827, the National road commissioner, Mr. Knight, 
was in the town, and fixed the line to this point. 
The next year, in September and October, the con- 
tracts for the work were let, greatly to the satisfac- 
tion of the town, which had been so long locked up by 
cow-paths, Indian trails, and swampy roads cross- 
layed. The old bridge across the river was built by 
William Weruweg and Walter Blake for eighteen 
thousand dollars, on plans furnished by the late Laza- 
rus B. Wilson. It was completed in 1834, the con- 
tract being let July 26, 1831. The macadamizing of 
the road was completed nearly through the town and 
about three miles west, just beyond Eagle Creek, and 
abandoned in 1839 in consequence of the failure of 
Congress to continue the appropriations. The road 
following Washington Street enabled that thorough- 
fare to get the first improvement that any street ever 
got in the place, but no sidewalk work was done for 
several years. After remaining in this incomplete 
condition for a number of years Congress finally sur- 
rendered to each State the portion of the National 
road in its limits, and about the time the railroads 
began advancing pretty rapidly the State gave the 
road to a " Plank-Road Company," which covered it 
with narrow, heavy oak plank, and made an admirable 
road till the plank began to warp. In a few years 
the plank-work was abandoned and the road, like 
hundreds of others all over the State, was heavily 
graveled and made an excellent turnpike, in which 
condition it remains to-day. 

The first " show," McComber's Menagerie, ap- 
peared in the town on the 26th and 27th of July, 
1830, and exhibited on the open space back of Hen- 
derson's tavern, about where the Central Engine 
house is, or a little north and east of it. Another 
exhibited at the same place on the 23d and 24th of 
August of the same year, showing among other curi- 
osities a " rompo." Tradition does not retain a de- 
scription of this mysterious beast. The next sum- 
mer saw the introduction here of the first soda foun- 
tain in Dunlap & McDougal's drug-store on East 
Washington Street, near the middle of the block be- 



108 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



.^■";^>_t 




THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



109 



tween Pennsylvania Street and the alley west of it on 
the north side, subsequently kept by Scudder & Han- 
neman. In February, 1831, the first artist, a por- 
trait-painter by the name of M. Gr. Rogers, came 
here for a professional visit. The 8th of January, 
so long celebrated in one way or another by the ad- 
mirers of " Old Hickory," was celebrated in Indian- 
apolis for the first time in 1830, when an address was 
delivered by Alexander F. Morrison, brother of the 
late Judge James and the banker William H., who 
had recently removed here and started an administra- 
tion paper called the Indiana Democrat. It sue 
ceeded the Gazette, and became the Sentinel in 1841 
as will appear more fully in the history of the press, 
The celebrations of the Fourth of July were kept up 
and in 1830 there were two, one of the Sunday 
schools under Marshal James Blake, and one of the 
citizens under Marshal Demas McFarland. The 
deaths of Adams and Jefierson were celebrated here 
on the 12th of August with appropriate funeral cere- 
monies. The first three-story brick building was 
erected by William Sanders, north side of Washing- 
ton Street, a little west of Meridian, in the summer 
of 1831. It is still standing in an improved condi- 
tion. That same summer showed Indianapolis the 
first elephant, two of them in fact, an adult and a 
baby. They were not in a menagerie, but traveling 
on their own merits. The population of Centre town- 
ship by the census of 1830 was one thousand and 
ninety-four. 

Pretty nearly midway between the statement of 
the census and the condition of the settlement at the 
removal of the capital is the estimate of February, 
1827, in the Jownal. The town had then the new 
" court-house, a Presbyterian Church with thirty 
members, a Baptist Church with thirty-six members, 
a Methodist Church with ninety-three members, 
worshiping in a cabin but building a brick church," 
the walls of which were completed and inclosed 
in the fall. A Sunday-school had been in exist- 
ence five years, and had then twenty teachers and 
one hundred and fifty pupils. There were twenty- 
five brick houses in the place, sixty frames, and eighty 
hewed and rough log ; rents were high and houses in 
demand. The Governor's house in the Circle was 



then in progress, and six two-story and five one-story 
brick houses with a large number of frames had been 
built that year. The editor thought the condition of 
things promising enough to inaugurate an era of 
manufactures and steam-power to produce at home 
the ten thousand dollars' worth of goods brought from 
abroad. Among the year's importations were seventy- 
six kegs of tobacco, two hundred barrels of flour, one 
hundred kegs of powder, four thousand five hundred 
pounds of yarn, and two hundred and thirteen bar- 
rels of whiskey, besides seventy-one made here (Bayou 
Blue), a pretty profuse supply of whiskey for a popu- 
lation of but little more than one thousand, and a 
considerable number of them women and children, 
who could not be expected to drink much. Probably 
half was sold to the country around or even farther 
away, but even the half, or one hundred and forty-two 
barrels, about five thousand gallons, would make five 
gallons for every mouth, little and big, in the dona- 
tion, and twenty probably for every adult male. The 
large importation of powder shows that no little de- 
pendence was still placed in the rifle as the food 
provider. 

On the 3d of June, 1832, the news of the out- 
break of the Sac and Fox Indians under Black Hawk 
reached the town, and next day a call was made for a 
hundred and fifty men of the Fortieth Regiment, 
belonging to this county, and for as many more from 
the adjoining counties, to rendezvous here on the 
9th, each man mounted, and armed with rifle, knife, 
and tomahawk, and a supply of powder for the cam- 
paign. When assembled here they were organized 
in three companies, under Capts. James P. Drake, 
John W. Redding, and Henry Brenton. There was 
some competition for the command of the battalion 
between Col. A. W. Russell and George L. Kinnard, 
a member of Congress in 1835, and scalded to death 
by the explosion of a steamer on the Ohio, while on 
his way to the national capital. He began here as a 
school-teacher a few years before this military expe- 
dition. An adjustment was made which gave the 
command to Russell and the adjutancy to Kinnard. 
The night before the expedition started a consider- 
able portion was encamped on the southeast corner of 
the Military Ground, at the present crossing of Wash- 



110 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ington and West Streets, and the next morning, while 
the people of the town were gathering round ob- 
serving the unwonted spectacle, the men were mould- 
ing bullets by their camp-fires, or throwing toma- 
hawks at a mark. When all were mounted and 
ready to march they made as fine a body of men as 
could have been found in any army in the world. 
They went from here to Chicago, then a fort and an 
Indian trading-post, guided by William Conner, found 
the war virtually at an end, and marched round the 
end of the lake to South Bend, where the late John 
D. Defrees, then editing a paper there, gave them the 
name they have worn ever since, and will as long as 
the memory or history of the expedition remains, the 
" Bloody Three Hundred." It was said that some of 
them wanted to fight about it, but the cooler heads 
dissuaded them. The only warlike incident of the 
little campaign was the firing of a frightened picket at 
a vagrant cow one night, which alarmed the whole 
camp. The battalion returned on the 3d of July, 
and took part in the celebration next day. The fol- 
lowing January they were paid by Maj. Larned. 
William Warren, whose hands were blown off while 
firing a salute to the command, was afterwards pen- 
sioned by act of Congress, obtained by Mr. Kinnard, 
under some neat little confusion of him with the 
military expedition, with which he had no more to 
do than he had with the " Russian Expedition." 
He was digging a cellar when he joined the gun 
squad. The " good old times" were not so much 
more squeamish or scrupulous than ours after all. 

During the summer and early fall of 1832 sub- 
scriptions were made and steps taken to build a 
market-house, the leading men being Charles I. 
Hand and the late John Givan, then a prominent 
and honored citizen, in later life a pauper and semi- 
ti-amp. It was built the following summer where it 
still stands, greatly extended to be sure, but other- 
wise unchanged, and wholly inadequate to its pur- 
poses. Efforts have very recently been made to re- 
place the old structure with one suitable to the size 
and needs of the city, built with the bequest made 
some years ago by the late Stephen Tomlinson, but 
considerable opposition was made in consequence of 
the coupling of a city hall with the market building. 



and the alleged probability that the expense would 
exceed the bequest and create a necessity for more 
city tax, and some technical oversight in letting the 
contract brought an injunction from the court on the 
project, and thus it still lies. Thomas McOuat, 
Josiah Davis, and John Walton were the committee 
charged with the supervision of the work on the first 
and present market-house. Under the act of Jan. 
26, 1832, authorizing a lease of a seminary site to 
the trustees of the county seminary, Demas McFar- 
land. Dr. Livingston Dunlap, and J. S. Hall, the 
trustees, obtained the lease the same year, and began 
measures for erecting the building. The most im- 
portant event of this year, however, was the incor- 
poration of the town under the general law. 

There was no separation of the town from the 
rest of the county till now. All had been gov- 
erned alike by State laws and the officers appointed 
by them. On the 3d of September, 1832, a public 
meeting was held in the court-house, and it was de- 
cided to incorporate the town under the general in- 
corporation act. An election for five trustees was 
held the same month, and Henry P. Coburn, John 
Wilkins, Samuel Merrill, Samuel Henderson, and 
John G. Brown were chosen. They organized by 
making Mr. Henderson president and Israel P. Grif- 
fith secretary. Five wards were made of the old 
plat, — First, all east of Alabama Street ; Second, 
from Alabama to Pennsylvania ; Third, from Penn- 
sylvania to Meridian; Fourth, from Meridian to 
Tennessee ; Fifth, all west of Tennessee. The first 
marshal and collector was Samuel Jennison j the first 
assessor, Glidden True ; the first market-master, 
Fleming T. Luse. Other officers were appointed 
later. In December two general ordinances were 
published, one for the general regulation of the 
town, the other relating specially to the markets. 
The general ordinance created the offices of clerk, 
marshal and collector, treasurer and assessor, all held 
under bond and security. Assessments were to be 
made in January, and tax collections reported to the 
treasurer in June. It will not be uninteresting to 
note the leading offenses defined by this first act of 
municipal legislation, — firing guns or flying kites on 
the streets, leaving cellar-doors open or teams un- 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



Ill 



hitched, driving across or on foot-paths, racing 
horses, letting hogs run at large, keeping stallions 
on Washington Street, keeping piles of wood on the 
same street more than twelve hours, or piles of 
shavings anywhere more than two days, keeping a 
drinking-house or a "show" without license. Of- 
fenders were to be sued in twenty days before a jus- 
tice of the peace in the name of the trustees. 
Meetings of the Board were to be held on the first 
Friday of each month, but at any time on a proper 
call. The market ordinance provided for markets on 
Wednesdays and Saturdays, two hours after daylight, 
the market-master to look after weights and the qual- 
ities of marketable articles, as he does now. Huck- 
stering was prohibited. Town elections were to be 
held annually in September. 

Under this first municipal organization the town 
continued till 1836, then the Legislature passed a 
special act of incorporation legalizing the action of 
the trustees previously. The wards were left un- 
changed, but the election was shifted from September 
to April. The trustees were to elect a president, 
clerk, marshal, lister or assessor, collector, and other 
customary town officers. They were also to levy 
taxes and improve the streets and sidewalks at the 
cost of the owners of the adjacent property. The 
rate of taxation could not exceed one-half of one per 
cent., and could only be levied on property within 
the town plat. The act of incorporation included the 
whole donation for all purposes but taxation. The 
new Board continued the old ordinances mainly un- 
changed. Settlement was made by the former officer 
to April, 1836, the treasurer showing the receipt of a 
revenue for the year of sixteen hundred and ten dol- 
lars, and the expenditure of all but one hundred and 
twenty-four dollars, afar more liberal margin than can 
be found between receipts and expenses nowadays. 
On the 17th of February, 1838, a reincorporation 
act was passed, making no material change, however, 
except increasing the wards to six, electing the presi- 
dent of the Board by a general popular vote, and 
each ward trustee by the voters of the ward. Pre- 
viously all had been elected by a general vote. The 
Board was to be the " Common Council," and elected 
annually, four to make a quorum. The president 



had the jurisdiction and powers of a justice of the 
peace, and the marshal those of a constable. . The 
trustees received twelve dollars a year, or one dollar 
for each regular monthly meeting. The new wards 
were : First, all east of Alabama ; Second, to Penn- 
sylvania; Third, to Meridian; Fourth, to Illinois; 
Fifth, to Mississippi ; Sixth, to the river. Tax sales 
for delinquencies could be made by the new charter, 
and the first was made on the 25th of October, 1839. 
The four boundary streets of the city plat, North, 
South, Bast, and West, had previously been mere 
alleys, or closed altogether in places, but the new 
Council ordered them opened. This city organiza- 
tion continued until it was changed for something like 
a regular city government of a mayor and Council, 
in 1847. Some amendments were made from time 
to time, but nothing that affected the general course 
of public business. In February, 1839, the taxes 
collected in West Indianapolis (now Indianola), west 
of the river, were ordered to be expended, and alleys 
were authorized to be opened in the donation. In 
1840, in February, councilmen were required to serve 
two years instead of one, and were given twenty-four 
dollars a year. In February, 1841, the marshal was 
elected by popular vote, and on Jan. 15, 1844, all the 
town officers were changed from appointment by the 
Council to election by the people. No effort at street 
improvement was made till 1836, and no city engineer 
employed till that year. No grading or paving of 
sidewalks was attempted till 1839 or thereabouts. 
The first survey attempted for any such purpose was 
made by William Sullivan, for many years a justice 
of the peace, at one time a teacher in the Old Semi- 
nary, and one of the most honored of the old resi- 
dents. He made a survey of the street and alley 
between Meridian and Pennsylvania, north side of 
Washington, in 1838. In 1841, James Wood was 
employed to make a general survey, and did so. His 
grades were followed till it was found that his whole 
scheme of survey was based on the idea of turnino- 
the city surface into an inclined plane sloping to the 
southwest corner and into the river, without regard 
to natural features favoring a less artificial and ex- 
pensive drainage. Of the changes of municipal gov- 
ernment after the first organization as a city in 1847 



112 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



an account will be found under the heading of 
" Municipal Government." 

For the first twelve years of the existence of the 
town its history and that of the county are identical. 
The laws and officers of both were the same, the 
taxes, improvements, and changes the same, so far as 
they were dependent on public and official action. 
For a period still longer, as before suggested, there 
was a close identity of social condition. The sepa- 
ration legally came in 1832, but the other only 
became distinct a decade later. There is not much 
to say of the county outside of the town in this 
period of identity. After the erection of the public 
buildings, already noted, there was little to do and 
little means to do with. The following statement of 
receipts for the first half-dozen years of the county 
organization will tell the story of its financial condi- 
tion. Treasurer Yandes' report for 1822 shows that 
the total receipts from licenses and taxes was nine 
hundred and seventy-five dollars and eighty-four 
cents. Another statement shows the net revenue of 
this first year to be eight hundred and fifty-five dol- 
lars. The following table of receipts and expenses of 
the county from its organization to the separation of 
the town by incorporation is compiled from the 
records of the County Board : 



For 1822 S855.00 

" 182.S 730.29 

" 1824 689.60 

" 1825 846.93 

" 1826 915.91 

" 1827 1157.87 

" 1828 918.69 

" 1829 1786.73i 

" 1830 2095.481 

" 1831 2242.454 

" 1832 3176.21i 



Expenses. 

For 1822 Not stated. 

" 1823 $863.70i 

" 1824 962.27i 

" 1825 1235.1SJ 

" 1826 501.73 

" 1827 683.69 

" 1928 688.15i 

" 1829 1034.134 

" 1830 1045.34i 

" 1831 1330.69 

" 1832 2788.034 



The County Board, when the county was organized, 
consisted of three commissioners, as already noted. 
On the 31st of January, 1824, an act of the Legisla- 
ture changed this mode of doing county business for 
a board composed of all the justices of the peace of 
the county. This was repealed in February, 1831, 
and the board of three commissioners restored. In 
1835 this was again made to give place to a board of 
justices, which was once more and finally displaced by 
commissioners in 1837. The first meeting of the 



board of justices was on the 6th of September, 1824, 
at the house of John Carr, the court-house not being 
quite finished yet. Joel Wright was elected presi- 
dent over Wilkes Reagin and Obed Foote. The 
members present were Joel Wright, Henry D. Bell, 
Obed Foote, Jeremiah J. Corbaley, John C. Hume, 
William D. Rooker, Sismund Basye, Wilkes Reagin, 
and Joseph Beeler. It may be noted as a mark of 
the culture of the times that the president of the 
board signs himself " Preasadent of the Bord." 

The work of the Board, whether of justices or com- 
missioners, was largely of a routine character ; receiv- 
ing petitions for the opening of county roads and 
neighborhood roads, appointing " viewers" to examine 
and report on the proposed lines, allowing little claims 
for services or labor of one kind or another, licensing 
stores composed the bulk of it. Occasionally a con- 
stable was appointed and a list of grand and petit jurors 
provided for the clerk to draw from in court terms. 
The first roll of grand jurors, selected from among the 
tax-payers of the county at the May session, 1822, 
and numbering " fifty-four discreet householders," will 
not be uninteresting : 

Alexander Ralston. John McClung. 

Joseph C. Reed. Thomas O'Neal. 

Isaac Wilson. Reuben Putnam. 

Thomas Anderson. John Allison. 

Joseph Catterlin. William C. Blackmore. 

Asahel Dunning. William Dyer. 

Elijah Fox. Samuel D. Honelly. 

Samuel Harding. William Conner. 

Aaron Lambeth. Curtis Mallory. 

Morris Morris. Wilkes Reagin. 

George Norwood. George Smith. 

Daniel Pettingill. Joel Wright. 

William D. Rooker. Robert Brenton. 

John Myers. Jeremiah J. Corbaley. 

James Paige. John Fox. 

Judah Learning. John Hawkins. 

Collins Thorp. Alexis Jackson. 

John Pinch. Samuel G. Mitchell. 

Archibald C. Reed. Samuel Morrow. 

John Smock. James Porter. 

David Wood. William Reagin. 

George Buckner. Peter Harmonson. 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



113 



Isaac Coe. 
Francis Davis. 
James Givan. 
Jeremiali Johnson. 

Zenas Lake. 



Isaac Stevens. 
Amasa Makepeace. 
Joseph McCormick. 
William Bush. 
William Forster. 



A sample of the ordinary business of the county 
will serve as well as a full copy of the records to 
inform the reader of its character. Here is an allow- 
ance : " It is ordered that Calvin Fletcher be allowed 
five dollars and fifty cents for three days' services in 
appraising town lots under the direction of the lister 
(Col. James Paxton), and Caleb Scudder be allowed 
one dollar and fifty cents for one day's similar services, 
all payable out of the county treasury." " Allowed 
Joseph Clark, for making two jury boxes to contain 
the selected names for the grand and petit jurors, 
one dollar." " It is ordered that Calvin Fletcher and 
John Packer be appointed to serve as overseers of the 
poor in Centre- Warren township for, during, and 
until the next session on the second Monday of May 
next." '' Allowed Francis Davis, David Wood, and 
Demas L. McFarland one dollar and fifty cents each 
for two days' services in viewing Harding's road (line 
of old National road), and to Alexander W. Russell, 
for two days' services in surveying the same, two dol- 
lars, payable," etc. Whenever a road was petitioned 
for and favorably considered — usually the result, 
though sometimes remonstrances were put in and the 
road disallowed — three reputable citizens and house- 
holders were appointed to " view" it, and upon their 
report the road was ordered opened. The routes were 
always indicated by the lines of the Congressional 
survey, " section," " township," and " range," and 
marked, as the reports frequently say, " with two hacks 
with tomahawk" or " two chops with an axe" on the 
trees at certain points. Some petitions wanted the 
road opened " to the centre of town." There were 
no cleared streets, not even Washington, at the first 
meetings for county business. Roads out of and 
through the town were cow-paths or stumpy openings 
too densely closed in with trees and brush to allow 
one neighbor to see the house of another within hail- 
ing distance. These will serve as specimens of the 
county road-work, and it was a large portion of all that 
was done. At every session there were from two to a 



half-dozen road petitions to act on, " viewers" to ap- 
point, and reports to receive. Here is a specimen of 
a " store license :" " James Givan and son having 
satisfied the Board that they have not in amount more 
than one thousand dollars in stock of foreign merchan- 
dise, it is ordered that on producing the treasurer's 
receipt for ten dollars they receive a license to retail 
foreign merchandise in this county for one year." The 
tavern license was twelve dollars, and three taverns 
paid it in 1823,. — Hawkins', Carter's, and Blake & 
Henderson's. Occasionally allowances were made for 
thesupport of paupers by private citizens for a short 
time, and like allowances were made to doctors for 
services to the same class. Once in 1825 an allow- 
ance of three dollars is made to Samuel Duke for a 
coffin for a drowned negro, apparently the first person 
drowned in the settlement. The following order 
possesses the interest of novelty, at least to the great 
majority of readers, who are not aware that debtors 
could be imprisoned like thieves in Marion County in 
early times : " Allowed to Hervey Bates for meat and 
drink furnished to John J. E. Barnett and Samuel 
Roberts (one of the first constables), insolvent per- 
sons confined in the county jail at the suit of the 
State." The amount is not given, as the item is 
one of several allowed to Mr. Bates as sherifi'. The 
appointment of supervisors of roads, of school dis- 
tricts, of the poor, the resignations and elections of 
justices and constables, levies of taxes will about 
complete the list of the labors of the County Board, 
added to those above named, during the twelve 
years that the town and county governments were 
identical. 

The events and incidents illustrating the develop- 
ment of the town during seven years, from the organ- 
ization of the first municipal government in 1832 to 
the abandonment of the public works in 1839, which 
forms the second division of the second period of the 
city's history, may be treated in four groups : 1st, 
The temporary improvement in business and real 
estate values, originating in the confidence of an early 
completion of the State's " Internal Improvement 
System ;" 2d, The first establishment of some of the 
industries which are now among the chief agencies of 
the city's prosperity ; 3d, Enlarged educational ad- 



lU 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



vantages; 4th, The organization of some of the usual 
business conveniences of cities. 

1st. Within three years after the organization of 
the town government the swell of the " Internal Im- 
provement" tide began to be felt. Prices of lots stiiF- 
ened and speculation began to reach out for chances. 
The State had spent one hundred thousand dollars in 
making roads, but that could not go far in creating 
transportation facilities in a country of dense woods 
and few settlements. What the people wanted was 
means of getting away and getting home with goods 
and produce, and country roads were a very inade- 
quate provision. Railroads were a recent improve- 
ment about which the whole country was excited, and 
Indiana wanted railroads. The Wabash and Erie 
Canal was advancing with the help of Congressional 
grants, but water-ways were wanted for the central 
and eastern parts of the State. A canal to connect 
the Ohio with the Wabash Canal was to pass through 
here. A railroad to make a similar connection 
higher up the Ohio was also to pass through 
here. Other railroads, as before noted, aimed here 
either as a terminus or necessary junction. The Leg- 
islature of 1835-36, the first that met in the new 
State-House, was confidently expected to go largely 
into the improvement business and give Indianapolis 
an especially elevating lift. Thus started the first 
speculative movement in the history of the city. The 
Legislature did not disappoint expectation. The 
" Internal Improvement Bill," giving State aid to five 
or six railroad, turnpike, and canal projects, notably 
the Central Canal and the Madison Railroad, and 
ordering the issue of ten million dollars of bonds 
to make the aid effective, was passed on the 26tli of 
January, 1836, and was welcomed in advance on the 
16th with bonfires and a brilliant illumination, the 
first ever witnessed here, and the saddest in the out- 
come that was ever witnessed anywhere. The canal 
it was known would pass through one of the western 
streets, and speculation moved that way. Some of 
the heaviest sales that had ever been made were of 
lots on Washington Str(^t, along the two blocks be- 
tween Mississippi and Missouri. William Quarles, 
one of the most prominent criminal lawyers of the 
State, built a residence as close to the line of the 



canal as he could get. The settlement which had so 
long been moving eastward, away from the river and 
the site of the first settlement, began moving back. 
Houses were rising rapidly and settlers coming in en- 
couragingly. The great crash came the next year, 
but it did not disturb the confidence of the people 
here. The State's bonds still supplied money, kept 
the public works going, and furnished means of spec- 
ulation and appearances of prosperity; but in 1839 
the shock fell with full force here, after sending 
ahead premonitory tremors for several months. Prices 
fell and speculators were ruined ; business was univer- 
sally embarrassed ; real estate, both town and country, 
was abundant but unavailable, — it would not bring 
cash and could not pay debts. A good many sacri- 
ficed all they had and even then did not pay all they 
owed. Many others made compromises that enabled 
them to look around and wait for chances, and finally 
came out with a good start in another race. The 
Bankrupt Act of 1841 proved a great help to strug- 
gling honesty with unavailable means, yet fewer of 
the business men of Indianapolis than of probably 
any town in the State sought its relief. The great 
" Internal Improvement System," which was expected 
to prove so great a blessing, turned out an almost 
unmitigated curse. For six years it burdened the 
tax-payer and for twenty discredited the State. The 
failure to keep up the interest in 1841 and thence 
on to 1846, when the Butler compromise with the 
bondholders was completed (by giving up the Wabash 
Canal for seven million five hundred thousand dollars, 
half of the principal debt, and issuing two and a 
half per cent, bonds for the unpaid interest and five 
per cent, bonds for the other half of the principal), 
placed Indiana among the repudiating States, and was 
a drag on her and the capital town for many a year. 

The canal and railroad intended for this place were 
not wholly thrown away, however. The Madison 
Railroad was completed and running north to Vernon 
a year or two before the panic struck it. Until 1843 
the State operated it with little advantage to anybody. 
Then it was sold to a company, as will be more par- 
ticularly related in the part of the work treating 
of "Transportation" and railroads. The canal was 
worked in many places at once along a large part of 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



115 



its length, but mainly from the river at Noblesville to 
the lower part of Morgan County. A large force 
was engaged in and near the town, and it was at that 
time, from 1837 to 1839, that songs of " the canawl" 
were so popular with the "uncultured." Some allu- 
sion to them was made in the preceding chapter. 
Of course there were frequent rows and bloody fights. 
On one occasion in 1838 two factions of the Irish 
hands kept up a fight nearly all day, engaging some 
hundreds altogether and furnishing a good many sur- 
gical subjects, but none fortunately for the sexton. 
For two years long lines of little shanties, stuck in 
among heaps of sand and piles of logs and brush cut 
out of the line of the canal, were conspicuous features 
of a dreary scene that they made doubly dreary. 
Simultaneously with the canal work was going on the 
grading and metaling of the National road, and the 
two evil attractions brought here an unusual force of 
worthless or mischievous characters, as noted in a 
previous chapter. Their outrages both of violence 
and theft became intolerable, and a public meeting 
was called to devise a remedy. It was decided to 
make an organization of the citizens, something like a 
Vigilance Committee, with the conspicuous difference 
that it was intended to enforce instead of supersede 
the laws. This movement had a wholesome effect, 
which was strengthened afterward by the rough hand- 
ling of the leader, Burkhart, as related in the sketch 
of the history of camp-meetings. 

The canal was entirely completed between the city 
and Broad Ripple, where there was a feeder-dam, and 
for a time used a little for the legitimate purpose 
of transporting wood and corn and occasional loads 
of hay or lumber, and a good deal for the less legiti- 
mate purpose of bathing and fishing. If passengers 
ever used it they did it in a skiff. An eager run was 
made for water-power, as will be noticed further along 
in the account of the manufactures of this period. 
A stone lock was put in at Market Street, and a race- 
way taken westward north of Market, as may be seen 
to-day, for mills nearer the river. Two wooden locks 
were put in at the bluff of the swamp called " Palmer's 
Glade," near the line of Kansas Street, but never 
finished. The canal was never used for anything but 
a mill-race below the stone lock, and for many of its 



last years it was not used for that. It was made a sort 
of open sewer, into which everybody who lived handy 
threw their old boots and dead cats, ashes and rotten 
cabbage, till it was too offensive to be borne. In 1870 
it was abandoned altogether below Market Street, and 
a sewer was laid in the bottom of it from Market to 
Louisiana Street, where it connected with the main 
sewer down Kentucky Avenue. Then it was rapidly 
filled up as far down as Merrill Street, and in scattered 
places farther south, till it was measurably effaced. 
Recently it has been built in and over, and on the site 
of the steel-rail rolling-mill has been so completely 
destroyed that the most familiar eye fails to discern its 
place, and only in a short " reach" above Morris 
Street can any remains be detected. From Market 
Street to the Ripple it is now an important adjunct of 
the water-works, and is used for boating, swimming, 
fishing, skating, and in packing far more than the 
river is or ever was. The account of the changes in 
this portion of it belongs to the sketch of the water- 
works. The owners of the ground (or their assignees) 
through which the canal diverged eastward from 
Missouri Street at the crossing of Merrill, reaching 
nearly to Tennessee Street, when abandoned by the 
State's assignees as a means of navigation and hydraulic 
power, reclaimed their proprietary rights. The In- 
dianapolis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Railroad Com- 
pany, which had purchased of the State's assignees the 
lower part of the work, brought suit to restrain them 
from filling it up or obstructing it. Judge Drum- 
mond, of the United States Court, in an elaborate 
opinion, sustained the rights of the original owners of 
the ground, and thus this costly work was legally 
allowed to be wiped out, so far as the lower station of 
it is concerned. It was virtually finished, except an 
aqueduct at Pleasant Run and some of the southern 
creeks, nearly or quite to the Bluffs, but after the 
abandonment of 1839 it was never used, never held 
water, and was soon overgrown with underbrush. 

2d. Before the organization of the town govern- 
ment no attempt was made at manufacturing other 
than the usual custom work of the mechanics who 
are among the early settlers of all towns, except in 
iron, leather, pottery, and the preparation of ginseng. 
There were two pottery establishments in the place 



116 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



as early as 1832 or earlier, and a third not far from 
the same time. One of the early two was on Mary- 
land Street, near Tennessee, the site of the Chamber 
of Commerce, belonging to a Mr. Myers ; the other 
was removed to make room for the State Bank build- 
ing in 1840, and was established by Robert Brenton, 
It occupied the peak between Illinois Street and 
Kentucky Avenue, very near the first school-house. 
The third was on Washington Street, north side, 
near New Jersey, and set its furnace in the " ravine" 
that ran through the ground down to the creek, as 
described in the '' topography" of the town. The.se 
probably made ware for stock, besides what was made 
on order, before the town organization. Daniel 
Yandes, one of the industrial pioneers and benefactors 
of the settlement, in connection with John Wilkius, 
carried on a tannery on Alabama Street, near the site 
of the city station-house, for several years before. As 
early as 1830 or earlier James Blake and Nicholas 
McCarty established a ginseng or, as it was called in 
its day, a " sang"-factory, on the south bluff of 
Pogue's Run Valley, near the Cincinnati Railroad 
depot site. Mr. McCarty bought the ginseng of 
farmers here, and through his agents and branch 
stores in other places, and Mr. Blake attended to the 
preparation of it and its shipment to Philadelphia 
for the Chinese market. Very near the time of the 
first town organization Joshua Grover did .some iron 
foundry work, but nothing of any importance was at- 
tempted till August, 1832. Then R. A. McPherson 
& Co. established a considerable foundry on the west 
side of the river, at the end of the bridge then in 
progress. It failed, however, about the same time 
the big steam-mill enterprise failed, as before related. 
These are all of the more extended industries that 
preceded the town government. There were the 
grist- and saw-mills and carding-machines, and the 
usual blacksmith, carpenter, wagon-maker, tailor, 
shoemaker, cabinet, and other shops, and the town 
fiddler. Bill Bagwell, made cigars on the southwest 
corner of Illinois and Maryland Streets, but the 
workmen usually kept no journeymen, and did all 
their own work for customers. For twenty years or 
more apprentices were taken under indenture to learn 
the trade and live with their masters, getting a sum 



of money and a suit of clothes at twenty-one, but the 
apprentice system passed away with the changes 
brought by the railroads. It is supposed that Mr. 
Johnson, who established the first stage line in 1828, 
opened a shop for coach repairs, and later for manu- 
facture, about the time of the establishment of the 
town government. 

Enterprise began to appear more conspicuously 
soon after this. In 1834, John L. Young and Wil- 
liam Wernweg started the first brewery, on Maryland 
Street, south side, half-way between Missouri and 
West. About 1840 it was taken by Joseph Laux, 
and later by Mr. Meikel. About the same time a 
rope-walk was started on Market Street, east of the 
market-house, and a linseed-oil mill -was put in opera- 
tion by John S. Barnes and Williamson Maxwell in 
a stable on the alley south of Maryland Street, near 
Missouri, close to the grounds of the present ward 
school. Scudder & Hannaman got it the next year, 
and moved it to the river bank in 1839. In 1835 
the same enterprising firm began the manufacture of 
tobacco in the log building on Kentucky Avenue, 
below Merrill, where a carding-machine, run by 
horse-power, had previously been operated. In that 
year James Bradley, with one or two associates, cut, 
cured, and packed pork in Myers' old pottery-shop, 
on the site of the Chamber of Commerce, for the first 
time in the history of the place. It was the feeble 
beginning, ending in failure, of what has grown to be 
the largest industrial interest of the city. Its ill- 
fortune warned enterprise away for several years, but 
when it came again, a half-dozen years later, it 
" came to stay." In 1835, Robert Underbill and 
John Wood started a steam foundry on Pennsyl- 
vania Street, near the site of the Second Presby- 
terian Church, and maintained it successfully in 
making plow points, mill gearing, and domestic hol- 
low-ware till 1852, when he removed to South Penn- 
sylvania Street, began a larger establishment, failed, 
and left the building to other uses, and it was burned 
in 1858. In 1836-37, Young & Pottage, carrying 
on the hardware business, on the southwest corner of 
Meridian and Washington Streets, engaged John J. 
Nash to make carpenters' planes, and the excellence 
of his work commanded a profitable trade as long as 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



117 



the firm continued. In 1836, Hiram Devinney be- 
gan the manufacture of mattresses, cushions, and 
similar work, near Maryland Street and the line of 
the canal. In 1839, Soudder & Hannaman built a 
carding-mill on the river bank, near the site of the 
water-works, and added some spinning, weaving, 
and fulling machinery. About the same time Na- 
thaniel West established a mill of the same kind at 
the crossing of the canal and the Michigan road, 
long called Cottontown. He also carried on cotton- 
spinning there at the same time. At very nearly 
the same time a German by the name of Protzman, 
the first leader of the first brass band in the town, 
began the manufacture of soap, on the canal, near 
McCarty Street, then a lane, among cow-pastures and 
cornfields ; and about that time, too, Nicholas Mc- 
Carty began the manufacture of hemp, grown on his 
Bayou farm, on the canal, near the present line of 
Ray Street. Within a few months William Sheets 
established the first paper-mill on the canal and race 
at Market Street, and maintained it successfully 
nearly all his life after. In 1839 or 1840 a hay- 
press was set up on the lot opposite the northwest 
corner of the State-House Square, and a considerable 
quantity of hay was pressed there for shipment by 
flat-boats down the Mississippi River. There were 
two or three at one time, but the business was not 
maintained long. These early industries will be noticed 
more particularly in the department of Manufactures. 
It will be noticed that several of the industries re- 
ferred to here were started in 1838 and 1839, just 
before the failure of the public works. The canal, 
it was confidently believed, would some time be 
completed, and, in any event, it supplied a consider- 
able water-power, which could be leased on favorable 
terms of the State. This is the explanation of the 
matter. By the 11th of June, 1838,- sites were 
leased for one woolen-mill and one cotton-mill, two 
paper-mills, one oil-, two grist-, and two saw-mills, 
and the buildings soon after erected and set to work. 
There was long complaint of the inadequacy of the 
power, and the frequent obstructions from grasses 
and other vegetable growths, and of the ofi'ensiveness 
of the canal-bed when the water was shut ofi' to allow 
the grass to be cut. The Legislature ordered it sold 



Jan. 19, 1850, and it was sold in 1851 to Gould & 
Jackson, who sold the next fall to the " Central 
Canal Hydraulic Water- Works and Manufacturing 
Company," an association whose multitudinous name 
was the best part of it. From that concern the canal 
passed to other hands, and finally, as already stated, 
into the possession of the present Water-Works 
Company, where it is likely to stay. 

In February, 1835, the State Board of Agriculture 
was chartered by the Legislature, with James Blake, 
Larkin Simms, John Owen, and M. M. Henkle direc- 
tors, of whom Mr. Blake was president, and Mr. 
Henkle secretary. They offered premiums for essays, 
and made rules for the organization of county asso- 
ciations. A State Agricultural Convention was held 
in the State-House Dec. 14, 1835, and two or three 
smaller meetings were held annually afterwards, but 
the enterprise was premature. A County Society was 
formed in June, 1835, with Nathan B. Palmer as 
president and Douglass Maguire as secretary, and col- 
lected subscriptions for a premium fund, aided to the 
extent of fifty dollars by the board of justices, which 
was disbursed on the last day of October in one hun- 
dred and eighty-four dollars of premiums on exhibi- 
tions made in the court-house yard at that time. For 
the premiums of the next fair four hundred dollars 
was subscribed, and the exhibitions promised to be- 
come as permanent as the State Fairs are now, but 
the crash of 1837 ruined this with many another 
promising project of improvement. The " Benevolent 
Society," still the most extensive, active, and effective 
of the city's charities, was organized in November, 
1835, with much the same arrangement as now, — a 
president, secretary, treasurer, depositary, and visitors. 
The latter collected clothes, money, household goods, 
groceries, anything that the destitute could use, and 
stored them with the depositary, to be delivered on 
proper orders. Several associations have been formed 
on the same plan since, particularly the " Ladies' 
Relief Society" and the " Flower Mission," but one 
has disbanded, and the other, active and beneficent as 
it is, can hardly hope to reach the extent of service 
of the association now nearly a half-century old. 

3d. The improvement of educational agencies in 
this interval following the institution of the town gov- 



118 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ernment was hardly less conspicuous than the improve- 
ment of business and real estate, and it was much 
more durable. The " Old Seminary" was finished in 
1834, and first occupied by the late Gen. Ebenezer 
Dumont, Sept. 1, 1834. The following January he 
was succeeded by William J. Hill, who afterwards 
taught in the old carpenter-shop on the northwest 
corner of Market and Delaware Streets, where he was 
succeeded in 1836 by Josephus Cicero Worrall, as he 
always signed himself in his magniloquent quarterly 
announcements. Thomas D. Gregg, who died some 
years ago and left a handsome bequest to the city, 
succeeded Mr. Hill in May, 1836, in the seminary, 
and William Sullivan, for many years a justice of the 
peace and still living, honored by everybody, followed 
in December, 1836. Rev. William A. Holliday, 
father of John H., the founder of the Indianapolis 
News, came next in August, 1837. James S. Kem- 
per, still annually honored in the reunions of the 
"Old Seminary Boys," succeeded Mr. Holliday in the 
summer of 1838, and continued till 1845, when Rev. 
J. P. SaiFord, recently deceased in Zanesville, Ohio, 
succeeded for a short time, and was followed by Mr. 
B. L. Lang till 1852. Mr. Kemper's methods and 
success, and his long retention of the school, made 
him and the seminary so popular as to draw pupils 
from other States, and the course of study was as 
thorough in all branches as that of most colleges. A 
large number of the prominent men of the city and 
State were pupils at the Old Seminary. Five years 
ago they formed an association called the " Old Semi- 
nary Boys," gray-headed and bald-headed fathers and 
grandfathers, to hold annual reunions, and with their 
families renew old games, associations, and memories. 
Twice Mr. Kemper and his wife have been present, 
and once Mr. Lang was present. The oflScers now 
are : President, Calvin Fletcher ; Secretary, George 
W. Sloan ; Corresponding Secretary, Oliver M. Wilson ; 
Treasurer, Ingram Fletcher ; Historian, B. R. Sul- 
grove. In 1878, at the first reunion, there were 
" Old Boys" present who had not met their old 
school-mates and teacher, Mr. Kemper, in forty years. 
It was a gathering almost unique in any country of 
the world, and entirely so in Indiana. A meeting of 
the school-boys and teacher of a school long past in a 



house long torn away, after the lapse of forty years, 
was something to remember, at least for the partici- 
pants. The seminary in 1853 was taken into the 
free-school system, then first made practical. More 
will be said of the schools in the proper place. 

A few years later than the opening of the County 
Seminary, mainly for boys, though girls attended for 
a short time, the Misses Axtell opened a school of 
corresponding grade for girls exclusively. It was 
called the " Indianapolis Female Institute," and was 
chartered by the Legislature at the session of 1836— 
37. The first term began June 14, 1837, in the 
upper story of the Sanders Block, on Washington 
near Meridian Street. Subsequently a removal was 
made to the upper rooms on the same street a half- 
block east of Meridian, where the city offices were 
kept for a time, and burned in the winter of 1851-52. 
Soon after a frame building was erected on the grounds 
of the old Presbyterian Church on Pennsylvania 
Street, south of the Exchange Block, and the insti- 
tute taken there, where it remained while the Misses 
Axtell lived. These two schools were a great ad- 
vance on those previous to their establishment ; but 
they were not " alone in their glory." In October, 
1847, Gilman Blarston, since of national reputation 
as a member of Congress from New Hampshire, a 
general during the civil war, and a Territorial Gov- 
ernor since the war, opened a school in the rooms 
afterwards taken by the Axtells, in connection with 
Mrs. Eliza Richmond. The next summer they re- 
moved to a frame specially built for them on Circle 
Street, near the site of the residence of Mr. W. H. 
English. It was called " Franklin Institute," and 
looked like a country church. Mr. Marston left it 
the following year, 1839, and was succeeded by Or- 
lando Chester, who died in 1840, and then Mr. John 
Wheeler togk it and kept for a couple of years, when 
it was abandoned. In November, 1839, Mrs. Britton, 
wife of the Episcopalian minister, opened a female 
seminary on Pennsylvania Street, near the Underbill 
foundry, afterwards removed to the building north of 
Christ Church, and long known as " St. Mary's Semi- 
nary," under Mrs. Johnson, wife of a successor of 
Mr. Britton in the reotoi'y. 

From 1836, Josephus Cicero Worrall kept what | 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



119 



he called the " Indianapolis Academy" in the old 
building above referred to. He was a " character," 
and not by any means a pleasant one. He did not 
know much, but he could make polysyllabic poluphlos- 
boyant announcements of the approaching opening 
of his terms that puzzled the little dictionaries of the 
day, and would have delighted the classic ears of 
" Lorenzo Altisonant." They were the periodical 
jokes of the town. His tastes and habits were as 
eccentric as his literature. His fondness for tobacco 
was a ravenous hunger. He tore it ofif in wads of a 
mouthful, and crunched it with the eagerness of a 
hungry Hoosier at a show on a " quarter section" of 
gingerbread. He smoked as much as he chewed, 
and he smoked while he chewed. When he didn't 
smoke he kept the stub of a cigar in his mouth 
and mumbled it, while he rolled a quid as a sweet 
morsel under his tongue. When he undertook to ex- 
plain some mathematical intricacy to a pupil he would 
spit a shower of damp tobacco flakes on the slate and 
rub them off to one side like snow off a sidewalk. 
He whipped incessantly, with little care for provoca- 
tion, but usually contented himself with a single stroke 
of a beech switch applied to the pupil in her seat, 
face to the wall and back turned out, as the house 
was arranged. He generally made a circuit of the 
three seated sides of the room about four times in each 
session of the day, and whipped about one pupil in three 
in each round. He made the boys saw or chop his 
wood and carry it into his residence, which was a 
little shed adjoining the school-house on the north. 
Some of them were required to lose their Saturday's 
holiday to help him move to a little frame on the 
southeast corner of Delaware and Ohio Streets. The 
girls were made to help his wife take care of the 
baby, or wash, or do other housework. Of course 
everybody, boys and girls, detested him. On Christ- 
mas-day, 1837, they " barred him out," the first and 
only time that this old game was played with a teacher 
in Indianapolis. He was not allowed to get in till he 
" treated," which he did with a half-dollar's worth of 
cider and apples, and got most of both himself. His 
school continued in a feeble way after Mr. Kemper 
took the seminary for five or six years. 

Contemporaneously with Mr. Worrall another char- 



acter, that would be called in the apt slang of the day 
and Guiteau a " crank," taught a small school of small 
boys in the lower room of a frame building on the 
opposite side of Market Street from the " Academy." 
His name was Main, and he was a Scotchman of un- 
doubted but utterly unavailable learning. He was as 
fond of snuff as his compeer of the other school was 
of tobacco, and he carried a Scotch " mull," made of 
horn and capped with silver, that would hold a half- 
pint at least. He was very absent-minded, and given 
to sitting with his spectacles dropped low on the tip 
of his nose and gazing away off in the atmosphere, 
as completely lost to his surroundings as if he were 
asleep, or holding his head squeezed between his hands 
with his elbows on the table, staring fixedly at a 
crack or a nail-hole as a mesmeric subject stares at a 
dime to induce sleep. In these moods he noticed 
nothing about him. The boys could play marbles, 
or pull pins, or run out-doors and roll round in the 
weeds in perfect safety. If the old fellow should 
come out of his reverie he would notice no disorder, 
and had usually to be prompted to know what his 
next class was. If he wandered off dreaming while 
hearing a recitation, as he sometimes did, he had to 
be told what the class was and where the recitation 
had stopped when he came to himself. Not unfre- 
quently he would sit through the better of a half- 
day's session and never think of calling a class unless 
reminded by some importunate and preposterous pupil, 
a weakness, however, that very few boys could re- 
proach themselves with. He taught but a single 
quarter, and then removed, with bis brother, a tailor 
and his brother-in-law, the first stone-cutter, or one of 
the first, a Mr. Spear, to Arkansas. But very few, 
even of the old residents, ever knew anything of him 
or can now recall him, he was so retiring and indif- 
ferent to company. Of the earlier private schools 
and of the public schools an account will be given in 
the chapter of schools, with a notice of all the educa- 
tional institutions of the city. 

4th. During the short period under consideration 
were established some of those business conveniences 
which in old communities soon become necessities ; 
that is, banks and insurance companies and protection 
against, as well as indemnity for, damage by fire. The 



120 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



State Bank was chartered Jan. 28, 1834, to run for 
twenty-five years. The State took half of the stock, 
and appointed the president and half of the directors. 
Bonds called " bank bonds" were issued to pay out the 
State's stock, and made payable from the State's divi- 
dends. These dividends were to be employed as a 
sinking fund, and make loans to accommodate farmers 
and purchasers of land primarily on mortgage security ; 
the president of the bank to be president of the fund 
management. The profits of the fund as well as 
the principal were to be applied first to pay the bank 
bonds, and the remainder was to go to the school fund. 
So judiciously was this fund managed that when it 
was wound up finally some twenty years ago it paid 
to the support of free schools a permanent fund of 
nearly four million dollars. The first president of 
the bank and fund was Samuel Merrill, State treas- 
urer ; the first State directors, Calvin Fletcher, Seton 
W. Norris, Robert Morrison, and Thomas H. Scott. 
James M. Ray was appointed cashier, and remained 
so till the bank was wound up. In the first place ten 
branches were created in the principal towns of the 
State, but the number was finally increased to sixteen. 
Samuel Merrill was president till 1840, when he was 
made president of the Madison Railroad. He was 
succeeded by Judge James Morrison till 1850, he 
by the late Gen. Ebenezer Dumont till 1855, and 
he by Hugh McCullooh, Secretary of the Treasury, 
succeeding Mr. Fessenden. W. H. Talbott was 
president of the sinking fund in its last years while 
closing up, about 1863 to 1864. The first location 
of the mother-bank was in the Governor's house in 
the Circle, then on Washington Street, and was re- 
moved to its own building, corner of Illinois Street 
and Kentucky Avenue, in 1840. In 1837, when the 
great financial crash came, the bank and all its 
branches suspended specie payment May 18th, and 
remained suspended till Jan. 15, 1842, when the 
Legislature ordered resumption. This course did not 
impair either the credit or usefulness of the institu- 
tion. 

The Indianapolis Branch was organized Nov. 11, 
1834, with Hervey Bates, president, and Bethuel F. 
Morris, cashier. The location was on the south side 
of Washington Street, on the site tif the present 



Vance Block. The oflBcers and location were retained 
together till 1840, when the building corner of 
Pennsylvania Street and Virginia Avenue, corre- 
sponding in situation to the parent bank, was finished 
and the institution removed there. Some years after 
Calvin Fletcher was made president in place of Mr. 
Bates, and Thomas H. Sharpe cashier in place of Mr. 
Morris, and these remained till the bank was wound 
up. Of the Bank of the State, the successor of the 
State Bank, but with no State interest in it, an ac- 
count will be found under the head of " Banks," with 
a notice of all the banking establishments of the city. 
In this connection may be noticed the first private 
bank ever opened here. It was owned by Mr. John 
Wood, one of the firm in the Pennsylvania Street 
foundry, and began business in 1838. He failed in 
September, 1841. In 1839, Edward S. Alvord & 
Co. did a private banking business for four or five 
years. At the same time Stoughton A. Fletcher, 
brother of Calvin, began the same business, either at 
first or soon after joined by William D. Wygant, on 
Washington Street, and that was the beginning of a 
most successful business, now in its forty-fourth year, 
as Fletcher & Churchman's bank. 

The first insurance company was organized here 
March 16, 1836, under a fifty-year charter, with a cap- 
ital of two hundred thousand dollars. Douglass Ma- 
guire was president, and Caleb Scudder secretary. It 
never did much, but was in operation till shortly before 
the outbreak of the war. In 1865 the stock passed 
into the hands of able managers and a new company 
was organized, with William Henderson as president, 
and Alexander C. Jameson as secretary. The Indi- 
ana Mutual Fire Insurance Company was chartered 
Jan. 30, 1837, and organized the next month, with 
James Blake as president, and Charles W. Cady as 
secretary and actuary and general manager. It did 
well for a few years, but the plan was said to be inef- 
fectively contrived, and it met some serious losses and 
became insolvent, going out altogether about the year 
1850. 

On the completion of the State-House in 1835, the 
Legislature provided for its protection from fire by 
ordering its insurance and the purchase of twenty 
leather fire-buckets, and ladders long enough to reach 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



121 



the roof. It also proposed to pay half of the cost of 
a fire-engine if the citizens would subscribe the other 
half. A meeting was held February 12th to consider 
the proposition. The old fire company of 1827 reor- 
ganized as the Marion Fire Hose and Protection Com- 
pany, famous for many a year after the " Old Marion," 
and the main dependence of the volunteer department 
for more than twenty years. Caleb Scudder was the 
first captain. The meeting requested the trustees to 
levy a tax to pay the town's share of the cost of the 
engine, and it was done, aided by individual subscrip- 
tions, and the Marion end-brake hand-engine, manned 
by twenty-eight to thirty men, and able to throw an 
inch stream two hundred feet, was bought of Merrick. 
& Co., Philadelphia, for one thousand eight hundred 
dollars. The State built a little one-story house for it 
in 1836, but in 1837 the town built a two-story frame 
north side of the Circle, with a room for the Council 
on the second story. It was burned in 1851. The 
company was incorporated the next year. A second 
company was formed in 1840, but an account of the 
whole fire department from the first will be found 
under that caption. Five fire-wells were made in 
1835-36. 

The State militia system, as already described, fell 
into disuse and discredit soon after the settlement of 
the town, and no substitute was attempted by State or 
local or individual influence till 1837. Then a meet- 
ing was held on the 22d of February to form a mili- 
tary company. Alexander W. Russell, the old militia 
colonel, was made captain, and succeeded the next 
year by Gen. Thomas A. Morris, then but a few years 
out of West Point. He distinguished himself in the 
first campaign of the civil war in West Virginia by 
really doing all the planning and work that made that 
so brilliant a success. Gen. McClellan was still in the 
East, and arrived just in time to see the completion 
of Gen. Morris' work, and appropriate all the credit 
of it. This company continued to drill and parade 
and decorate public occasions by its excellent drill and 
handsome gray uniform faced with black velvet till 
1845. The company was incorporated in 1838. The 
following year the Marion Rifles formed a company 
under Capt. Thomas McBaker. Their uniform was 
a blue cotton " hunting-shirt" fringed, with blue 



breeches, and they were armed with the clumsiest 
breech-loading rifles that were ever invented. 

A notable event of this period was the completion 
and opening of what may be fairly called the first 
"hotel" in the place, in 1836, the "Washington 
Hall," turned into the " Glenn Block" and New 
York Store in 1859. It was kept for many years by 
the late Edmund Browning, and was the Whig head- 
quarters as long as there was a Whig party, as the 
Palmer House was the headquarters of the Dem- 
ocracy. A complete account of the hotels will be 
found in another part of the work. The Palmer 
House, now Occidental, it may be observed here, was 
begun in the latter part of 1839, and opened in 1841 
by John C. Parker, of Charleston, Clarke Co., Ind. 
The first editorial convention was held here May 29, 
1837. The first ladies' fair was held December 31st 
of the year for the benefit of the Ladies' Missionary 
Society, and made two hundred and thirty dollars. 
Professor C. P. Bronson, the first noted elocutionist 
that visited Central Indiana, lectured Aug. 30, 1836. 
At the second meeting of the County Agricultural So- 
ciety, Calvin Fletcher, the orator of the occasion, said 
that one million three hundred thousand bushels of 
corn had been produced on thirteen hundred farms in 
the county. Luke Munsell and William Sullivan both 
published maps of the town in 1836, the former May 
30th, and the latter in October. Revs. James Havens 
and John C. Smith held a great camp-meeting that 
year on the Military Ground, August 25th to 30th, 
and made one hundred and thirty conversions. In 
1837, while the metaling of the National road in 
Washington Street was going on, the trustees took 
measures to improve the sidewalks. They were made 
fifteen feet wide in the original plan, but were subse- 
quently widened to twenty, and the ninety-feet street- 
walks were originally changed from ten to twelve, and 
later to fifteen. The property-holders resisted the 
changes because it increased the expense of improve- 
ment, which was charged against the property. This 
was the first street improving ever attempted. The 
first clothing-store was opened here in 1838 by Ben- 
jamin Orr. In 1839 a mistake of eight acres was 
discovered in the original survey of the donation. 
Congress generously added the ground to the donation 



122 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



in 1840, on the memorial of the Legislature. The 
first Thanksgiving ever held in the State was in 1839, 
on a proclamation of Governor Wallace fixing Thurs- 
day, the 28th of November, as the day. The winter 
of 1838-39 saw the first attempt at a regular the- 
atrical exhibition with orchestra, scenery, and all the 
usual adjuncts of the stage. The manager was a Mr. 
Lindsay. His theatre was the wagon-shop of Mr. 
Ollaman, on Washington Street, opposite the court- 
house. He returned in 1840-41, and made a theatre 
of an old printing-office on the present site of the 
News building. A few years later another company 
gave concerts and dramatic exhibitions in the upper 
room cf Gaston's carriage-factory, site of the Bates 
House. 

On the 12th of February, 1839, the Legislature 
ordered the State ofScers to buy the residence, re- 
cently finished, of Dr. John H. Sanders, corner of 
Illinois and Market Streets, for a residence for the 
Governor. Until that time the need of an official 
Executive residence had not been felt. Governor 
Noble, the predecessor of Governor Wallace, was a 
resident of the town, and lived during his two terms 
in his own house. So did Governor Ray, who, as 
acting Governor for a year succeeding in the fraction 
of the term of Governor Hendricks, who had gone 
to the National Senate, and for two terms, or six 
years, as regularly elected Executive, held the office 
nearly all the time after the removal of the capital 
from Corydon. But Governor Wallace came from 
Brookville, had no residence here, and for some time 
lived in a two-story house on the south side of Wash- 
ington Street, just west of the canal. The Executive 
mansion was occupied all the time from 1839 till 
1863, in the fall, when Governor Morton abandoned 
it on account of its unhealthiness, and went to board- 
ing with his family till he made a purchase of the 
residence on the southeast corner of Pennsylvania and 
New York Streets, where he lived the remainder of 
his life, and died in the fall of 187*7. The Governors 
all suffered in that house. Governor Bigger, who 
succeeded Governor Wallace, seems to have contracted 
there the disease that carried him off soon after he 
left the office. Governor Whitcomb, who married 
while occupying the house, lost his young wife there. 



Governor Wright lost his first wife there. Governor 
Willard's wife was always ill while there. Governor 
Lane only held the office two or three days, and never 
bad a chance to test the morbific influence of the 
house, but Governor Morton did and left. It and 
the quarter of a square, or one acre, of ground about 
were sold in 1865, and compact masses of business 
houses cover the whole space. 

In May, 1838, the split that had for some time 
been moving deeper into the Presbyterian brotherhood 
reached Indianapolis and a division was made, fifteen 
members withdrawing and forming the Second Church, 
Nov. 19, 1838, under Rev. J. H. Johnson. In May, 
1839, Henry Ward Beecher was called from Lawrence- 
burg, where he began his now famous ministry, and 
served here till Sept. 19, 1847. The Episcopalians, 
who had been using the court-house for a church 
since 1835 occasionally, organized a church in the 
spring of 1837, and built Christ Church the next 
year. A sketch of the history of all the churches 
will treat these more fully. 

The first murders in the town took place in the 
seven years of this period which have been under 
consideration. On the 8th of May, Michael Van 
Blaricum drowned William McPherson while ferrying 
him across the river, just below the line of the present 
Washington Street bridge, by wilfully rocking and 
upsetting the boat. His motive appears to have been 
a sort of contemptuous dislike of his victim, whom 
he regarded as what in these days is called a " dude," 
and probably meant no worse than to duck him and 
spoil his clothes. He asserted that he intended no 
more. But he was convicted and sent to the peniten- 
tiary for three years in October, 1834. He was par- 
doned when his time was about half out. He was the 
ferryman of the ferry at that point. The second 
murder was bloodier and less excusable. It was 
committed April 27, 1836, by Arnold Lashley on 
Zachariah Collins. Lashley was a coach-maker, who 
had succeeded the Johnsons in the establishment on 
the site now occupied by the post-office and the busi- 
ness houses north of it on the east side of Pennsyl- 
vania Street, a Kentuckian and a hot-tempered fellow. 
Collins was a charcoal-burner who supplied Lashley's 
establishment. On the day of the homicide he had 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



123 



brought in a wagon-load of coal, and ivas unloading 
it in the usual place, when Lashley complained that 
the coal was dirty, and ordered him to stop unloading 
it. Collins seems to have been as surly as Lashley 
was fiery, and went coolly on with his work ; after a 
few words more of remonstrance, Lashley seized a 
single-tree lying on the floor and struck Collins on 
the head or neck, killing him instantly. He was 
arrested, and after a preliminary examination held to 
bail. While under bail he ran away and was never 
seen or heard of here again. Not long after this an 
Indianapolis or Marion County man of the name of 
McDowell had a quarrel with some one at a race in 
Hamilton County, and killed him by a blow that 
broke his neck. 

In 1838-39 a market-house was built for thp 
western part of the town on the west side of Ten- 
nessee Street at the crossing of Ohio. Ephraim Cole- 
stock was paid three thousand eight hundred and fifty 
dollars for it, and for making an addition to the East 
Market. The new house was not used at all for four or 
five years, and never was used like the old one, though 
a larger and every way better house. The south end 
of the same square (held by the State) was occupied 
by the Arsenal during the war. When the State de- 
cided to build a new State-House, the city surrendered 
the market-house and vacated Market Street, thus 
giving the State-House two unbroken squares, with 
the intervening street making nearly nine acres. 

The last division of the second period of the city's 
history is that extending from the abandonment of 
the public works to the completion of the first rail- 
road and the organization of the town under a city 
charter in 1847. Its leading features are : 1st, The 
establishment of the State benevolent institutions or 
asylums, or the adoption of measures with that object, 
in 1843 and the two or three succeeding years; 
2d, Political events and excitements ; 3d, Incidents 
wholly local and not important, but worth attention 
as marks of a development ; 4th, Religious move- 
ments. 

1st. The Legislature, having been repeatedly so- 
licited by petitions and memorials to make some 
provision for the insane, deaf and dumb, and blind 
of the State, in 1839 addressed Congress on the 



subject of a grant to assist in making such a pro- 
vision. This was never done, and there was no good 
reason why it should have been done or should have 
been asked. On the 31st of January, 1842, Gover- 
nor Bigger was ordered by the Legislature to corre- 
spond with the Governors of other States and the 
oflicers of like institutions and ascertain the cost and 
modes of construction and management of insane 
hospitals, and on the 13th of February, 1843, was 
ordered to obtain plans to be submitted to the next 
Legislature. This was done, with the effect of se- 
curing a tax of one cent on one hundred dollars to 
create a building fund for an insane hospital here. 
This was the 15th of January, 1844. On the 13th 
of January, 1845, Dr. John Evans, Dr. L. Dunlap, 
and James Blake were appointed commissioners to 
select a site of not exceeding two hundred acres. 
They chose Mount Jackson, then the home of the 
Indiana poetess, Mrs. Sarah T. Bolton, and her hus- 
band, the first editor in Indianapolis or the New Pur- 
chase. They reported the selection with a building 
plan to the Legislature the following session of 1845- 
46, and on the 19th of January, 1846, they were 
ordered to begin work on the building, and to sell 
Hospital Square 22, and apply the proceeds, with 
fifteen thousand dollars from the State treasury, to 
the work. The central building was begun the same 
year and finished in 1847, at a cost of seventy-five 
thousand dollars. The south wing was added in 
1853-56, and the north wing in 1866-69. A great 
many minor changes and additions have been made at 
one time or another. The frontage is six hundred 
and twenty-four feet. The centre building is five 
stories high, including a basement and top half-story. 
A belvidere on the centre building is one hundred 
and three feet above the ground. The wings are three 
and four stories high. The third floor of the build- 
ing in the rear of the centre is used as a chapel, 
with a seating capacity of three hundred. The other 
two stories are used by the employes as kitchen and 
dining-room, steward's office, sewing-rooms, and the 
like. In the rear of this building is the engine 
building, with pumps and heating pipes and other 
necessary apparatus. A sewage system discharges 
into Eagle Creek. Water is supplied by a system of 



124 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



water-works on the Holly plan, like that of the city, 
with ample protection by fire-plugs and hose against 
fire. The whole structure is lighted with gas. It 
can accommodate six hundred or more patients at a 
time, with the necessary attendants. The superin- 
dents have been, in order of succession, Dr. John 
Evans, Dr. R. J. Patterson, Dr. James S. Athon, 
Dr. James H. Woodburn, Dr. Wilson Lockhart, Dr. 
Orpheus Everts, Dr. Rogers, and Dr. William B. 
Fletcher. The last has very recently introduced the 
system of intelligent restraint and kind treatment 
in place of manacles and strait-waistcoats, with, so 
far, decided success. A few years ago the Legisla- 
ture concluded to make additional provision for the 
insane, who could not be accommodated in the old 
building, and ordered a new one, directly north of the 
old one, on a plan furnished by the late Edwin May, 
architect of the new State-House. It was two or 
three years in building, and has but recently been 
finished. It is used mainly or wholly for female pa- 
tients, and will accommodate suitably some seven 
or eight hundred. The frontage is about eleven 
hundred feet, with a centre building and three wings 
on each side of it, each one retiring some feet back 
from the line of the other, making the front a series 
of steps. It is nearly three hundred feet through 
the centre to the line joining the rear of the extreme 
wings. Within the year sites have been selected by 
commissioners for asylums for the incurably insane, 
for whom hitherto no provision has been made, though 
warmly urged by Governor Baker ten years ago. 
There are to be five of them, located at different suit- 
able points in the State. The sites selected are Fort 
Wayne, Evansville, Richmond, Terre Haute, and La- 
fayette. At present, and ever since the asylum has 
been open, patients found to be incurable have been 
returned to their friends to make room for curable 
patients. In 1857, in consequence of the failure of 
appropriations in a party quarrel in the State Sen- 
ate, the asylums were all closed and the inmates re- 
turned to their homes. The insane in some cases 
were put in poor-houses. In others the counties 
made arrangements to pay for their care in the State 
institution here. This paralysis continued for four 
or five months, and then Governor Willard concluded 



to borrow money and reopen the institutions, but it 
was some time before they fully recovered from the 
blow. 

On the 13th of February, 1843, the Legislature 
levied a tax of one-fifth of a cent on one hundred dol- 
lars, for a fund to establish an asylum for deaf mutes. 
In the spring following William Willard, a deaf 
mute teacher in the Ohio institution, came here and 
opened a private school for similar sufferers in Octo- 
ber, receiving sixteen pupils the first year. On the 
15th of January, 1844, the Legislature made the 
school a State institution, and Governor Whitcomb, 
Secretary of State William Sheets, Treasurer of 
State George H. Dunn, Rev. Phineas D. Gurley, 
Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, Rev. Love H. Jameson, 
Judge James Morrison, Dr. L. Dunlap, and Rev. 
Matthew Simpson were appointed trustees, with 
authority to rent a room and employ necessary 
teachers. They rented the residence, a large two- 
story frame, recently erected by Dr. George W. Stipp, 
on the southeast corner of Maryland and Illinois 
Streets. The State Asylum or school was opened 
here Oct. 1, 1844, one year after the opening of Mr. 
Willard's private school. In 1845 the Governor by 
authority appointed a new board of trustees, but con- 
tinued most of the old members on it. In 1846 the 
school was removed to the three-story brick Kinder 
building on the south side of Washington Street near 
Delaware, and remained there four years, till the 
completion of the asylum building at the corner of 
Washington Street and State Avenue, in October, 
1850. This site was selected in 1846, the trustees 
making a purchase of thirty acres for the necessary 
grounds. The building was erected in 1848-49, at 
a cost of thirty thousand dollars. Additions have 
since been made to it and to the ground, so that the 
latter now contains one hundred and five acres, and 
the aggregate cost of the former has been about 
two hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The 
grounds are beautifully ornamented with forest and 
other shade-trees and various kinds of flowers and 
shrubbery, with winding walks and drives and a con- 
servatory, besides playgrounds and an orchard and 
vegetable garden. The larger portion is used for 
pasture and farm ground. Mr. Willard was superin- 



i 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



125 



tendent till 1845, then James S. Brown was 
appointed, and served till 1853, when he was suc- 
ceeded by Thomas Mclntyre, who was retired under 
a change of system and management about three 
years ago. The number of pupils varies from year 
to year, but will run from two hundred and fifty 
to three hundred usually. Successful efi'orts have 
recently been made to teach articulate speech by 
motion of the lips. 

In 1844-45, during the session of the Legislature, 
some of the pupils of the Kentucky Blind Asylum 
came here, under charge of the late William H. 
Churchman, and gave exhibitions at Beecher's church, 
which the legislators attended largely, and seemed 
deeply interested in one of them. Mr. Dirk Rous- 
seau, senator from Greene, and brother of the late 
Gen. Lovell H. Rousseau, proposed an arithmetical 
problem for one of the blind boys to solve by mental 
process, and not making it very clear in his oral state- 
ment he wrote it out, took it up to the pulpit, and 
carefully held it before the sightless eyes, reading it 
slowly, and tracing every line with his finger. For a 
moment the absurdity of the thing did not strike the 
audience, and then it all came at once in a roar that 
shook the house, and that first wakened the senator's 
attention. He blushed, laughed, and came down to 
his seat. The Legislature was fully satisfied with the 
evidence afibrded by this exhibition, and levied a two- 
mill tax to establish a blind asylum. The Secretary of 
State, John H. Thompson, Auditor Horatio J. Harris, 
Treasurer Royal Mayhew, with James M. Ray and 
Dr. G. W. Mears, were made commissioners at the 
following session to apply the two-mill fund, either 
in approving a school here or maintainiug the State's 
pupils at the Ohio or Kentucky institutions. Mr. 
Churchman was appointed to address the people of 
the State on the subject, and ascertain the number 
of blind requiring public assistance in acquiring an 
education. On the 27th of January, 1847, Dr. 
George W. Mears, Calvin Fletcher, and James M. 
Ray were appointed commissioners to provide the 
necessary buildings and make arrangements for a 
school here, with an appropriation of five thousand 
dollars for a site and furniture and other necessaries. 
Seton W. Norris replaced Mr. Fletcher, who declined. 



and the school was opened Oct. 1, 1847, in the same 
building that the Deaf and Dumb School first occupied, 
southeast corner of Maryland and Illinois Streets. 
Nine pupils attended at first, but there were thirty 
during the session. In September, 1848, a removal 
was made to a three-story brick, erected for a work- 
shop, on the asylum grounds, — the two squares north 
of North Street, between Pennsylvania and Meridian 
Streets, formerly " Pratt's Walnut Grove." Here 
the school was kept till the completion of the asylum 
proper in February, 1853. It was begun about three 
years before. The cost of the original building and 
grounds was one hundred and ten thousand dollars. 
The main central building is ninety feet front by 
sixty -one feet deep, and five stories high ; at each 
end is a wing four stories high, thirty feet front by 
eighty-three feet deep. The total front from east to 
west is one hundred and fifty feet. A Corinthian 
cupola crowns the centre building. A portico stands 
in front of the centre, and iron galleries or colonnades 
surround the two lower stories of the wings. The 
average attendance of pupils is over one hundred, a 
considerable majority of whom are usually females. 
The superintendents have been William H. Church- 
man, from Oct. 1, 1847, to Sept. 30, 1853; George 
W. Ames, brother of the bishop, from Oct. 1, 1853, 
to Sept. 30, 1855 ; William C. Larrabee, previously 
a professor at Asbury University, and afterwards 
editor of the Sentinel tor a short time, from Oct. 1, 
1855, to Jan. 31, 1857 ; James McWorkman, from 
Feb. 1, 1857, to Sept. 10, 1861 ; William H. Church- 
man again, from Oct. 10, 1861. 

The Female Prison and Reformatory, a short dis- 
tance northeast of the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, was 
recommended in the message of Governor Baker in 
1869, and an appropriation of fifty thousand dollars 
made for it, under the management of a board con- 
sisting of Judge Elijah B. Martindale, of the city. 
Gen. Asahel Stone, of Winchester, and Joseph I. 
Irwin, of Columbus. They obtained a plan of Mr. 
Hodgson, architect of the court-house, and went on 
with the work as far as they could with the money. 
The fiiilure of appropriations in 1871 delayed and 
greatly embarrassed the Board, and the institution 
was not ready for the reception of subjects as early as 



126 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



it should have been by two or three years. It has 
now been in successful operation some eight years, 
under the charge of Mrs. Sarah Smith, and has 
realized all the reasonable expectations formed of its 
service. A good deal of trouble has been caused by 
the sewage of so large a house with so many inmates, 
but the last Legislature made an arrangement with 
the city to assist in building a sewer to connect with 
the city system, which will remove all ground of com- 
plaint. The Reformatory is one hundred and seventy- 
four feet long, consisting of a main central building, 
with side and traverse wings, one hundred and nine 
feet long. The whole structure is two stories high, 
with a basement and Mansard story. The completed 
portion is but a fraction of the whole contemplated 
structure, which is to be five hundred and twenty-five 
feet long. The character and purpose of the institu- 
tion may be best judged from the definition of them 
in the act creating it, drawn by Governor Baker. A 
" House of Refuge for the Correction and Reforma- 
tion of Juvenile Offenders" was provided for by an 
act of the Legislature approved March 8, 1867, with 
an appropriation of fifty thousand dollars and a board 
of managers consisting of Charles F. Coffin, of Wayne 
County, Judge A. C. Downey, of Ohio County, and 
Gen. Joseph Orr, of La Porte County. The " family 
system" of treatment was adopted under the superin- 
tendence of Frank B. Ainsworth and his wife, who 
began their service Aug. 27, 1867. On the 1st of 
January, 1868, a workshop and three residences were 
completed, and the Governor issued a proclamation 
that the institution was ready to receive inmates. 
The grounds contain two hundred and twenty-five 
acres, a half-mile or so south of Plainfield, Hendricks 
Co. The number of inmates is about two hundred 
usually. The institution is noticed here, though not 
in the county, because it forms part of the same system 
as the Female Reformatory, and it was really drawn 
to a central location by the capital. 

2d. Until the fall of 1840 no man of national dis- 
tinction had visited Indianapolis. Gen. Harrison was 
here for a week in January, 1833, came on the 11th, 
was banqueted and made a speech on the 17th, and 
came again on the 13th of January, 1835 ; but at that 
time Gen. Harrison was little known outside of the 



" Northwest Territory," which was so largely indebted 
to his courage and judgment, and it would be strain- 
ing terms a little to speak of him as a man of 
" national reputation." In those days of slow com- 
munication and of newspapers that troubled them- 
selves little with news, what was known in one sec- 
tion was not quite so readily diffused in others as now, 
when a night incident on the Pacific is known all 
along the Atlantic on both sides the next morning at 
breakfast. The nomination at Harrisburg in Decem- 
ber, 1839, was a revelation to a good many well- 
informed men east of the Alleghanies. For a number 
of years the general had been clerk of Hamilton 
County, withdrawn from public sight and interest, and 
that seclusion had helped to make his an unfamiliar 
name even at home among the generation that had 
grown up since the days of Tippecanoe and Tecum- , 
seh. Thus it came that Indianapolis was all in a fer- 
ment on the 13th of October, 1840, to see the Vice- 
President of the United States and the reputed slayer 
of the great Indian chief, the statesman, Col. Richard 
M. Johnson. He passed the night of the 13th at 
a tavern a few miles east of town, Aquilla Parker's 
probably, and came in next morning at the head of 
a long procession which had gone out two or three 
miles to meet him. He was taken to the Walnut 
Grove, on the square north of the site of the Blind 
Asylum, and made a very indifferent little speech, in 
which occurred two exhibitions of indifferent taste, 
short as it was. Something required an allusion to 
the preceding Sunday and something he had done 
that day, and he said he had no scruples about doing 
necessary work on Sunday, adding by way of humor- 
ous enlargement that he " had written his Sunday 
mail report on Sunday." This was a report on a series 
of petitions from over-zealous religionists asking the 
suppression of the transportation and distribution of 
the mails on Sunday, made in 1828 and so well con- 
structed that a good many believed somebody else 
wrote it. Whether true or not, it was impertinent and 
sure to be offensive to the religious element of the 
population to say it was a Sunday job. In reference 
to his public services he said he had " that morning at 
the tavern stripped to the buff and showed a friend 
who shared the room, the scars of five wounds re- 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



127 



ceived at the battle of the Thames." As he was on 
an electioneering tour, and within a month of the 
election, there was a rather unpleasant savor of Roman 
mode of electioneerino; in this public parade of his 
wounds to solicit votes. He was a better fighter than 
statesman. Tilghman A. Howard, who had been 
beaten for Governor the August before, made the 
speech of that occasion. 

On the 11th of June, 1842, ex-President Van 
Buren came here, and was received, like Col. John- 
son, by a procession of military companies, firemen, 
citizens on foot and horseback and in wagons and 
carriages, with the music of the first brass band, and 
taken to the Palmer House, where he was welcomed 
in a formal speech, and responded, standing in the 
open carriage, in a very neat and graceful little ex- 
pression of gratitude and the usual civilities of such 
occasions. He had a reception at the State-House, 
by request of Governor Bigger, in the evening. The 
next day being Sunday, he attended Beecher's church 
in the morning and the Methodist in the evening, and 
left on Monday by stage for Terre Haute, getting an 
upset at Plainfield, it was said at the time. 

Henry Clay, about whom a greater curiosity, and 
for whom, in consequence of the strength of the Ken- 
tucky settlers, a greater admiration was felt than for 
any other man in the nation, came here on the 5th of 
October, 1842. He was received east of the town by 
a greater crowd than was ever assembled here before, 
and, says Mr. Ignatius Brown, " considering the 
means of travel then and since, a greater crowd than 
has ever been gathered since." A fine woods pasture 
belonging to Governor Noble, east of his residence, 
was the place of ceremonies, which consisted of 
speeches and a profuse " lunch" it would be called 
now, but was called a " barbecue" then. There were 
two or three speaking-stands, but none but his own 
were used while BIr. Clay was speaking. He spoke 
for more than an hour, and certainly did not surpass 
anybody's expectations. There was no occasion for 
feeling or enthusiasm in a formal speech of response 
to a popular reception, and there was none on his side 
and none due to his eloquence on the other. He was 
followed by Senator John J. Crittenden and Governor 
Thomas Metcalf, " the Old Stone Hammer," who both 



made better speeches than their chief They were 
followed by Joseph Little White, a member of Con- 
gress from the Madison District of this State, and he 
made the best speech of the day. He was capable of 
doing it at any time, except when Mr. Clay was fully 
roused. He was a born orator, like Sargent S. Pren- 
tiss, whom he greatly resembled in intellectual readi- 
ness and affluence. Other speeches were made by 
home orators, but they have passed away with the 
occasion and are forty years deep in oblivion now. 
The entertainment continued for two days longer, in 
which a review of the military companies was held 
by the Governor, a display of fire-works made, an agri- 
cultural show visited, and, it was said, a three-mile 
race witnessed between " Bertrand" and " Little Red" 
on the first race-course ever opened here. It was 
maintained but a few years, three or four from 1841, 
and was situated on the south side of the Crawfords- 
ville road, about a mile west of the river. 

On the 5th of August, 1844, Gen. Cass visited the 
town, and was received like his distinguished prede- 
cessors, though with hardly so large a display of pop- 
ular interest, and was escorted by the procession to 
the Military Ground, where Governor Whitcomb 
made a welcoming address, and the general responded 
at considerable length. A Presidential contest was at 
its height, and he made a strong and long electioneer- 
ing speech, followed by Senator Edward A. Haunegan 
and others. He held a reception at the Palmer House, 
and left in the evening for Dayton. 

The great Presidential contest of 1840 excited no 
more feeling in any town in the Union than in Indian- 
apolis. Local meetings and mass-meetings, speeches, 
Tippecanoe songs. Whig emblems, "log cabin" breast- 
pios, little canoes, — the significance of which must be 
traced through the final syllables of an Indian name 
that had no relevancy to causes, — ostentatious parade 
of cider-barrels, and imitations of " latch-strings," 
and scores of varied forms of enthusiasm that every- 
body felt to be silly when the fever was gone, kept 
the whole community in an incessant turmoil for 
nearly a year. Processions in weather so cold that 
enthusiastic Whigs froze their ears by keeping their 
hats waving to their " hurrahs" too long, great " dug- 
out" canoes filled with young ladies and little flags. 



128 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



imitation cabins drawn on big ox-wagons, enormous 
cboruses to very silly songs were the leading features 
of the Whig side of the contest. On the corner 
where the Bates House stands, a cabin of buckeye 
logs — a compliment to Gen. Harrison's Ohio residence 
— was built, and barrels of cider kept constantly run- 
ning when there was a Whig meeting in the town. 
One of the Whig songs, and the most popular, because, 
like the lion's part in the " Mid.summer Night's 
Dream," it " was nothing but roaring," and capable 
of employing all the strength of all the lungs within 
the radius of a half-mile, began thus : 

" What has caused this great commotion, motion, motion, 
The country through ? 
It is the ball a rolling on for Tippecanoe and Tyler too, 
And with them we'll beat little Van. 
Van, Van is a used up man, 
And with them we'll beat little Van !" 

It makes one feel cheap to think that such rubbish 
as that could have any effect on the opinions or action 
of a great nation, but it had. " Lillibullero" was not 
better, and it helped James II. off the throne, so 
our folly of 1840 was not singular. On the Demo- 
cratic side the contest was managed in a much more 
decorous way. They could not help it, for they had 
nothing in their cause or candidate to excite enthu- 
siasm, and, in the expressive slang of to-day, the 
Whigs had "got the bulge." The Democrats had 
too many sins of a long period of power to answer for. 
Centre township gave thirteen hundred and eighty- 
seven votes in the Presidential election in November, 
and Harrison got eight hundred and seventy-two to 
five hundred and fifteen for Van Buren. The popu- 
lation of the town in 1840 by the census was two 
thousand six hundred and ninety-two. 

The contest of 1844 was not so one-sided. The 
Democrats did quite as much fooling as the Whigs. 
They raised hickory-poles and the Whigs raised ash- 
poles, a suggestion of Mr. Clay's home at Ashland, 
about as apt and significant as the canoe of 1840. 
Both sides had singing clubs, and sang the silliest of 
rhyming rant to the most monotonous of " nigger" 
tunes, then in the first full tide of popularity. " Old 
Dan Tucker," "Lucy Long," "The Blue-Tailed Fly," 
" Buffalo Gals" were the favorite airs of both sides. 



The Whigs for some reason made the " coon" a party 
symbol, but what it symbolized nobody appeared to 
know. It was paraded numerously in processions and 
mass-meetings, and Whigs often alluded to themselves 
as "coons," and spoke of the thieving little beast with 
affectionate rapture. One of their songs expressed 
this preposterous sentiment : 

" In Lindenwald the fox is holed, 
■ The coons all laugh to hear it told. 
With ha! ha! ha! what a nominee 
Is James K. Polk, of Tennessee !" 

Van Buren's " pet name'' was the " fox" in 1840, 
and Lindenwald was his home. But out of all this 
fuss and flummery there never came any intelligible 
reason for the adoption of tlie coon as a party symbol 
or suggestion. The Democrats ought to have balanced 
the case by adopting the " possum," but they did not. 
In 1840 the Democratic ladies made little show in the 
parades, while the Whig ladies were active and con- 
stant in all that could help their friends. In 1844 
the female part of the contest was very evenly bal- 
anced. That was the last of the roaring, singing, 
pole-raising, political folly. The annexation of Texas, 
the Mexican war, and the growing prominence of the 
slavery problem made issues too serious for empty or 
ribald songs and the puerile agencies that had served 
their turn and needed to be forgotten. 

3d. There may be grouped here a number of little 
items of city progress of no special importance in 
themselves, but worth notice, as first things always 
are, if they grow to importance later. In the spring 
of 1840 the Council made two fire cisterns, the first 
of the kind. In July, 1842, T. W. Whitridge, who 
subsequently became quite a distinguished artist in 
New York, opened the first daguorrean gallery here, 
but afterwards betook almost exclusively to painting. 
At this time and before, Jacob Cox, the oldest and 
most eminent artist in the State, was painting por- 
traits occasionally while working at his trade as a 
tinner. During the fall of 1842, James Blake, 
always foremost in enterprise, or only mated by 
Nicholas McCarty, began the manufacture of molas- 
ses from the juice of corn-stalks, a prophecy of the 
later sorghum manufacture which he lived to see. 
The enterprise failed soon, because the product was 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



129 



tinged with an acid taste that seriously impaired it. 
Still, a good many used it while they could get it 
because it was cheap. The manufactory was near 
Mr. Blake's barn, on North Street, between Mis- 
sissippi and the canal, or in that vicinity. The 
Indiana Horticultural Society was organized Aug. 
22, 1840, Henry Ward Beecher being one of its 
leading promoters. It gave several fine exhibitions 
of fruits and flowers during the half-dozen years 
of its existence. On the 10th of April, 1841, a 
public meeting was held to make arrangements for 
appropriate services on the occasion of President 
Harrison's death, and on the 17th business was 
suspended, an imposing funeral procession formed, 
and addresses delivered by Governor Bigger and 
Mr. Beecher. The 4th of May was observed as a 
fast-day all over the country for the President's 
death. On the 25th of April, 1842, at two o'clock 
in the morning, a loud explosion was heard in the gro- 
cery of Frederick Smith, a little one-story frame on 
the south side of Washington Street, near Delaware. 
Those who heard it and hurried in found him lying 
in a heap of laths and lime, and shattered plank, 
and fragments of grocery-goods, terribly burned and 
bruised and unconscious, but not dead. He was left 
so for some hours tijl the coroner came. He after- 
wards recovered and left the place. On a fragment 
of plank or the lid of a goods-box he had scrawled 
in German with chalk an unintelligible account of 
his reasons for his suicidal attempt, but the only 
decipherable words were " envy of bread." He was 
thought to have been partially insane, and to have 
tried to go out of the world in the blaze of an 
exploding keg of powder. Why he didn't was a 
mystery. This was said at the time to be the first 
suicidal attempt in the town. Not far from the 
same time a man by the name of Ellis committed 
suicide by hanging himself in his barn in Wash- 
ington township. The Smith explosion, however, 
was not the first case of suicidal mania. Some years 
before it a boy by the name of Alexander Wiley, a 
brother of William Y. Wiley, long a prominent and 
respected citizen, drowned himself in the river some- 
where below the bridge, for some diflerenoe with his 
father, Capt. Wylie, then a popular tailor on Wash- 



ington Street ; at least that was the universal belief 
at the time. The body was found a week afterwards 
in a drift a few miles down the river, terribly muti- 
lated by fish or carrion-birds. The annual Methodist 
Conference met here Oct. 21, 1840, with Bishop 
Soule as presiding ofiicer. During the fall of 1842 
lecturers on mesmerism excited a good deal of inter- 
est and had a good many believers. 

In February, 1843, " Washington Hall" took fire, 
about two o'clock in the afternoon, and was fought 
zealously all day, and barely extinguished and safe 
at dusk. The engines had to be supplied with water 
by lines of buckets from pumps at the corner of 
Meridian Street, and in front of Mothershead's drug- 
store on Washington Street, and from several private 
wells. Henry Ward Beecher was one of the most 
daring and effective of the workers, and got his 
clothes frozen on him and his hair full of ice, as did 
hundreds of others. The Old Seminary boys were 
dismissed by Mr. Kemper to go down and help in 
the bucket line. The loss was but three thousand 
dollars, but that was the biggest fire that had ever 
happened here at that time. Miss Lesner opened 
the Indianapolis Female Collegiate Institute in the 
" Franklin Institute" house, on Circle Street, Sep- 
tember, 1843. In June, 1843, Robert Parmelee 
began the manufacture of pianos here on the south 
side of Washington Street, a little west of Meridian. 
It did not last long or amount to much. The fall 
before 1842, E. J. Peck and Edwin Hedderly began 
the manufacture of lard-oil on Washington Street. 
In April, 1844, was laid out the " Union Cemetery," 
east of and adjoining the " Old Graveyard." In 1833 
Dr. Coe had added a considerable section, and in 
1852 Messrs. Blake, Ray, and Peck made a much 
jnore considerable addition on the east and north, 
long known as the " New Graveyard." With the 
addition made in 1844 the cemetery extended from 
the river to Kentucky Avenue, and northward to the 
Vandalia Railroad. In 1860 a large plat between 
the last addition and the river was platted as an 
addition, and used chiefly for the burial of Con- 
federate prisoners who diec •'- ::ie camp hospitals 
here. But little else of it \i jver used as a ceme- 
tery, and after Crown Hil. ■/ as ready for use the 



130 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



dead were removed there, and the ground occupied 
by the Vandalia Railway Company for freight-yard 
tracks, wood-sheds, blacksmith-shop, round-house, and 
engine-house, and Ferguson's pork-house was put on 
a part of it. Washington Street was graded and 
graveled in July, 1845. In the same year the old 
Methodist Church, erected in 1827-29, began to 
crack and grow unsafe, and was torn down and re- 
placed next year by Wesley Chapel. In 1843 the 
Methodist Church, growing unwieldy, divided, and 
one part retained the old church on the corner of 
Circle and Meridian Streets, the other used the court- 
house while they were building a new house, known 
as Roberts' Chapel, on the corner of Pennsylvania 
and Market, the present site of the Journal office. 
It was completed in 1844, under the pastorate of 
Rev. J. S. Bayliss. In 1868 this church was sold 
and converted into the Martindale Block, and a new 
church was soon begun on the corner of Delaware 
and Vermont Streets. It is of stone, and not yet 
fully finished, but it is one of the finest church 
edifices in the State. The first city clock, built by 
John MofFatt in 1853-54, was set in the steeple of 
Roberts' Chapel in 1854, and remained until 1868, 
when it was removed by the fire engineers. In the 
summer Seton W. Norris built, on the southwest 
corner of Washington and Meridian Streets, the 
block torn away a few years ago to make way for 
the present Hubbard Block. It was the finest build- 
ing in the place in its day. The Locomotive^ for 
several years a popular literary weekly paper, was 
started by the apprentices in tlie Journal office. In 
the summer of 1846 the audacity of the gamblers 
provoked the citizens to harsh measures, and a public 
meeting appointed Hiram Brown, the oldest member 
of the bar, and one of the ablest, to the special duty 
of prosecuting them. His work, with a repetition 
of the public meeting the following year, drove oiF 
the worst of the dark-legged fraternity. The depot 
of the Madison Railroad was built in 1846, and was 
a substantial intimation that the long isolation of the 
town would soon be broken. Property had already 
taken an upward turn, and values were improving in 
the hopeless section of East South Street, then a 
country lane, and Pogue's Run Valley. Complaint 



was made of the selection of so remote a site as South 
Street east of Pennsylvania, but being fixed the 
Council began improving the streets leading down 
there across the swampy bottom, and the property- 
holders straightened the creek from Virginia Avenue 
to Meridian Street. 

Governor Whitcomb issued his proclamation calling 
for volunteers for the Mexican war May 23, 1846, 
and Capt. James T. Drake speedily raised a company, 
with John McDougal, afterwards Lieutenant-Governor 
of California, as first lieutenant, and Lew Wallace, 
now general and minister to Turkey, as second lieu- 
tenant. It was made part of the First Indiana Regi- 
ment, of which Capt. Drake was made colonel. It 
spent the whole year of its enlistment guarding the 
mouth of the Rio Grande, where Luther Peck, son 
of the first Lutheran clergyman here, was drowned. 
Two other companies were raised in May and Sep- 
tember, 1847, by Edward Lander, elder brother of 
Gen. Frederick Lander, and Capt. John McDougal. 
They were put in the Fourth and Fifth Regiments. 
It may be noted here that in numbering the regiments 
raised by the State in the civil war, the five Mexican 
regiments were counted first, and the first Indiana 
regiment in the late war was the sixth. 

4th. During the fall and winter of 1842 and the 
early spring of 1843 a strong religious excitement 
prevailed throughout the West, and nowhere more ab- 
sorbingly than in Indianapolis. The preaching of the 
" Second Advent" by Samuel Miller had attracted 
the attention even of those who had not the slightest 
faith in his calculations or his interpretations of 
Daniel's "time, times, and an half" The spirit of 
religious revival was abroad, and in spite of the in- 
evitable extravagancies of religious enthusiasm it 
wrought as much permanent good probably as any 
that ever disturbed the self-seeking of any community. 
The "second coming" gave especial force to the ex- 
hortations of the time, and when the great comet 
blazed out all along the western horizon it gave a 
special force to the predictions of the " second coming." 
One of the portents was there before the eyes of all 
the world, and it gave encouragement to the invention 
of many more ; meteors went flashing down the sky, 
leaving fiery trails that broke up into little patches 



THE CAPITAL IN THE WOODS. 



131 



which fin-ally took the form of letters and read, '• The 
Lord is coming." Sti'ange intimations of the great 
catastrophe were found in marks on leaves, sometimes 
on prophetic eggs of strangely inspired pullets, some- 
times on the bark of trees, or the accidental lines of 
rain-drops. They were all paraded with gloomy ex- 
ultation in the Midnight Cry, a paper of the Second 
Advent, published in Cincinnati by Joshua V. Himes. 
The " unrespective" secular press laughed at these 
fantastic phenomena. They called the " Second Ad- 
vent" organ the Midnight Howl and the Evening Yell, 
and insisted that the mysterious letters made of a 
meteor's tail spelled " Pay the printer." But the re- 
vival went on, not exactly separated from the advent 
excitement but independently of it ; all the churches 
felt it. About the time the comet appeared a young 
preacher of considerable ability, who had given the 
" advent" prophecies close study, came to the town 
and preached a series of connected sermons on the 
subject in several of the churches, principally in the 
Christian Church on Kentucky Avenue, and the First 
Lutheran Church on Ohio Street near Meridian. One 
gloomy, rainy night, when he was preaching at this 
latter place, there was a strange lurid glare all over the 
western sky, reaching up to the zenith, and looking as 
if the world were j'eally on fire in the back yard, as 
the congregation was dismissed and got out of doors 
into the drizzling rain. The sermon had described 
with considerable graphic power the portents that 
would precede Christ's second coming, and the impres- 
sion was still vivid on the minds of many. That 
awful red light spreading over the thick clouds all 
around both poles and up to the zenith seemed a reali- 
zation of the most terrible anticipation of the sermon. 
Nobody fainted or screamed, but a good many women 
and not a few men looked at it as they never before 
had looked at an earthly conflagration. It proved to 
be the burning of a few large ricks of hemp cut and 
stacked on a farm on the river bank at the ford of the 
Crawfordsville road. 

Several of the most confident of the Adventists made 
themselves ascension robes, and some sold or gave away 
their property. One of the leading men sold out and 
joined the Shakers in Ohio. One woman became per- 
manently insane and was afterwards put in the asylum. 



The failure of the world to " come to time," or rather 
eternity, on the 1st of April, 1843, or thereabouts, 
which was the date that Miller's calculations had de- 
termined to be the limit, did not undeceive any of the 
devout adherents. The prophet or interpreter of 
prophets recast his calculation and concluded that 
June was a safer limit than April. The failure then 
began to tell on the delusion of pretty much all who 
had not undeceived themselves before, and the " Second 
Advent" fancy disappeared entirely. 

It will not be beneath the dignity of a local history 
to notice in this connection that there were three places 
chiefly used for the baptism of converts, where the rite 
was applied by immersion, — the river at the old ferry, 
as often on the west as the east side, because the water 
shoaled very gradually on that side, and on the east 
there was a "stepping off" place that would take a 
man in a swimming depth in a few steps ; another 
was in the canal at Washington Street, but less used 
than the canal at the Kentucky Avenue bridge. It 
was here that Mr. Beecher first practiced immersion, 
after a declaration that he had no more faith in the 
efficacy of the rite in that form than any other, but 
would administer it in the way that best pleased the 
subject of it. A very common feature of Sunday 
was a procession or crowd going from some up-town 
church to the river or canal to administer baptism at 
the close of the morning's services. When pork- 
houses spoiled the river and sewage befouled the canal 
the churches betook themselves to baptisteries. The 
colored brethren, whose church was on Georgia Street 
west of Mississippi and very near the canal, went to 
the Georgia Street foot-bridge. The creek was never 
used for this service, or, if at all, very early in the set- 
tlement's religious development. 

The beginning of the year 1847 was marked by 
the highest flood ever known in the river before or 
since, though that of last February could have been 
but little below it. On the first Sunday of the new 
year the water was at its highest. It covered the 
whole of the river bottom. Fall Creek «nd Eagle 
Creek bottoms, and in many places came up level with 
the surface of the bluffs. It ran over the top of the 
middle pier of the National road bridge,- and several 
times the big trees and masses of drift borne down on 



132 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the furious current looked as if they must strike the 
sills and girders and sweep the structure away. The 
National road west of the river was covered " hub 
deep" from the bridge to the bluff. In two places the 
current was so strong as to cut great gaps across the 
heavily macadamized roadway, and pour down the 
south slope of the grade into the low ground of the 
bottom in a violent cataract that churned the soft allu- 
vial soil into thin mud and carried it off. In this way 
two deep pits were dug, the largest of which was prob- 
ably one hundred feet in diameter and twenty feet 
deep. A frame house on the south side of the road 
was washed off by the flood and lodged in this hole, 
where it stuck, leaning dangerously over for .several 
months, but was finally removed, and is still standing 
near its former site in Indianola. These two huge 
scars left by the flood remained more or less conspic- 
uous for twenty years. The mischief done by it was 
so general and serious that the Legislature extended 
the time of paying taxes by land-owners in the river 
bottoms, and probably remitted them altogether in 
cases of especial hardship. The canal bank along the 
river near the Michigan road was washed away, the 
feeder-dam injured, the Fall Creek aqueduct washed 
out, andthe Pogue's Eun culvert on Merrill Street 
torn away. The old " ravines" in the town made 
their last serious disturbance in that flood. 

The 22d of February, 1847, was celebrated by a 
procession of the mechanics of the city, who marched 
to the Christian Church on Kentucky Avenue, and 
were addressed by the late John D. Defrees, then re- 
cently become proprietor and editor of the Journal. 
On the 26th a general meeting of the citizens was 
held at the court-house to take measures for assisting 
in the relief of the distress in Ireland. A good deal 
of good work was done here by committees and by 
individual liberality. 



CHAPTER VL 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 

There was not much change, except in name, 
when the " town" became the " city" of Indianap- 
olis, but it marked the beginning of a very posi- 



tive and great change produced by the close approach 
of the first railroad, so it may fitly indicate the be- 
ginning of the " third period" of the city's history, 
a period of vigorous growth and solid promise. The 
leading events are : 1st, The changes in the munici- 
pal government and its departments; 2d, The intro- 
duction of the free-school system and the taxation to 
maintain it ; 3d, The development of the railroad sys- 
tem, and the improvement in business and material 
condition produced by it; 4th, Associations for busi- 
ness or charity, churches, private schools, lectures, 
and means of intellectual culture or diversion. As the 
history of the municipal government will be treated 
separately and fully, nothing need be said here except 
as to its general course. The public schools, churches, 
railroads, and manufactures are in the same category. 
First. — On the 13th of February, 1847, the Legis- 
lature enacted a city charter for Indianapolis, and left 
it to be accepted or rejected by a popular vote on the 
27th of March, the Governor being required to make 
proclamation of the operation of the charter if it were 
accepted. The city was divided into seven wards, — 
four north of Washington Street, the First, Second, 
Third, and Fourth ; and three south of it, the Fifth, 
Sixth, and Seventh. The First contained all of the 
city (which covered the whole donation east of the 
river) east of Alabama Street, north of Washington ; 
the Second, all westward to Meridian ; the Third, all 
to Mississippi; the Fourth, all west to the river, 
south of Washington Street ; the Fifth Ward took all 
west of Illinois Street ; the Sixth, all east to Dela- 
ware ; the Seventh, all the donation east of Delaware, 
The first city election was to be held on the 24th of 
April, the mayor to serve two years, with a veto on 
the Council and the jurisdiction of a justice, his pay 
to be his fees. The wards to elect one councilman each 
for one year, with a salary of twenty-four dollars, or 
two dollars for each regular meeting. They had all 
the usual powers of municipal bodies, and were re- 
quired to elect secretary, treasurer, assessor, marshal, 
with a constable's powers, street commissioners, city 
and such other officers as they deemed necessary. 
Taxation could not exceed fifteen cents on one hun- 
dred dollars, except by special authority from a popu- 
lar vote. The most important question to be settled 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



133 



at the election of April 24th for city officers was that 
of which least was said, the levy of a special tax 
to establish and maintain a free-school system. The 
State school fund, at that time mainly derived from ! 
the sale of the "school section" reserved in each Con- 
gressional township for school purposes, and thence 
called the " Congressional Township Fund," was not 
sufficient to accomplish anything of consequence, 
and it was proposed to assist it, and make an efficient 
system with Ihe addition of a local school tax. The 
people were to vote " yes" or " no" on that proposi- 
tion at the first city election. The president of the 
expiring Town Council, or Board of Trustees at first, 
Squire Joseph A. Levy, a very respectable black- 
smith on Washington Street, issued his proclamation 
for an election on the 27th of March to decide upon 
the acceptance of the charter. It was accepted by 
four hundred and forty-nine votes to nineteen. Gov- 
ernor Whiteomb proclaimed the charter in force on 
the 30th. Then President Levy issued his second 
proclamation for an election of city officers and the 
decision of the school-tax question. The election 
was held in the new seven wards, and resulted in the 
choice of Samuel Henderson, the first president of 
the old Council or Board, as mayor ; Uriah Gates, 
councilman from the First Ward ; Henry Tatewiler, 
Second ; Cornelius King, Third ; Samuel S. Rooken 
Fourth ; Charles W. Cady, Fifth ; Abram W. Har- 
rison, Sixth ; William L. Wingate, Seventh. The 
new Council organized the 1st of May, with Mr. 
Rooker as president ; James G. Jordan as secretary, 
at a salary of one hundred dollars; Nathan Lister, 
treasurer, fifty dollars ; James Wood, engineer, three 
hundred dollars ; William Campbell, marshal and col- 
lector, with a per cent, pay for the latter and one 
hundred and fifty dollars and fees for the former ; 
Andrew M. Carnahan, city attorney, paid by fees ; 
Jacob B. Fitler, street commissioner, one hundred 
dollars ; David Cox, messenger of the Marion Fire 
Company, and Jacob B. Fitler of the Relief, each 
twenty-five dollars ; Sampson Barbee and Jacob 
Miller, market clerks or masters, at fifty dollars ; 
Joshua Black, assessor, paid by the day while en- 
gaged ; Benjamin F. Lobaugh, sexton. The total of 
the tax duplicate for 18'16-47 was four thousand 



two hundred and twenty-six dollars ; the aggregate of 
taxable property, about one million dollars. The vote 
of the wards is worth recording here. About five 
hundred votes were polled altogether. In the First 
Ward, 108 ; Second, 85 ; Third, 122 ; Fourth, 35 ; 
Fifth, 37 ; Sixth, 41 ; Seventh, 66. The vote on 
the school tax was four hundred and six for it, 
twenty-nine against it. 

Second. — The authority given by the popular vote 
on the 24th of April for the school levy was promptly 
used. Each ward was made a district with a trustee, 
houses were rented and teachers engaged, but the 
fund would only maintain one-quarter of the four 
free. Donations were asked, lots purchased cheaply 
in 1848 and 1849, and substantial one-story brick 
houses built in 1851 and 1852, and so arranged as to 
allow enlargement by a second story when necessary. 
This was added in the First, Second, and Fifth 
Wards in two or three years. All have been greatly 
enlarged since, except the old house on Pennsylvania 
Street a little south of South Street. It is a machine- 
shop now. A two-story house was built in the first 
place in the Seventh Ward, on Virginia Avenue, in 
1857, and made a three-story in 1865. Lots were 
bought in the Fourth Ward and what was afterwards 
the Ninth in 1857, and at the close of the war in 
1865 and 1866 large, handsome, commodious three- 
story structures, with high basements and all im- 
provements for warmth and ventilation, were built at 
a cost of thirty-two thousand dollars each. In 1867 
the first four-story house was built in what was then 
the south part of the Sixth Ward at a cost of forty- 
three thousand dollars. Three times as many school- 
houses as all these have been added to the system 
since, and will be noticed in the division of the work 
treating specially of schools and colleges. The first 
tax levy in 1847 yielded $1981 ; in 1848, $2385; 
in 1849, $2851. The aggregate of collections up to 
1850 was $6160, of which $5938 were spent in the 
following year for lots and houses. In 1857 the 
annual proceeds were $20,329. The first expendi- 
tures were wholly for lots and buildings, the teachers 
getting their pay as the teachers of private schools 
did, from parents. After house-room had been 
secured, the revenue could go in part for tuition. 



134 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



for longer terms and more teachers. In this half- 
formed condition the schools were forced by lack of 
means to continue till the accumulations of the tax 
and State fund enabled thera to make a fair start in 
a real free-school system. This was done in 1S53, 
when the Council made Henry P. Coburn, Calvin 
Fletcher, and Henry F. West trustees for all the 
schools, instead of making each ward a district with 
a trustee as before. A system of regulations was 
drafted by Mr. Fletcher, and on the 25th of April, 
1853, the schools were opened free for the first time, 
with two male and twelve female teachers. Up to 
that time the number of scholars had not exceeded 
three hundred and forty. In the first week of the 
new system it was seven hundred, and over one 
thousand of the two thousand six hundred children 
of school age — from six to twenty-one — were enrolled. 
The new arrangement soon provided for the use of 
uniform text-books and unity of method in teaching, 
and in August a system of grades was adopted, the 
divisions being the Primary, Secondary, Intermediate, 
Grammar, and High Schools. All the lower grades 
were kept together with the G-rammar schools in the 
same building, the latter under the " principal" 
teacher. The old County Seminary was repaired 
and made the High ^school building under Mr. E. P. 
Cole, with an assistant. 

Until 1855 the trustees themselves did all the 
work appertaining to the system outside of the 
school-houses, and did it without compensation. In 
February, 1855, they made Silas T. Bowen — now 
head of the oldest book house in the State, Bowen,- 
Stewart & Co. — superintendent, with a salary of 
four hundred dollars a year. He improved the 
schools greatly, but could not spare the time that they 
needed, and gave place to George B. Stone, at one 
thousand dollars a year. He had previously had 
charge of the High School, succeeding Mr. Cole. His 
salary was one thousand dollars, and he gave his whole 
time and mind to the work. Under him the system 
was fully developed, and worked as well as it ever 
has since with costlier officers and greater pretensions. 
His success overcame all prejudices and objections, 
and no tax was paid so cheerfully as the school tax. 
The income increased as the city grew, and more 



teachers were employed, new houses built, old ones 
enlarged, and the average attendance increased from 
three hundred and forty in April, 1853, when the 
system went into operation, to fourteen hundred in 
1856 and eighteen hundred in 1857. Ten houses 
had been built, forty-four per cent, of the children of 
" school age" enrolled, and seventy-three per cent, of 
the enrollment was in average daily attendance. Just 
in this most promising condition the Supreme Court 
struck the system a blow that prostrated it at once 
and paralyzed it for five years. At the suit of Fow- 
ler, of Lafayette, the court held that local taxation in 
aid of schools was not the " uniform taxation" re- 
quired by the Constitution, and could not be enforced. 
The opinion was very general at the time, and has 
only grown stronger since, that there was nothing but 
the thinnest of distinctions to sustain this disastrous 
ruling. It was made in January, 1858. The Coun- 
cil at once met to see what could be done, and called 
upon the citizens of each ward to hold meetings with 
the same object. This was done on the 29th of Jan- 
uary. Subscriptions were taken to maintain the 
schools anyhow, and three thousand dollars were con- 
tributed. This would not go far, and at the end of the 
current quarter, seeing that without a revenue backed 
by law nothing of value could be done, the effort was 
abandoned, the schools closed, the teachers left the 
city many of them, and the houses were rented for 
private schools sometimes, and when they were not 
they were occupied by thieves and strumpets. The 
houses were kept in indifferent repair by a small tax, 
and the State fund allowed a free term of a few 
months, amounting to four months and a half in 
1860 and 1861. No attempt at free schools was made 
in 1859. In 1862 the Supreme Court reviewed its 
decision, the system was reorganized, the tax re-estab- 
lished, and the flourishing condition of 1857 fully 
restored and improved. The further history of the 
public schools will be treated in its department, as 
above intimated. 

Third. — The Madison Railroad, in its progress 
towards the capital, after the State had sold it to a 
company in 1843, was slow, halting for several months 
at temporary stations, as North Vernon, Sand Creek, 
Clifty Creek, Columbus, Edinburg, Franklin, and 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



135 



Greenwood. It reached the last station in the latter 
part of the summer of 1847, and that left but ten miles 
of staging from the city. The influence of the great 
public improvement, as already intimated, had gone 
ahead of it, and inspired the most active and prom- 
ising enterprise and permanent progress that had yet 
appeared. Thousands of the old settlers had never 
seen a railroad, not even this one, which for a half- 
dozen years had been within fifty miles of them. 
The curiosity about it was universal, and there was 
plenty of time for it to grow full-size and spread as 
far as convenient access could reach. The citizens 
held a meeting a few days before the 1st of October, 
the day track-laying would be completed to the depot 
already in progress on South Street, and made arrange- 
ments to celebrate the occasion in a suitable manner. 
The last spike Was driven about nine o'clock in the 
morning of Oct. 1, 1847, and the rail was barely in 
place and ready when two big excursion trains came 
up from the lower part of the road, and were received 
with much shouting, shooting, and spouting. Spald- 
ing's Circus, with the band, led by Ned Kendall, the 
famous bugler, was in the city, and 'the whole availa- 
ble portion of it turned out to decorate the occasion. 
Governor Whitcomb made a speech from the roof of 
a car at the depot, and an illumination and display 
of fire-works at night closed a demonstration that 
events proved was not the glittering illusion of the 
popular rejoicing ten years and more before when the 
project of the road was adopted by the Legislature. 
The good effect of a means of transportation that 
could be depended on, and would not consume the full 
value of the article in the cost of getting it where some- 
body would buy it, was speedily felt. The pork packed 
here and at Broad Ripple by the Mansurs since 1841, 
and sent down the river in flat-boats on the spring 
floods, could go anywhere now, choose a market, 
and run no risk. Corn and wheat doubled in 
price before Christmas, while goods brought from 
abroad were cheapened by the same process tiiat en- 
hanced home products. Further notice will be taken 
of the changes produced by this first admission of 
the city to the commercial connections of the country 
and by its successors a little later. 

From the time ths completion of the Madison 



Road became a certainty railroad enterprise moved 
more energetically, and finally with long bounds that 
have not ceased yet and hardly slackened, except as 
financial straits have forced it. The Peru and In- 
dianapolis line was chartered in 1845-46, completed 
to Noblesville, twenty-one miles, in the spring of 

1851, and to Peru, seventy-three miles, in April, 
1854. The Bellefontaine (Bee Line) was chartered 
two years later, but was completed to Pendleton, 
twenty-eight miles, three months sooner, and to the 
State line at Union City in December, 1852, over a 
year sooner. The Terre Haute Road (Vandalia), 
chartered in 1846, was finished to Terre Haute, sev- 
enty-three miles, in May, 1852. The Jeffersonville 
Road, begun in 1848, was finished to Edinburg, sev- 
enty-eight miles, and connected with the Madison in 

1852. The Lafayette (now Cincinnati, Indianapolis, 
St. Louis and Chicago, or Big Pour) was begun in 
1849, and finished to Lafayette, sixty-five miles, in 
1852. The Central (Pan Handle) was begun in 
1851, and finished to the State line near Richmond, 
seventy-two miles, December, 1853. The Cincin- 
nati Road (now part of the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, 
St. Louis and Chicago) was begun in 1850, but not 
chartered as a through road till 1851, because it 
would cut off all the up-river trade of the Madison 
Road. It was completed to Lawrenceburg, ninety 
miles, in October, 1853. The Junction Road, to 
Hamilton, Ohio, was begun in 1850, but delayed by 
one obstruction or another, so that it was not com- 
pleted to the city till May, 1868. The Vincennes Road 
was started in 1851, and the company organized under 
the late John H. Bradley in 1853, but nothing of 
consequence till a reorganization was made under the 
late Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, in 1865. It was 
then pushed vigorously, and completed to the city in 
1868. The city gave it a subsidy of sixty thousand 
dollars. An " Air Line" road to Evansville was pro- 
jected in 1840, and taken up in 1853 by Oliver H. 
Smith, the founder of the Bellefontaine Road, to con- 
nect with the latter and make a through line from 
the lower Ohio to Lake Erie, and under this organ- 
ization surveys were made and work advanced vigor- 
ously till the financial crash of 1857 stopped it, and 
before the effects of that had passed away Mr. Smith 



136 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



died, and the " Air Line" is still a project instead of 
a fact. A " Short Line" road to Cincinnati was pro- 
jected in 1853, surveys and contracts made, but 
stopped in 1855 by financial stress, and has remained 
dead ever since. The Toledo and Indianapolis Road, 
a direct line of one hundred and eighty-five miles, 
was organized in 1854 for a short lake connection, 
but hard times killed it. The Indiana and Illinois 
Central, one hundred and sixty miles, to Decatur, 111., 
was projected in 1852, and organized in 1853, began 
work and advanced hopefully till the " hard times" 
came upon it. Later it was reorganized as the Indian- 
apolis, Decatur and SpringfieM Road, and was com- 
pleted in 1881. In 1866 the Cincinnati Road wanted 
a connection to reach Chicago business, and its man- 
agement projected a rival line to the Lafayette through 
Crawfordsville, to which the city voted a subsidy of 
forty-five thousand dollars. Work was begun and 
progressing favorably, when the Lafayette was bought 
and absorbed and the Crawfordsville abandoned. 
This did not please the people of the rich corn and 
pork section traversed by the proposed line, and then 
another company was formed, contracts re-let, and the 
road completed to the city as the Indianapolis, Bloom- 
ington and "Western in 1869. The Indianapolis and 
St. Louis Road was begun in 1867 to make a Western 
connection for one of the great Eastern trunk lines, 
and was finished in 1869. Within the last two years 
the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western has made 
an eastern extension, entering the city beside the Bee 
Line tracks, and about a year ago consolidated the 
Indianapolis, Decatur and Springfield Company with 
itself, running both lines. The " Chicago Air Line" 
road, after a long period of embarrassment and ob- 
struction, was completed into the city last spring, 1883. 
The Union Railway Company, wholly confined to the 
city, was organized in 1849, mainly by Gen. Thomas 
A. Morris, Oliver H. Smith, Chauncey Rose, and 
Edwin J. Peck. The Union tracks were laid in 1850, 
and the depot, upon Gen. Morris' plans, in 1853. 
Previously the Bellefontaine trains had started from 
the Terre Haute (now Vandalia) Depot, on Tennessee 
and Louisiana Streets, one square west of the Union 
Depot. A Belt Road, to connect outside of the city all 
the roads entering it, by which they could transfer 



cars and trains from one to the other without passing 
through the city, was projected and partly graded by 
a company, mainly composed of other railroad com- 
panies, eight or ten years ago, but abandoned in the 
stress of finances. In 1876 it was taken up by a 
company, mainly of capitalists in the city or con- 
nected with the railroads centring here, and on popu- 
lar approval by a vote the city indorsed the company's 
bonds to the amount of five hundred thousand dol- 
lars, taking a mortgage on the road and stock to 
secure itself, and the road was rapidly built in con- 
nection with the stock-yard, and opened for business 
in November, 1877. Within a year it has been 
leased by the Union Company, and both are now 
under one management. 

The first telegraph line was constructed in the 
spring of 1848, from here to Daytdn, by a company 
organized by Henry O'Reilly, under a general law 
passed the preceding February. The first dispatch 
was sent from here to Richmond on the 12th of May ; 
the first published dispatcli appeared in the Sentinel 
of May 24th. The first operator was Mr. Isaac H. 
Kiersted, and his office was in the second story of the 
building where the Hubbard block now stands. Two 
years later a second line was built by Wade & Co., 
but consolidated with the other in April, 1853. Other 
lines have been built and absorbed here, and all over 
the country. The operators here have been Isaac H. 
Kiersted, J. W. Chapin, Anton Schneider, Sidney B. 
Morris, J. F. Wilson, and John F. Wallack. The 
last was made superintendent here when an officer of 
that kind was first found necessary, and lie has filled 
the place ever since, nearly twenty years. For tlie 
first eight or ten years dispatches were taken by im- 
pressions of the Morse alphabet on long ribbons of 
heavy paper ; and newspaper men had to copy these, 
fill out the abbreviations, and arrange them in some 
sort of coherent order each for himself A very few 
years before the war operators here began to read by 
sound, Coleman Wilson being the first resident sound 
reader. From that time forward the operators made 
manifold copies for the press, and saved editors a good 
deal of work. The most notable event, next to the 
first appearance of the electric telegraph, was the suc- 
cessful laying, so soon ruined, of the first Atlantic 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



137 




138 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



cable, in August, 1858. There was an illumination 
and bonfires, and a general congratulatory time that 
night. Governor Wallace made a speech, and Gov- 
ernor Willard had a pleasant reception at the executive 
residence. It is not generally known that the appro- 
priation which enabled Professor Morse to build his 
experimental line to Baltimore was carried in com- 
mittee by the vote of Governor Wallace, and but for 
that vote the appropriation and pregnant experiment 
would have both failed for another year at least. The 
committee on commerce, in which the appropriation 
of forty thousand dollars was considered, was evenly 
divided, as it liappencd, and Governor Wallace's name 
coming last on the roll his vote decided the question 
for the appropriation. At the ensuing congressional 
election his antagonist used this vote against him 
with such effect that it helped to defeat him. Faith 
in electricity forty years ago was hardly as wide and 
solid as it has grown to be since. 

In February, 1851, the Indianapolis Gaslight and 
Coke Company was given a special charter by the last 
Legislature under the old constitution to run fifteen 
years, and on tlie 6th of March stock-books were 
opened, stock subscribed readily to the amount of 
twenty thousand dollars, the capital limited by the 
charter, and on the 26th an organization made by the 
choice of David V. Culley as president, Willis W. 
Wright as secretary, and H. V. Barringer as superin- 
tendent. The projector of the affair was Mr. John 
J. Lockwood. The city gave the company the sole 
right to make and supply gas here for public or private 
use, requiring street gas at the price of that in Cin- 
cinnati. In July the company bought a small tract 
of half swampy creek bottom on the east side of 
Pennsylvania Street, on the south bank of the creek, 
and erected, in a small, cheap way, the buildings 
needed. Mains were laid in Pennsylvania and Wash- 
ington Streets at the same time. On the lOfh of 
January, 1852, the first gas was furnished for regular 
consumption. In the following April, 1853, a few 
weeks over a year after the organization of the com- 
pany, seven thousand seven hundred feet of pipe had 
been laid, six hundred and seventy-five burners were 
supplied for one hundred and sixteen consumers, and 
thirty bushels of coal were used per day. Previously 



Masonic Hall, and the two street lamps in front of it, 
had been lighted with gas made by a little apparatus 
of its own. The enterprise ran heavily at the start 
till a superintendent who knew his business was ob- 
tained, and the works were enlarged and improved. 
A special tax to pay for lighting the streets with gas 
was defeated at the city election of 1852, and the 
lighting of Washington Street from Pennsylvania 
Street to Meridian was paid for by the property 
owners. In December, 1854, a contract was made with 
the company to light the central portions of Washing- 
ton and the adjacent streets, and it was done in 1855. 
From that time a steady annual addition was made, 
the property holders paying for Ihe posts and lamps, 
till in 1868 the total length of mains was twenty- 
three miles, and of service-pipe seventy-five miles, 
with fifteen hundred and fifty consumers of gas, and 
an average daily production of one hundred and 
seventy-five thousand feet. The largest gas-holder is 
on Delaware Street, and has a capacity of three hun- 
dred thousand cubic feet. In February, 1859, the 
Council decided to put four lamps to a square, the 
opposite corners to be lighted, and the two intermedi- 
ate lamps to be allowed equal intervals from the other 
two and each other, one on each side of the street. 
The original charter expired March 4, 1866. The 
City Council, thinking to get better terms than before, 
ordered, in May, 1865, an advertisement for proposals 
to light the city for twenty years. No bid was made 
but by the old company, and its demand not being 
satisfactory, a committee was appointed to investigate 
the matter, and made a report of terms and conditions 
that the company would not accept. In this emer- 
gency, R. B. Catherwood & Co. made a proposition 
on the 5th of Blarch, 1866, to take a charter for 
thirty years, with the exclusive right of the city, and 
furnish gas for three dollars per one thousand feet, 
the city to contest a claim for longer continuance made 
by the old company. The gas committee made a 
counter-proposition to charter the " CitiSens' Gaslight 
and Coke Compat)y," with an exclusive city right for 
twenty years instead of thirty, reserving the right to 
buy the works after ten years, and dividing equally 
the profits above fifteen per cent. The new company 
was to attend to the litigation with the old one, the 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



139 



capital was to be appraised every five years, the com- 
pany was to fix the gas rate annually, in March, at 
not more than three dollars per one thousand feet, 
were to extend mains vifherever fifteen burners to a 
square were promised, insure their works, and forfeit 
their charter if they made default in the conditions. 
This move started the confident old company to a 
serious consideration of the case, and while the 
counter-proposition and ordinance of the Council 
were pending, it advanced a proposal to take a twenty 
years' charter, supply gas at three dollars per one 
thousand feet, extend mains and fill all other con- 
ditions required of the new company, and lower the 
price of gas if improved processes of manufacture 
would allow it. The city would light and clean the 
lamps, and have the amount and quality of gas tested. 
The bargain was closed and is still binding. In a little 
while, however, it was found that the gas bills were 
getting to be bigger under the new arrangement at 
three dollars per one thousand feet than the old one at 
twenty-eight dollars and forty-four cents a lamp, for 
gas, lighting, and cleaning. A committee investigated 
the matter, and found that more lamps were charged 
for than had been used and more gas charged for than 
had been needed, and a gas inspector was recommen- 
ded. George H. Fleming, excellently qualified, was 
appointed, rules for testing the quality and pressure 
of gas were made, the number of hours of lighting 
fixed, and all the lamps but those on the corners were 
shut off at midnight, thus saving twenty thousand 
dollars a year. Since that time there have been some 
considerable changes. 

In 1877 a new gas company was organized here in 
competition with the old one, called the " Citizens' 
Company." Works were built at the west end of St. 
Clair Street, and a considerable extent of mains laid, 
private consumers supplied, and a fair prospect of 
good business opened. The gasometer exploded soon 
after operations began, and in a short time the old 
company bought the new one. It operates the new 
works, however, in connection with the old ones, now 
so greatly enlarged as to cover more than half of the 
square between the creek and South Street. Some 
ten years ago a branch establishment, for the conven- 
ience of the northeastern part. of the city, was opened 



near the crossing of the Peru Railroad and Seventh 
Street. 

The first suggestion of a street railway was made 
in November, 1860, and renewed in 1863, when a 
company was formed with Gen. Thomas A. Morris 
as president, Wm. Y. Wiley as secretary, and W. 0. 
Rockwood as treasurer. They applied to the Council, 
and while the application was pending, a rival com- 
pany was formed by R. B. Catherwood, of New York, 
and some citizens here, with Col. John A. Bridgland 
as president. They proposed better terms than the 
earlier company, and offered security to fill their con- 
tract ; but the " Citizens' Company," as it was called, 
finally lost the charter, and it was given to the Indian- 
apolis company and refused ; whereupon it was ac- 
cepted by the other, and the conditions settled. These 
facts are familiar to most readers, from the frequent 
controversies of the press with the company. Owing 
to unavoidable delays, the Council granted an exten- 
sion of time for sixty days in 1864, in the latter part 
of August, in fulfilling all the conditions, but portions 
of the work had been done, and the Illinois Street 
Line to the Union Depot had been opened with due 
ceremony by the city authorities in June of that 
year. The company, consisting of Catherwood and 
his associates, sold to Wm. H. English and E. S. 
Alvord in 1865, and these a few years later sold to 
the Messrs. Johnson, the present proprietors. The 
present extent and condition of the business of the 
company is stated in the summary in the last chapter. 
It only needs to be noticed further here, that within 
the past year the stables and shops have been enlarged 
and cover an acre on the northeast corner of Louisiana 
and Tennessee Streets, with a half-acre more on the 
opposite side of Tennessee Street which is laid down 
with tracks and shelter for cars not in use. A stable 
and car-house have been built in Indianola within a 
little more than a year, for the service of the line 
running to Mount Jackson and the Insane Asylum. 
The Tennessee Street establishment was seriously 
damaged by fire a few years ago, but it was not al- 
lowed to interfere with the operations of the company 
at all. Within a few months past attempts have been 
made to charter a second street railway company, 
under the name of the " Metropolitan," but so far they 



140 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



have not succeeded, though backed by some of the 
best men in the city. On the morning of the 6th of 
January, 1884, the stables of the " Citizens' " company 
were again seriously damaged by fire. 

The first proposal for a water supply was made in 
1860 by a Mr. Bell, of Rochester, N. Y., but idly. 
The company that had come into possession of the 
canal renewed it in 1864 as idly as Mr. Bell. Mayor 
Caven recommended to the Council the initiation of 
a water system, with Crown Hill as the site for a 
reservoir, but the Council decided that while a supply 
system was desirable, it was not desirable that the 
city should make it. Nothing further was done till 
1866, when the mayor again brought the matter before 
the Council, and in November of that year the inevit- 
able Catherwood came forward and accepted a charter 
requiring the water to come from the river far enough 
up to avoid contamination, with other conditions 
needless to specify, as nothing came of the affair. In 
1869 the Central Canal Company, then mainly 
a resident of Rochester, N. Y., tried to get the 
Council into a joint-stock company to introduce the 
Holly scheme, which acts by direct force without a 
reservoir, and put in their canal as the source of sup- 
ply, at a price that would make that theretofore 
useless property remunerative ; but that would not 
work. In the fall of 1869, Mr. Woodruff organized 
a company for a water supply on the Holly plan 
independently of the city, and he was given a charter 
under strict limitations, and introduced the supply 
slowly and not very successfully at first. The com- 
pany has changed a good deal, and is now under the 
presidency of Gen. Thomas A. Morris, with Mr. 
John L. Ketcham as secretary, and supplies a large 
part of the domestic and manufacturing service of the 
city and all its fire service. Two or three years ago, 
the sources of its supply being suspected of impurity, 
it was decided to bring the whole of it from a point 
so far above the city as to make contamination im- 
possible, and a point was selected near the river 
above the Fall Creek " cut off." This has been 
reached by a costly conduit which brings water from 
a " gallery," or elongated well, about twelve hun- 
dred feet long by fifty wide and fifteen deep, which 
cannot be damaged by river infiltration, or by any 



cause that does not equally damage all springs. Below 
its bed, about forty feet, is a second current which has 
been reached by boring, and rises above the surface 
of the " gallery" water. This can be depended on 
to maintain a pure supply if needed. Several analyses 
have proved the " gallery" to be as nearly pure as 
anything drawn from the ground and undistilled can 
be. 

For some years Governor Wright had made a 
specialty of agriculture and its requirements, and in 
1853 the Legislature chartered the State Board of 
Agriculture, with the Governor as president, the late 
John B. Dillon as secretary, and State Treasurer 
Mayhew as treasurer. The first fair was held in 
Military Park in October, 1852, from the 19th to 
the 25th, with thirteen hundred and sixty-five entries. 
The next was held in Lafayette, October 11th to 
loth. Horace Greeley delivered the address. Then 
it went to Madison, where its success was so indif- 
ferent that it returned to Indianapolis for four years. 
In 1859 it was taken to New Albany, and returned 
to Indianapolis for five years, till 1864, none being 
held in 1861 on account of the war. In 1865 it 
went to Fort Wayne, then came again to Indianapolis. 
Since then it has remained here. Up to 1860 it was 
held in Military Park ; then the State Board bought 
a tract of some thirty acres north of the city, with 
the assistance of the railroads, and held the fair there 
that year. During the war it was used both as a 
camp for national troops, and as a prison camp for 
prisoners of war. Some years ago an association of 
citizens and railroads joined the State Board in 
erecting the "Exposition" building, with the pur- 
pose of maintaining an annual exhibition of such 
products of skill as could not be advantageously 
shown in ordinary fair buildings. The success of the 
enterprise was not such to encourage its continuance 
long, and the State Board took the building with the 
assurance of protecting the obligations incurred in its 
erection. 

Belonging to this same period is the origin of the 
City Hospital. As already related, the city, during 
an epidemic alarm in early days, was going to use 
the Governor's house, in the Circle, as a hospital ; 
but the alarm disappeared and nothing further was 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



141 



done. In 1848 anotlier serious fright was caused by 
an outbreak of smallpox, in which a prominent In- 
diana politician died at the Palmer House, now the 
Occidental. A general vaccination was ordered, and 
a lot bought and contract made for a hospital. The 
fright passed away, the citizens protested against a 
tax for a hospital, and the material was given to the 
contractor, with a bonus of two hundred and twenty- 
five dollars in consideration of his surrender of the 
contract. He built a three-story frame hotel with 
the means thus wasted by the city, and it is still in 
use on Market Street, near the Sentinel office. Again, 
in 1855, a smallpox scare occurred, and it was again 
determined to erect a city hospital. A large tract of 
ground on the bank of Fall Creek, at the end of In- 
diana Avenue, was purchased, a house begun in the 
usual fashion of failure, and failed when the alarm 
subsided. But the affair was not allowed to die 
quietly or lie easily in its grave this time. Dr. Liv- 
ingston Dunlap, alluded to heretofore as a pioneer of 
the city, was a member of the Council, and kept the 
subject in a chronic state of resurrection till the 
house was finished, at a cost of thirty thousand dol- 
lars, in 1859. No use occurring for it, nothing was 
done with it, but as a resort for strumpets and 
thieves, and it was proposed to sell it. The Council 
decided that it was better to rent it, though it was 
not rented. Then there was a suggestion to make it 
a city prison or home for friendless women, or to let 
the Sisters of Charity make a hospital of it ; but 
these projects were defeated. It was at last granted 
to an association of ladies for a " Home for Friend- 
less Women," but not being used, it was given rent 
free to somebody to take care of it. Few charitable 
schemes or means have lived through harder trials, 
and the hospital, now so important a feature, of the 
city government, would probably have gone the way 
of other such eff'orts if the outbreak of the war had 
not compelled the national government to use it for 
its original purpose. The government made some 
considerable additions, besides improving the grounds, 
and these came to the city, with the uses of the struc- 
ture settled by four years of occupancy, in place of 
the rent of it. A short time after the government 
returned it to the city. Rev. Augustus Bessonies, the 



pastor of St. John's Catholic Church, asked its dona- 
tion to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd as a prison 
for females. At the same time he asked the comple- 
tion of the city house of refuge on the Bluff road, 
south of the city, of which a very substantial and 
costly foundation had been laid for a year or two and 
left unfinished for want of means, on ground donated 
by the late S. A. Fletcher; but the opposition of 
other denominations defeated these applications, and 
the hospital was left vacant for a few months, when 
furniture and supplies were obtained at the sale of 
government stores in Jeffersonville, a superintendent 
and consulting physician appointed, and the hospital 
opened July 1, 1866. The old government additions 
becoming dilapidated, the city decided, about a year 
ago, to build two substantial and commodious addi- 
tions of brick, three stories high, and one was re- 
cently completed and opened for the admission of pa- 
tients. It may be noted in this connection that the 
house of refuge desired by the Catholic association 
was soon afterwards finished and put in charge of one 
of the Catholic charitable associations. 

The hospital, during its occupancy by the general 
government, was under the charge of Dr. John M. 
Kiletun and Dr. P. H. Jameson, who, with their 
assistants, treated thirteen thousand patients there in 
four years. During the few months that intervened 
after the government ceased to use it as a hospital — 
from July, 1865, to April, 1866 — it was occupied as 
a " Soldiers' Home," under Dr. M. M. Wishard. The 
first superintendent of the institution, after it had 
been completely organized and provided, and made 
ready for service as a city hospital, in fulfillment of 
its original purpose, was Dr. G. V. Woollen. The 
present superintendent is Dr. W. N. Wishard. 

The Chamber of Commerce traces its origin to this 
period. A Merchants' Exchange was formed in June, 
1848, but died in early infancy, and was succeeded 
by one formed in August, 1853, by a citizens' meet- 
ing, which appointed Nicholas McCarty, Ignatius 
Brown, John D. Defrees, A. H. Brown, R. J. Gat- 
ling, and John T. Cox a committee to make a con- 
stitution, prepare a circular and map, and obtain 
money. Douglas Maguire was made president, John 
L. Ketcham secretary, and R. B. Duncan treasurer. 



142 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Mr. Ignatius Brown prepared the map and circular 
setting forth the situation and condition of the city, 
and they were sent all over the country, for the first 
time giving the outside world some knowledge of the 
city's advantages as a manufacturing and commercial 
centre. After a beneficial existence of two years it 
died of inanition, and was revived in 1856, and con- 
tinued for two years more, dying, as before, for want 
of means. It was succeeded or revived in 1864 as 
the Chamber of Commerce, which, after a feeble life 
of a few years, began to develop under the great 
impulse given to business at the close of the war, and 
is now a powerful and permanent body of a thousand 
members, representiug forty-five to fifty classes of 
business, of which eighteen are railroad and transpor- 
tation companies. Operating with it for a time was 
the "Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association," in 
1868, and in 1873, for a year or two, a " Real Estate 
Exchange" was formed, with an especial eye to the 
development of real estate business. It died, how- 
ever, when the panic of 1873 culminated here in 
1875. 

Many of our leading educational and benevolent 
institutions date from the same period, from the 
adoption of a city form of government, in 1847, to 
the war. The Masonic Grand Lodge Hall, begun by 
the purchase in 1847 of the site it still retains, was 
completed far enough for occupancy by the Consti- 
tutional Convention of 1850, and dedicated the fol- 
lowing spring. The Widows' and Orphans' Society 
organized in December, 1849 ; the Northwestern 
Christian University (now Butler), removed a few ; 
years ago to Irvington, chartered in 1852 ; an Adams 
Express office was opened first on September. 15, 
1851 ; the grand hall of the Odd-Fellows was begun 
in 1853, and completed in 1855, at a cost of thirty 
thousand dollars ; the Young Men's Christian Asso- 
ciation was organized on March 21, 1854; in 1853 
the free schools were first put in effective operation. 
These all remain in vigorous existence. Besides these 
a number sprang up, flourished for a while, and dis- 
appeared. Among these, those deserving notice now 
are the Central Medical College, organized in the 
summer of 1849, with a faculty composed of Drs. 
John S. Bobbs, Richard Curran, J. S. Harrison, G-. 



W. Mears, C. G. Downey, L. Dunlap, A. H. Baker, 
and David Funkhouser. Its location was the south- 
east corner of East and Washington Streets, its 
existence protracted for about three years. The In- 
diana Female College is another, opened by Rev. T. 
L. Lynch, on the southeast corner of Ohio and Me- 
ridian Streets. It was continued there by his suc- 
cessors till 1859, afid suspended. In 1852, Dr. Mc- 
Lean opened a female seminary on the southwest 
corner of Meridian and New York Streets, and con- 
tinued it successfully till his death, in 1860, when 
Professor Todd and others maintained it till 1865. 
In 1865 the Indiana Female College was re-estab- 
lished in the BIcLean building, and maintained for 
two or three years, when the premises were sold to 
the Wesley Chapel congregation for the site of the 
present Meridian Church. A commercial college 
and reading-room were begun in 1851 by Wm. M. 
Scott, but they lived only a few years, the reading- 
room but a year. 

Most of the existing considerable manufactures had 
their commencement in the same period. Pork- 
packing, previously a restricted and uncertain busi- 
ness, became enlarged by additional establishments 
and by the increased product and trade of all. Iron 
had been rather an occasional infusion of trade than 
a permanent element. Grain- and lumber-mills mul- 
tiplied ; planing-mills made their first appearance, 
so did furniture-factories and coopering establish- 
ments, and agricultural machinery and carriage-fac- 
tories that kept carriages in stock. The opening up 
of means of transportation that were not dependent 
on freshets in the river or the condition of " cross- 
layed" roads gave a positive and speedy boom to all 
classes of business that was only increased by the 
war. Naturally this dozen years was to be expected 
to prove encouraging, though no one did expect such 
results so speedily. 

The first course of lectures held here was in the 
early months of 1847. The " Union Literary So- 
ciety," composed at first mainly of pupils of the 
" Old Seminary," but in its later years enlarged by 
the addition of young men unconnected with the 
school, and finally absorbed by them, secured by 
the contributions of citizens means enousrh to obtain 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



143 



the use of suitable places for free lectures by Dr. 
Johnson, rector of Christ Church, Rev. S. T. Gillet, 
Hon. Godlove S. Orth, and others. The same asso- 
ciation had previously obtained a lecture from Rev. 
Henry Ward Beecher, in his church, but it was a 
single address without a succession. In 1847 or 
1848 the society, with the assistance of citizens as 
before, procured a short course of lectures from a 
Cincinnati clergyman, and occasional lectures were 
obtained from citizens. In May, 1851, John B. 
Grough delivered three or four of his noted temper- 
ance lectures in Masonic Hall. In 1853 the Union 
Literary Society, then in the act of expiration, ob- 
tained a lecture from Horace Greeley in the fall. 
The Young Men's Christian Association succeeded 
the following year, and had annual courses of lectures 
regularly for a number of years thereafter. A further 
reference will be made to these in a chapter on "Lec- 
tures and Entertainments." 

In 1855 came a financial disturbance that amounted 
to nearly a panic. It grew out of the condition of the 
currency and the banks. The Legislature, in 1852, 
had passed a " Free Banking" law, authorizing the 
issue of bills by private banks on the security of our 
State bonds, or those of any State approved by the 
State oflBcers. Under a lax construction of this act, 
or the laxity of its provisions which no construction 
could tighten, a large number of banks had grown up 
all over the State, some well fortified with securities 
of circulation, some indifferently, and some hardly 
protected at all. For a while their issues all went 
off freely at home, though a good deal distrusted out- 
side of the State. The State ofiicers had exercised 
less than due care in distinguishing between the 
securities off'ered, and some of a doubtful character 
had been accepted, and issues upon them thrown into 
the current of business. Governor Wright, who had 
come to doubt the operation of the act, determined to 
test the strength of some of the banks by sending 
them their bills to redeem in gold. One in Vermil- 
lion County, in the slang of the day, " squatted." 
This began an impulse of distrust and discrimination 
which culminated in 1855, and continued after the 
Governor had been succeeded by Governor Willard. 
Free bank paper became the plaything of brokers. 



One would refuse it, another would take it ; one 
would accept it to-day and refuse it to-morrow. Banks 
that redeemed on demand, or in any way maintained 
fair credit, as some did, were called " gilt-edged," and 
were good with all brokers and business men. Others 
of a less assured character were discounted at any rate 
that a broker pleased. The brokers, in fact, fixed the 
value of the currency of the free banks, and the daily 
papers of the city made their first essays at " Money 
Articles" in noting the fluctuations. They made 
three classes, — the absolutely good, the uncertain, and 
the bad, — and these changed, the lower once and a 
while rising into the upper, but the general tendency 
was downwards. Gradually the weaker banks were 
closed up, the stronger became better established, and 
the disturbances disappeared till in 1863. When 
national banks were first organized, their notes 
were not considered any better than the others, but 
they possessed the vast advantage of being equally 
good everywhere. That was not the case with free 
bank paper, which sometimes failed in a man's 
pocket when he was out of the State, though pos- 
sibly still current at home, and left him in as un- 
pleasant a situation as that of " Titmarsh in Lille." 
The free banks of Indianapolis were the Bank of the 
Capital, Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, the Central 
Bank, the Traders' Bank, and the Metropolitan Bank. 
In this connection may be noticed the appearance 
of the first permanent theatre in a building erected 
for it, the Metropolitan, now the Park. There had 
frequently been temporary theatrical establishments 
in improvised buildings, but in 1857-58, Mr. Val- 
entine Butsch built the Metropolitan, on the corner 
of Washington and Tennessee Streets, a favorite loca- 
tion for circuses in earlier times, and opened it in the 
fall of the latter year. It did not prove remunerative 
till the outbreak of the war tolleoted large bodies of 
idle men here, either as soldiers organizing in camp 
or as hangers-on of the army. Then it improved so 
greatly that ten years later the same enterprising 
gentleman purchased an incomplete building on the 
southeast corner of Illinois and Ohio Streets, and 
converted and completed it into the Academy of 
Music, which was burned some half-dozen years later. 
Of the earlier dramatic enterprises here, those of an 



144 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAIIION COUNTY. 



occasional character in temporary quarters, and those 
later than this period of the city's history, an ac- 
count will be given in a chapter assigned to such 
entertainments. 

Municipal Government. — The history of the 
city and county during the war will be treated in 
its own division, and since the war so much of it is a 
matter of recent occurrence, within thousands of mem- 
ories, that no attempt will be made to present it except 
in the details of the diiferent special topics to follow. 
These, except as to their early history, have not been 
sought to be presented, as any intelligible account 
must bring remote periods together in a body that 
would break up entirely the course of the general 
history. A sketch of our manufactures, to illustrate, 
would have to mass together all material facts between 
the steam-mill in 1832 and the car-works in 1882, a 
period of fifty years, and to thrust such a mass into 
the course of the general history would make an irre- 
coverable disconnection. It would be the same with 
our schools, churches, press, banks, entertainments, 
and other special subjects vitally connected with the 
city's history, but readily separable from the general 
narrative. 

The first special subject is naturally that of the 
city government, of which something has already 
been said. The first municipal organization was in 
1832. From that time the history of the county 
and that of the city are measurably separated. The 
changes up to the time of the adoption of the city 
form of government have been already noted ; those 
since, till the addition of a Board of Aldermen, may 
be very briefly stated. In 1853 the general charter 
law was adopted, by which the elections were changed 
from April to May, the terms of all officers to a single 
year, each ward given two councilmen, all elections 
given to the people, arfd the mayor made president 
of the Council, as he has continued to be ever since. 
In 1857 the Legislature amended the general charter 
act, which made the terms of all officers two years, 
and vacated half the seats in the Council each year. 
In 1859 an amendment made the Council terms four 
years instead of two. In 1861 the First Ward was 
divided and the Ninth made of the eastern half, 
and a similar division of the Seventh made the 



Eighth of the eastern half. In 1865 a new charter 
was put in operation, which made all terms of office 
two years, created the office of auditor, and made the 
auditor, assessor, attorney, and engineer elective by 
the Council. In 1867 this was changed so as to 
create the office of city judge and give to the people 
only the choice of mayor, clerk, marshal, treasurer, 
assessor, and judge. The offices of auditor and 
judge were abolished in 1869, the duties of auditor 
going to the clerk and those of judge to the mayor. 
The charter remained unchanged till 1877, when the 
Board of Aldermen was created; then the terms of 
councilmen were made one year and of aldermen two 
years. In 1881 a change was made, giving a term 
of two years to both and changing the time of the 
city election from May to October. Tlie nine wards 
of 1861 remained unchanged till 1876, when they 
were increased to thirteen. When the Board of 
Aldermen was created they were increased to twenty- 
five and a councilman assigned to each one, while the 
whole were divided into five districts with two alder- 
men to each. 

In noting these political indications of the growth 
of the city it may be noted that the first addition to 
the territory of the city was made by John Wood, 
the banker, in June, 1836. In 1S54 and 1855 
Blake, Drake, Fletcher, Mayhew, Blackford, and 
others made considerable additions. Mr. Ignatius 
Brown estimates that between sixty and eighty ad- 
ditions had been made up to 1868. Taking into 
account the enormous additions and subdivisions of 
additions made during the real estate speculations 
after 1868 up to 1875, the whole number can hardly 
be less than one hundred and fifty. Not a few of 
these have since relapsed into their original condi- 
tion to avoid city t^xes, but the territory of the city 
still is very nearly three times as large as the dona- 
tion and a dozen times as large as the original plat 
of the town. The city assessments for taxes since the 
organization of the city government are as follows : 



YeiU-. Tnxables. 

1847 $1,000,(100 

1850 2,326,185 

1S52 4,000,000 

1S5S 5,131,682 

1854 6,500,000 



Year. Taxiiblcs. 

1855 §8,000,000 

1856 9,146,000 

1857 9,874,000 

1858 10,475,000 

1859 7,146,607 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



145 



Tear. Taxables. 

1860 $10,700,000 

1861 10,000,000 

1862 10,260,000 

1863 18,578,633 

1864 19,723,732 

1865 20,913,274 

1866 24,835,750 

1867 25,500,605 

1868 24,000,000 

1869 22,000,000 

1870 24,522,261 

1871 27,908,820 



Year. Taxables, 

1872 $34,746,026 

1873 61,246,3111 

1874 67,309,193 

1875 69,251,749 

1876 60,456,2002 

1877 55,367,245 

1878 50,029,975 

1879 48,099,940 

1880 50,030,271 

1881 51,901,217 

1882 52,612,595 

1883 53,128,150 



The present assessment of the county is about 
$75,000,000. That of the city constituting two- 
thirds of it, the fluctuations of the latter have caused 
equal variations in the other. The tax-rate of the 
county is 70 cents for all purposes ; that of the city 
$1.12, which is the limit. Something of the extent 
of the real estate speculative fever in 1873 may be 
judged from the fact that the sales in 1872 were 
reported by the Board of Trade as double those 
of 1871, and those of 1873 doubled those of 1872, 
amounting to over $32,500,000. Since that time 
there has been no such inflation of speculation. In 
1864 an ordinance required the issue of a " permit" 
from the city clerk to authorize the erection of a 
building. In 1865 it was found that 1621 buildings 
were erected ; in 1866, 1112 ; in 1867, 747 ; in 1870, 
840 ; in 1873, 600. Since then the decline has been 
heavy and continual until within the last two years. 
The decrease in the number of buildings, which will 
be observed, was more than compensated by the in- 
creased value till the general financial disturbance 
broke down building of all kinds almost entirely. 

The first street improvement made by the city was 
in 1836-37. At that time the national government 
was metaling the National road through the city, and 
the occasion ofiered a very obvious motive to the trus- 
tees to do something for their sidewalks. The some- 
thing was not much, but it accomplished some brick 
pavements and some grading down of inequalities. 
About that time, too, some shade-trees, principally 
locusts, were set out on the street then and for a good 



1 An act of the Legislature this year required appraisement 
at cash valuation, and all real property advanced all over the 
State. 

2 The effect of depreciation following the panic of 1873. 

10 



many years called Main Street, and in various parts 
of the city. Some of these old locusts were standing 
on the corner of Meridian Street for twenty years. 
On the other streets they remained longer, and a few 
are still standing in scattered localities. A general 
plan of street improvement and drainage was made 
by James Wood, in 1841, upon an order of the 
Council, but nothing was done with it at the time, 
though later it was partially carried out where prac- 
ticable at all. The sidewalks of Washington Street 
were widened from the fifteen feet of the original 
plat to twenty, and those of the other streets from 
the original ten to twelve, and later to fifteen. Pave- 
ments were occasionally made, but more frequently 
graveled walks took their place all along the interval 
from 1836 to 1859, and the grading and graveling 
of streets went on too ; but the first substantial im- 
provement was bowldering Washington Street from 
Illinois to Meridian. From that time onward street 
improvement has gone on with little interruption, — 
some of it of a costly kind, as the block pavement of 
Delaware and other streets, which soon wore out and 
required replacing by bowlders. A recent effort has 
been made to replace the bowlders of Washington 
Street and the blocks of Market with Medina stone, 
but the cost of that material makes it unlikely to 
displace bowlders on any but streets largely occupied 
by wealthy residents. In 1855 an attempt was made 
to number the houses on Washington Street, but it 
was indifferently done, and nothing further was at- 
tempted in that direction till 1858, when A. C. How- 
ard, on a Council order, numbered all the streets; 
but counting only the houses then erected, the faulty 
plan was soon disclosed, and in 1864 he renumbered 
them on the Philadelphia plan of making fifty 
numbers to a block. The most extensive and costly 
improvement, however, has been the sewage system, 
adopted in 1870. It began with a main sewer of 
eight feet in diameter from Washington Street to 
the river, down Kentucky Avenue. A branch was 
carried up the bed of the canal from the avenue to 
Market Street, which effaced the canal that far. 
Another branch was carried along South Street to 
Fletcher Avenue, and down that avenue to its ter- 
mination. Since then a branch has been constructed 



146 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



on Illinois Street, Pennsylvania Street, and other 
streets, and the trunk line extended to the creek at 
Noble Street to connect with a line to the Female 
Reformatory. In 1868 a fifteen-cent sewage tax was 
levied, and a sewer on Ray Street, from Delaware 
to the creek, was made, terminating under Ray Street 
bridge, at a cost of sixteen thousand five hundred 
dollars. The later and larger aifair cost one hundred 
and eighty thousand dollars. The contractors were 
Wirth & Co., of Cincinnati. Their competitors were 
Symonds & Hyland, who were alleged at the time to 
have ofl'ered the city more favorable terms, and their 
rejection by the Council caused open charges of cor- 
ruption to be repeatedly urged in some of the city 
papers. The other street improvements — the street 
lamps, railway lines, and the water supply — have 
already been referred to, and do not belong to an ac- 
count of works prosecuted by the city. In 1871 the 
perils of crossing the union tracks on busy streets 
caused the erection of an iron viaduct on Delaware 
Street, some six hundred feet long and high enough 
under the upper span for the easy passage of engines 
and cars. It was but little used, however, and in 
1874 was taken down and the iron used in making 
canal and creek bridges. In 1873 a more eflFective 
relief, it was thought, would be given to the crowded 
business of Illinois Street at the west end of the 
Union Depot by a tunnel extending, with its ap- 
proaches, from near South Street to near the middle 
of the block north of Louisiana Street. It was built 
at a cost of forty thousand dollars, — so stated at the 
time, — with two wagon-tracks, in separate arches, and 
an elevated foot-passenger track on each side some 
three feet higher. The latter were soon found to be 
used for vile purposes, and were closed. The main 
tunnel was maintained in good order, but surren- 
dered wholly to the street-railway company, which has 
two tracks in it. In heavy rains the tunnel is so flooded 
as to be frequently impassable for a time. The amount 
of street-work done in twelve years — from 1836 to 
1848 — may be judged from the fact that it had all 
made a debt of but six thousand dollars, and that 
only because the city would not bear a tax heavy 
enough to pay its way. An election was held in 
1849 to determine whether a special tax of ten cents 



should be levied to pay it, and the proposition was 
carried by only eleven votes. That made the whole 
tax-rate forty-five cents on one hundred dollars, and 
made a general growl of discontent. Aside from 
these necessary improvements, the citizens have made 
a beautiful and desirable one of their own in the- 
lines of shade-trees — the maples, and catalpas occa- 
sionally — that border all the principal streets of resi- 
dence, making continuous arches of grateful shade 
for miles. Much pride is taken in this voluntary 
decoration of the streets, and the Council has sup- 
ported it by appointing a forester to look after the 
general interests of shade-trees in streets and parks. 

The city has four parks, — the Circle, Military, 
University, and Garfield. The last is far larger than 
all the others together, and is the only one the city 
really owns, and the only one the city has never tried 
to improve. It lies a little south of the southern 
boundary, at the junction of Pleasant Run and Bean 
Creek, contains about one hundred and ten acres, and 
possesses an agreeable diversity of forest and meadow, 
level and ascent, and might easily and cheaply be 
made a popular resort. It cost about one thousand 
dollars an acre. The other three parks belong to the 
State, but are given to the city as places of recrea- 
tion on condition of their proper care and mainte- 
nance. They have all been handsomely laid out 
with walks and turf-plats and patches of trees and 
shrubbery, with a considerable pond and fountain in 
Military Park. It is the remains of the old Military 
Ground, or Reservation, that figures so frequently in 
the early history of the city. It contains about 
twenty acres, the others about four acres each. 

The city had no police force till 1854. In Septem- 
ber of that year it appointed fourteen men to that ser- 
vice, with Jefferson Spring.steen as captain. The ordi- 
nance creating this force was repealed Dec. 17, 1855, 
partly because the citizens grumbled at the expense, 
and partly because an attempt to arrest some ofiend- 
ing Germans in August — under the prohibitory liquor 
act which went into force the preceding June and 
was never regarded by anybody — made a riot on East 
Washington Street that ended in several of the Ger- 
mans being wounded by pistol-shots. The citizens 
and the Council sustained the police, but the Su- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



147 



preme Court speedily killed the prohibitory law. 
The expense was serious, the police services not 
conspicuous then, and the Germans were bitterly 
exasperated at the force. Early in the following 
year, however, a second force of ten men, under 
Capt. Jesse Van Blaricum, was created. This was 
ended the next May by hostile party action, which 
made a substitute of one oflEcer in each ward ap- 
pointed by the marshal. The next May saw a 
change of party power, and another police force 
of seven men, under Capt. A. D. Kose, was created. 
Two men were added to this force the next year, 
1858, under Capt. Samuel Lefevre. Kose went back 
in 1859, and the force was increased to two men 
from each ward in 1861, making fourteen men. 
Kose held till October, and was succeeded by 
Thomas Ramsey. Two men were dropped the same 
year, and John R. Cotton took command the next 
May, 1862, when the two day -patrolmen were re- 
placed, and the force uniformed at the city's expense. 
Thomas D. Amos was made captain in 1863, the 
force increased by a lieutenant and twenty-five men, 
— eighteen for the .night- and seven for the day- 
patrol. David M. Powell succeeded as chief the 
same year, and the city obtained material help, in 
preserving peace, from the military authorities, which 
were then strong, and the force of rowdies and 
scoundrels equally strong, and needing the com- 
bined repression of both powers. The ordinance of 
March, 1864, established police districts, and Sam- 
uel A. Cramer was made captain in May. During 
the State Fair of 1864 twenty-six special policemen 
were added. On the 5th of December an ordinance 
added sixteen men till the following May, and made 
the chief's salary fifteen hundred dollars. The pay 
of the men was also increased in 1863 and 1864, being 
fixed finally at two dollars and a half and three 
dollars a day. In 1865, Jesse Van Blaricum was 
again made chief, with two lieutenants, nine day- and 
eighteen night-patrolmen, two detectives, and sixteen 
specials. He was succeeded in April, 1866, by 
Thomas S. Wilson, and he in 1870 by Henry Paul. 
Eli Thompson came in 1871 and continued till 
1874, when he was succeeded by Frank Wilson, who 
held two years, and was followed in 1876 by A. C. 



Dewey for a year, when Albert Travis succeeded 
from 1877 to 1880, and Robert C. Williamson fol- 
lowed till 1883, when the Metropolitan Police Act 
superseded him and the whole city force. The 
number was varied occasionally during this time, but 
was never so low as in the days preceding 1870. 
The present condition of the force under the new 
system will be found in the preliminary statement of 
the general condition of the city, and need not be 
repeated here. The Metropolitan force was created 
by an act of the Legislature of the winter of 1883, 
authorizing the appointment of three commissioners 
by the State officers, who should hold office three 
years, one retiring each year, and who should ap- 
point and control the whole police force of the city. 
They made Maj. Robbins chief, who retired recently, 
and was succeeded by John A. Lang, who had pre- 
viously been a captain. Maj. Robbins had given 
offense to many by regulations in derogation of the 
State law touching the conduct of liquor saloons. 
In 1865, Alexis Coquillard organized a force of a 
dozen men to patrol the business streets and protect 
business property at the expense of the persons 
served. The Council gave them police powers. A. 
D. Rose subsequently commanded it. Capt. Thomas 
now commands it, in a considerably enlarged force 
however. Besides these there are a halfdozen at 
the Union Depot, appointed and paid by the Union 
Railway Company, who are invested with police 
powers by the Council, and later by*the Metropolitan 
authority. In this account of the police force of the 
city the facts are derived from Mr. Ignatius Brown's 
sketch, so far as its earlier history is concerned. 

In 1826, as already related, a fire company was 
organized under Capt. John Hawkins, to operate 
with buckets and ladders. It maintained its organi- 
zation till 1835, when it was absorbed by the Marion 
Engine Company, organized to operate the " Marion 
Engine," purchased at the joint expense of the State 
and city in that year. It was an " end-brake," re- 
quiring about twenty-four men to work it fully, 
and a powerful and very serviceable " machine" it 
proved. It was made by Merrick, of Philadelphia. 
A two-story frame house was built for it in 1837 
on the north of the Circle, the City Council meeting 



148 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTl. 



in the upper rooms. It was burned in 1851, and 
with it a large portion of the city records. In 1855 
a handsome two-story brick was erected for it at the 
corner of Massachusetts Avenue and New York 
Street. In 1840 a second engine, and second-hand 
engine, too, called the "Good Intent," was purchased 
and " ran" with the Marion for a year ; then a por- 
tion of the company, under John H. Wright, took 
her and formed the " Relief Company" to work her. 
The members of both these companies were among 
the leading citizens. Caleb Scudder was the first 
captain of the Marion, and James M. Ray the first 
secretary. Capt. Scudder was succeeded by James 
Blake, Dr. John L. Mothershead, and others of the 
same position. John H. Wright was a leading mer- 
chant here, and one of the founders of the pork- 
packing business. The law at that time exempted 
firemen from city taxes and jury duty, and though 
these were slight considerations to the first of our 
volunteer firemen, they were considerable induce- 
ments to their successors, who were of the class that 
usually make up fire companies in other cities. Ten 
years of active service entitled a member to retire as 
an " honorary," with all his exemptions. This per- 
mission was taken advantage of by the early mem- 
bers as fast as it could be used, and the consequence 
was that by the year 1850 very few of them were 
left in either company in active service. The later 
companies never boasted of the possession of any of 
the " pioneers." * 

For nearly ten years these two companies remained 
alone, depending on church and hotel bells and per- 
sonal and general yells to make their alarms, and on 
private wells and the creek and canal for their supply 
of water. Private wells were made available some- 
times by letting down a "worm" fence or tearing 
away a panel of picket fence, and sometimes by " lines 
of buckets," that is, of spectators passing buckets 
from the well to the engine. At the first organization 
of a fire company, in 1826, every householder was 
expected to give all the bucket help he could, but no 
" fire-buckets" for that especial service were made for 
some years after, probably not till the Marion Engine 
Company was organized. Then they came, great 
awkward leather affairs, made by our own harness- 



makers in some cases, if not all, and painted blue 
inside by Samuel S. Booker, the pioneer painter. 
They were about a foot and a half high, a foot across 
the mouth, ten inches at the bottom, with a swell in 
the middle that gave them the look of a small beer 
keg, with a leather-covered rope round the mouth, and 
a broad leather strap for a handle, which made them 
easy to carry but exceedingly hard to discharge with 
a throw, such an effort being likely to leave half the 
contents scattered over the person of the adventurous 
thrower. A later style of bucket, which was smaller, 
conical, with a considerable spread at the mouth, suc- 
ceeded and did better work. 

In 1849 the " Western Liberties Company" was 
organized in the west of the city and took the old 
" Good Intent" from the " Relief Company," when 
the latter got a " row-boat" engine, in which the men 
were all seated and the brakes worked horizontally. 
This was housed in a two-story brick on the west 
side of Meridian Street, in what is now " Hubbard's 
Block." In 1858, near the end of the volunteer ser- 
vice, with the help of the Council and the subscrip- 
tions of citizens, the " Relief" purchased a handsome 
end-brake engine and used it till disbanded in Novem- 
ber, 1859. The " row-boat" they broke up and sold 
the next spring. The Marion Company exchanged 
their well-tried engine for a fine side-brake in 1858, 
but never used it much, and it was sold to a Peru 
company, in 1860, for two thousand one hundred and 
thirty dollars. The later companies having short 
lives and little history, need little notice. The 
" Western Liberties," formed in 1849, used the 
" Good Intent" in a house on the point between 
Washington Street and the National road till 1857, 
when a brick building was erected for them on 
West Washington Street, where one of the steam- 
engines is stationed now, and a new engine called 
the " Indiana" given them. Like most of the other 
companies, they were disbanded in 1859 and their 
engine sold. The " Invincibles," derisively called 
the " Wooden Shoes" by the older companies, or- 
ganized in May, 1852, and got a little iron-box, 
end-brake engine called the " Victory," which, light 
and easily handled, and working well with a strong 
company, was always early and frequently first at fires, 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



149 



the great point of competition with volunteer oom- 
panies. In 1857 they obtained a fine new engine, 
the" Conquerer," and used it till August, 1859, when 
they were disbanded. Their house was a brick on 
the east side of New Jersey Street, a half-square north 
of Washington. It was afterwards a notorious bagnio 
during the war. The " Invinoibles" went into the 
" paid" department in 1860, with their engine, but 
remained only a few months, when they finally dis- 
banded and sold their engine to Fort Wayne. The 
" Union Company" was organized in 1855 ; a handsome 
two-story brick house was built for them on the south 
side of East South Street, now occupied by a steam- 
engine, and a fine large end-brake engine given them, 
which they called '' The Spirit of 7 and 6" because 
they represented those two wards. They were dis- 
banded in November, 1859. 

The " Eovers" organized in 1858 in the north- 
western part of the city, and were given a house and 
one of the old engines. Before anything more could 
be done the volunteer system was so obviously breaking 
down that the company was disbanded in June, 1859. 
The " Hook-and-Ladder Company" was organized in 
1843, and did all that their means and opportunities 
allowed till they were disbanded with the other com- 
panies in 1859. Its house was on the west end of 
the East Market space. Besides these regular com- 
panies there were two companies of boys engaged in 
the volunteer service for a time, the " O. K. Bucket 
Company" and the " Young America Hook-and- 
Ladder Company." The former was organized in 
1849, used the old city buckets for a time, and were 
then provided with new and better ones and with a 
handsome light wagon to carry them. This com- 
pany was often of considerable service to the others 
by its ready supply of buckets. They had a frame 
house on the northeast corner of Maryland and Me- 
ridian Streets. They were disbanded in 1854, reor- 
ganized next year, again disbanded and organized as 
an engine company with the little iron-box " Vic- 
tory." The "Young America Company" were given 
their " hooks" and other apparatus in 1858, but did 
little, and were disbanded in November, 1859. 
There were no " hose companies" in the volunteer 
service, though in each engine company there came 



to be in the latter days a sort of separate formation 
of "engine" and "hose" men. The officers were a 
captain (who was also president), secretary, treasurer, 
engine directors, hose directors, and messenger, the 
latter being paid some fifty dollars a year by the 
Council to attend to the apparatus and keep it in re- 
pair. A "suction hose" man was usually appointed 
from the most experienced members, his duty being 
to couple the sections of the " suction" hose and at- 
tach it to the engine, a service on which a good deal 
of the readiness of the engine for action depended. 

Until 1852-53 the cost of the volunteer system was 
a trifle. Occasional repairs of hose, rarer repairs of 
engines, and an occasional repainting made the sum of 
it ; but as the character of the service changed by the 
retirement of the original members, the pioneers both 
of the city and the service, the expenses increased. 
The companies were less associations of citizens for 
mutual protection than unpaid employes of the 
public, and they became clamorous for larger outlays, 
not in wages, but in parades and houses and fine ap- 
paratus. They were entirely independent, however, 
and to remedy some of the evils of rivalry and occa- 
sional contention it was determined in 1853 to sub- 
ject them fully to the city authority, and a chief fire 
engineer was appointed with two assistants. The 
first chief was Joseph Little, the first assistant B. 
R. Sulgrove, second, William King. Obedience was 
made the condition of aid from the Council. As a 
protection against a power which might be tyranni- 
cally used the firemen determined to unite on their 
part to secure co-operation and unity of purpose, and 
they formed the Fire Association, with B. R. Sul- 
grove as president. It was composed of delegates 
elected from each company, and met monthly in the 
upper room of the " Relief Company" on Meridian 
Street. It was recognized by the Council as the 
representative of the whole body of firemen, and of 
course became at once a formidable political power. 
By a sort of tacit agreement the city clerk was as- 
signed to the firemen. Their " legislature" assumed 
to determine all fire appropriations, and as they felt 
their power more clearly they made their demands 
more imperiously. The citizens grumbled at the ex- 
pense and the Council at the usurpation of its power, 



150 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and finally the association split into factions, the pres- 
idency began to be " log-rolled" and intrigued for, 
and the end was evidently close at hand. It came 
with the election of Joseph W. Davis, captain of the 
" Invincibles," as fire engineer in 1858. He had 
made warm friends and bitter enemies, and the ani- 
mosities went into the association when he went into 
the fire chieftancy. The firemen had held their 
power by union against the hostility of the citizens, 
and now their union was broken. In 1859 an at- 
tempt was made, by the election of John E. Foudray 
as chief, to restore harmony and maintain the volun- 
teer system, but it was idle. Steam had made its 
way to recognition and favor because, as Miles 
Greenwood, the chief of Cincinnati, said, " it neither 
drank whiskey nor threw brickbats," and steam made 
its way here in the fall of 1859. An order for a Lee 
& Larned rotary engine was made then, and the en- 
gine received the following March. It was put in 
the house of the " Westerns" and the steam depart- 
ment fairly established, though for some months two 
hand-engines and the hook-and-ladder wagon were 
retained. The steam-engine was in charge of Frank 
Glazier, the hand-engines of Charles Richman and 
William Sherwood, and the hook-and-ladder of Wil- 
liam N. Darnell. The volunteer system died in No- 
vember, 1859. Joseph W. Davis was chief of the 
new paid department, with a salary of three hundred 
dollars. In August, 1860, a small " Latta" was 
bought and put in the Marion house on Massachu- 
setts Avenue. In October a Seneca Falls engine 
was obtained and put in the Union house on South 
Street. The first of these was in charge of Charles 
Curtiss, the second of Daniel Glazier. The hand- 
engines were then permanently dismissed and the 
last vestiges of the volunteer system lost. 

In 1863 an alarm-bell was placed in an open frame- 
work tower in the rear of the Glenn Block on Wash- 
ington Street, and was rung by an apparatus from 
the cupola on the block, where a watch was stationed 
day and night. Till 1868 this watch designated the 
locality of a fire by striking the number of the ward ; 
then in February a system of automatic telegraph 
signals was introduced, at an expense of six thousand 
dollars, and has continued in operation ever since. 



The signals are made by a little motion of an ap- 
paratus in a locked iron box, which communicates 
electrically with all the fire-bells in the city, each 
box automatically ringing a certain number of strokes, 
designating its locality, and repeating them five times. 
The keys of the boxes are kept in adjacent houses, 
and their places and their signals published, so that 
at any alarm anybody may know almost the exact 
place of the fire. 

The water supply, as already stated, was for a con- 
siderable time dependent on private wells, though as 
early as 1840, or thereabouts, one or two public wells 
were dug for the engines. These were increased 
afterwards, but no cisterns were made till 1852, 
when a cistern tax was levied and sixteen constructed 
in difierent parts of the city. Two small three hun- 
dred-barrel cisterns were made in 1850, but their 
inadequacy only proved the necessity of more. 
There are now one hundred and forty-nine in the 
city, many of them exceeding two thousand barrels, 
besides the supply from the water-works by five 
hundred and thirty-two hydrants. The present 
steam paid department consists of seventy-six men 
(thirteen firemen, six engineers, six stokers, twenty-two 
hosemen, six laddermen, nineteen drivers, two tele- 
graph-men, one supply-driver, one watchman at head- 
quarters), eight engines (of which six are in service, 
one in reserve, one used for filling cisterns), ten reels 
in service, two in reserve, one chemical apparatus or 
engine, two hook-and-ladder wagons, two supply- 
wagons, thirty-four horses, three watch-tower men, 
fifteen chemical extinguishers (hand), twelve horses, 
one hundred and eight fire-alarm boxes. The water 
supply, as already stated, is furnished by the Holly 
system of " direct pressure," and the hose can be 
used effectively directly from the hydrants. 

The notable fires in the city are not numerous, and 
none have been very destructive. In 1826 or 1827 
the residence of Nicholas McCarty, on West Mary- 
land Street, was burned, and was the second fire in 
the place. That of Maj. Carter's tavern, in 1825, 
already related, was the first. The next was the first 
tobacco- factory on Kentucky Avenue, which was 
burned in 1838, causing an uninsured loss of ten 
thousand dollars. On 4th February, 1843, the 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



151 



Washington Hall was seriously damaged by fire. 
In 1852 the row of two-story frames from the Capi- 
tal House, east to the alley at Tomlinson's Block, was 
burned, the most extensive fire in area that had then 
occurred in the place. In 1853 all the stables and 
out-buildings in the rear of the " Wright House," or 
Washington Hall, were burned, making a very large 
and destructive conflagration. In 1852 the Eagle 
Machine- Works were damaged to the extent of 
twenty thousand dollars, and the next year by an- 
other fire nearly as serious. In 1853 the grist-mill 
of Morris Brothers, on the corner north of the Eagle 
Machine- Works, was totally destroyed and never re- 
built. In 1856, Carlisle's mill, on the canal basin at 
the end of Market Street, was burned. In 1858 the 
smoke-house of W. & I. Mansur's pork-house was 
burned, causing a serious loss of cured meats. In 
the spring of 1865 the most disastrous fire ever 
known here took place in Kingan's new pork-house, 
then but a single year in operation. The loss was 
two hundred and forty thousand dollars, but largely 
insured. In 1874, March 22d, both sides of North 
Pennsylvania Street, including the " Exchange 
Block" and the unfinished hotel, now the Denison, 
and the " Martindale Block," were nearly destroyed, 
causing a loss, mostly insured, of two hundred thou- 
sand dollars. In 1876, Tousey & Wiggan.s' meat 
storage-house, on South Pennsylvania Street, was 
damaged by fire to the extent of ten thousand dollars 
or more, insured. In June, 1875, Elevator B was to- 
tally destroyed, with a loss of thirty thousand dollars. 
In 1876 the street-car stables were burned. In the 
winter of 1880, Ferguson's pork-house, south of the 
Vandalia road, on the east bank of the river, was en- 
tirely destroyed, with a loss of two hundred thousand 
dollars. In the winter of 1878-79 the " Centennial 
Block," on South Meridian Street, was damaged to 
the extent of thirty thou.sand dollars. The most 
important fires of the past year were the following : 

March 13. — Corner Dakota Street, J. Shellen- 
berger, butter-dish factory, cause unknown ; loss, 
$10,900.50; insurance, 17500. 

April 20. — Pogue's Run and East Michigan Street, 
J. E. Pearson et al., butter-dish factory, incendiary ; 
loss, $4489.36 ; insurance, $6000. 



May 9. — Corner Kentucky Avenue and Sharpe 
Street, Indianapolis Stove Company, stove foundry, 
cause unknown; loss, $21,938; insurance, $15,980. 
Corner Kentucky Avenue and Sharpe Street, Eagle 
Machine-Works, storage-room, communicated ; loss, 
$5200; insurance, $2000. Corner Kentucky Ave- 
nue and Sharpe Street, W. W. Cheezum, saloon and 
residence, communicated ; loss, $1239 ; insurance, 
$1000. No. 21 Sharpe Street, Gus. Wilde, resi- 
dence, communicated ; loss, $650 ; insurance, $900. 

July 2. — 354 East Washington Street, Helm & 
Hartman, flour-mill ; loss, $5057.45 ; insurance, 
$4100. 

Sept. 28. — Mclntire Street near Canal, T. P. 
Haughey, glue-factory ; loss, $6047.05 ; insurance, 
$9550. 

Oct. 31.— Second Street and Canal, J. F. Failey, 
wheel-works; loss, $6204.66 ; insurance, $18,000. 

Jan. 6, 1884. — Tennessee Street, stables of the 
Citizens' Street Railway Company, damaged to the 
amount of $10,000. 



CHAPTER VII. 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS.— (CoHfidjierf.) 
COMMERCIAL AND MERCANTILE INTERESTS OF THE OUT. 

The early commerce of Indianapolis was a matter 
of road-wagons and country stores. The most of 
it was barter and all of it was mixed. Dry-goods, 
drugs and groceries, cutlery, queensware and leather, 
books, tubs, and salt fiish were all to be found in the 
same establishment, and whiskey was universal. A 
half-dozen yards of red flannel swung over the door 
on two sticks and hung down the sides was an un- 
failing sign ; a name over the door was not. The 
trade that was not barter — and that was not much — 
was managed with Spanish silver. The railroads of 
those days did all the transportation, but the rails 
were as often an obstruction as an assistance, as already 
related. The cars that ran upon them and across 
them were usually drawn by four horses, — rarely less 



152 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



than three,— and rang their bells in a bow above the 
hames in an incessant and not unmusical jangle. 
The canvas cover was full a dozen feet along the top, 
following the deep hollow from the uptilt at each 
end, and sis or seven in diameter. A good big 
wagon loaded and belled, with a good team well 
harnessed, and a driver of the Clem Peery school 
mounted in his " wagon" saddle — a diiferent variety 
from the " riding" saddle, being made with black 
harness-leather skirts cut square — on the " near" 
wheel-horse, and driving with a ten-feet line of 
inch bridle-leather fastened to the " bit" of the 
" near" leader, his " blacksnake" whip in hand — 
and your teamster would have held it a shame to use 
anything else — cracking as merrily as an Italian cab- 
driver, was an inspiriting sight. In good weather, 
along the old Michigan road, on the way to Cincin- 
nati by Lawrenceburg, or to Madison by Napoleon, 
one might sometimes see a dozen of these gigantic 
white caterpillars following each other, loaded with 
goods for McCarty, or Wright, or Hedderly, or Han- 
naman, or Justin Smith, and driven by Clem Peery, 
Bill Stuck, his brother Perry, Sam Ritchey and his 
brother Arnold, Wash Norwood, or Charley O'Neal, 
a brother of the noted criminal lawyer Hugh O'Neal, 
or some of the teaming fraternity, who took the place 
of the railroads, engines, and trains of to-day. They 
rarely took anything away, so the trip one way had 
to pay for both. Our exports usually went out afoot. 
Hog driving was almost a separate occupation forty 
years ago and before, and all the time till railroads 
came. It was a slow, cold, wearisome business, 
for it could only be done in winter ; was usually 
done to Cincinnati; the roads were rough, the way 
long, and the night was consumed in feeding the 
" grunting herd." Wagons sometimes followed to 
take care of the lame and exhausted, or what are 
now called "slow" hogs. The hog drover, in his 
normal night condition, was covered with the slop 
of thawing roads, tired, cross, and hungry. In 
this condition the late Oliver H. Smith carried to 
Cincinnati with his drove of hogs the news of his 
own election to the United States Senate. The 
elder John Wood drove horses to New Orleans in 
the same fashion, but less unpleasantly. He was 



the only trader in Indianapolis in that line or that 
direction. 

John Wood, who was of Scotch-Irish parentage, 
was born July 25, 1784, in Orange County, N. Y., 
where his boyhood was spent in school or in various 
active pursuits. He married, in 1806, Miss Rachel 
Brown, and had children, — Daniel B. and Rachel 
(Mrs. George Myers), both of whom died in Lan- 
caster, Ohio, in 1832, and one whose death occurred 
iu infancy. He married a second time, in 1812, 
Miss Sarah West, of Brown County, Ohio, to whom 
were born children, — Eleanor (Mrs. Thomas M- 




.]i)nN WOOL). 

Smithj, John M., Phebe i Mrs. M. A. Daugherty), 
Mary (Mrs. Robert L. Browning), Martha (Mrs. E. 
K. Foster), Cornelia (Mrs. R. L. Browning), and 
William E. Mr. Wood early became a dealer in 
horses, and continued this business first in New 
York State and later in Kentucky, to which State 
he removed. While residing in Maysville, in the 
latter State, he took horses in large numbers to the 
New Orleans market, and was the first man from 
Kentucky to engage in this enterprise. In Septem- 
ber, 1834, Mr. Wood made Indianapolis his resi- 
dence, having for a brief period resided in Lancaster, 
Oliio, and purchased a farm of four hundred and 



\ 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



153 



eighty acres, most of which is now embraced within 
the city limits. He continued his business in Indi- 
anapolis, and became a large shipper of horses to 
other localities. He also opened an extensive livery- 
and sales stable, to which his son John succeeded in 
1840, and has since transferred to his son, Horace 
F. Wood. Mr. Wood was in politics a firm and 
uncompromising Whig, but not an office-seeker, his 
time and attention having been entirely absorbed in 
the management of his extended private business. 
He was, however, active in the political field, and 
eager for the success of his party. He was a mem- 
ber of -the order of Free and Accepted Masons, 
which he joined at an early day in Kentucky, as 
also of the Independent Order of Odd-Fellows. 
His death occurred Jan. 6, 1847, in his sixty-third 
year. Two of his children, John M. and William 
B., still reside in Indianapolis. 

Among the merchants of this primitive period of 
transportation were Lawrence M. Vance and David 
S. Beaty (of the firm of Vance & Beaty), both 
dead now after lives of honorable activity, cut off in 
their prime. 

Lawrence Martin Vance was the youngest of 
nine children of Capt. Samuel Colville Vance, who 
for many years held the responsible position of pay- 
master of the Northwestern Territory, with head- 
quarters at Fort Washington, now Cincinnati. He 
subsequently removed to a locality on the Ohio 
River which he named Lawrenceburg, after his 
wife's maiden name. His wife, Mary Morris Law- 
rence, mother of Lawrence M. Vance, was a grand- 
daughter of Gen. Arthur St. Clair. 

L. M. Vance was born at Cincinnati, July 16, 1816. 
His youth until eighteen years of age was spent at 
Lawrenceburg. He was a companion in boyhood of 
Governor A. G. Porter, who speaks of him as a 
bright, venturesome lad, with sanguine temperament 
and open, manly nature. Those traits certainly 
characterized his later life. His opportunities for 
early education were ample, but, freed from restraint 
by the death of his parents in early childhood, he 
followed his inclination to engage in active business 
pursuits and never completed a collegiate course. 
He removed in early, manhood to Indianapolis. 



There he engaged in general merchandise in partner- 
ship with the late Hervey Bates, whose eldest daugh- 
ter, Mary J. Bates, he married in 1838. 

With the first internal improvements in Indiana 
he became interested in railroads and railroad build- 
ing. He was an officer of the first railroad to enter 
Indianapolis, and a large contractor and builder of 
one of those subsequently constructed. These en- 
terprises occupied the remainder of his active busi- 
ness life. He possessed a very large share of 
musical talent and no little culture, and was a 
member of the first choir in the city, that in Mr. 
Beecher's church. 

From the first agitation of the " irrepressible con- 
flict" he was an ardent Republican, and a most zeal- 
ous supporter of the principles subsequently estab- 
lished by that party. He sent three sons to the war 
in defense of the Union, and himself was active and 
earnest in the cause, being intrusted with many im- 
portant commissions by the War Governor. His 
death, from pleurisy, occurred in March, 1863. His 
name is perpetuated in one of the largest business 
blocks in the city, erected by Mrs. Vance since his 
death. 

Mr. Vance possessed a large, whole-souled, emo- 
tional nature, and Christian faith and work was a 
pleasure as well as a duty with him. The charac- 
teristics of his nature were those that came under 
obedience to the higher law of morals with natural 
ease and grace. 

Socially, his wit and humor made him a most 
agreeable companion ; his intelligence and good sense 
made him an instructive one. Warm-hearted, kind, 
affectionate, a stranger to malice, he was the life of 
every circle in which he moved. He was a true 
friend, an affectionate father, a faithful husband, an 
upright and honest man. 

David Sandford Beaty. — John R. Beaty, the 
father of the subject of this sketch, was born Dec. 
8, 1782, and married Elizabeth Sandford, born May 
4, 1791. The birth of their son, David Sandford, 
occurred Dec. 31, 1814, in Brookville, Ind., 
where the years of his childhood were spent. After 
obtaining the rudiments of an education, he became 
a pupil at the State University, located in Blooming- 



154 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ton, Ind. He then determined upon a business 
career, and choosing Indianapolis as a promising 
field for professional and business undertakings, he 
became an employe of Hervey Bates, Esq., and re- 
mained with that gentleman until his later con- 
nection with L. M. Vance in the establishment of 
a general dry-goods business. He was one of the 
chief promoters of the scheme for lighting the city 
with gas, assisted in the organization of the gas com- 
pany, and was for many years its efiScient secretary. 
Mr. Beaty then established a general business agency 
for the collection of debts, the settlement of decedents' 
estates, and the exercise of guardianship. 

These duties absorbed his time and attention and 
called him much into the Probate Court, in which 
he had extensive business connections. His ability 
and undoubted integrity soon threw upon him a 
large responsibility, and, in the special department 
which he controlled, so increased his labors as to 
make serious inroads upon his health, which was 
at no time robust. The trusts confided to him 
were often of the most important and delicate nature, 
requiring the greatest fidelity and keen business per- 
ception. The records of the county indicate how 
faithfully they were discharged, and many widows 
and orphans recall with gratitude the scrupulous 
manner in which their interests were guarded. Mr. 
Beaty also for a while engaged in farming pursuits, 
but not to the exclusion of other matters of greater 
import. He was one of the first to introduce and 
encourage the system of public schools, and an early 
member of the School Board of Indianapolis. He 
was in politics first a Whig and later a firm adherent 
of the principles of the Republican party. In poli- 
tics, as in other matters, he was a man of profound 
convictions, which led him to be regarded as a strong 
partisan. He was in religion a supporter and mem- 
ber of the Christian Church. Mr. Beaty was mar- 
ried, on the 25th of October, 1842, to Miss Nancy 
Singleton, daughter of Dr. John Sanders, of Indian- 
apolis, and had eight children, of whom four survive. 
Mr. Beaty's death occurred Jan. 17, 1875, in his 
sixtieth year. He was regarded as " an honorable, 
upright man, whose life was pure and whose repu- 
tation was as bright as burnished silver." 



As before intimated, the early stores of the city 
mixed up groceries and dry-goods always, and it 
was thirty years or more before the separation was 
made complete and a customer had no reason to 
expect to find salt and silk, coffee and calico in the 
same house. When the separation was made, and 
hardware and groceries were kept to themselves, 
among the first in the enterprise of maintaining an 
unmixed grocery stock was John W. Holland, and in 
the similar maintenance of hardware was Abram Bird. 

John W. Holland is the son of John Holland, 
who was of Southern birth, and resided successively 




in Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, and Indiana. Re- 
moving to the latter 8tate in 1816, he settled in 
Franklin County, and engaged in the trade of a 
grocer. In 1825, Johnson County, Ind., became his 
residence, from whence he removed to Bartholomew 
County, and in 1827 he became a citizen of Indian- 
apolis, where he remained until his death in 1865, 
in his eighty-eighth year. He was married to Sarah 
Crisfield, and had children, — George B., Nancy H., 
John W., David S., Samuel J., Rebecca E., and two 




D. S. BBATY. 



I 




^y/^a^ /S^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



155 



who died in infancy. John W., their second son, 
was born in Wellsburg, Brook Co., W. Va., Oct. 23, 
1810, and early removed with his parents to Franklin 
County, Ind., whore, after receiving a plain education, 
he served an apprenticeship in the printing business 
with Rev. Augustus D. Jocelyn, at Brookville, in the 
above county. In 1829 he removed to Lawrence- 
burg, and pursued his trade until the following year, 
when Indianapolis became his home. Here he en- 
gaged as clerk in the store of A. W. Russell & Co., 
at one hundred and twenty dollars per year and his 
board, and was thus employed until 183G, when he 
became a partner, and continued a member of the 
firm until 1839, when the business was closed. In 
1842 he entered the establishment of William Sheets 
& Co. as clerk, and in 1847 began the commission 
grain business under the firm-name of Blythe & 
Holland. Connected with it was the jobbing of 
groceries, which was continued until 1850, when the 
firm removed their stock to the corner of Washing- 
ton and Pennsylvania Streets, and conducted an ex- 
clusively grocery jobbing business. This was con- 
ducted under various firm-names until 18*77, when 
the disasters of the panic, together with enfeebled 
health, occasioned Mr. Holland's retirement. He, 
however, still maintained his character for integrity 
and honor by liquidating all his indebtedness. It 
was proverbial that in all his business transactions 
"his word was as good. as his bond." Mr. Holland 
is in politics a Republican, though not an active 
worker in the political ranks. He is in his religious 
affiliations a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, having for fifty-two years identified his name 
with the Old Wesley Chapel, in Indianapolis, and 
continued his relations with that church until his 
later connection with the Roberts Park Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He has at various times filled 
the positions of class-leader, exhorter, local deacon, 
and local elder. Mr. Holland was. in 1834, married 
to Miss Nancy A., daughter of William Farquar, of 
Louisville, Ky., to whom were born seven children, j 
the survivors being Charles Edward, Theodore F., 
Francis R., John H., and Edmonia M. Mrs. Hoi- ! 
land died in 1848, and he was a second time mar- 
ried, in 1849, to Eliza J. Beckwith, daughter of J 



Joseph Roll, of Marion County, whose children are 
Pamelia H., Benjamin B., and Willie G. 

Abram Bird. — Henry Bird, the father of Abram, 
was a native of Virginia. His wife still survives, in 
the eighty-eighth year of her age. Their son Abram 
was born Nov. 8, 1817, on a farm near Shelbyville, 
Ky., from whence, after some years devoted to farm 
labor, interspersed with limited educational advan- 
tages, he removed to Indianapolis, at that early 
period but a small village. His first business expe- 
rience was as a clerk in a hardware-store, where by 
industry and economy he, after several years of ser- 
vice, accumulated sufficient means to establish himself 
in the same business near the northeast corner of 
Washington and Illinois Streets. At this time 
Washington (then called Main) Street was not 
adorned with shade-trees, Mr. Bird having been the 
pioneer in the planting of trees in this locality. 
This disinterested act called forth the warmest com- 
mendation from the editor of the Sentinel, who pre- 
sented him, as a tribute of regard, a year's subscrip- 
tion to the paper. Mr. Bird developed early in life 
unusual business capacity, which with assiduous de- 
votion to his various enterprises secured a compe- 
tence, with which he retired about the beginning of 
the late war. Though not directly associated with 
any religious organization, he manifested a keen in- 
terest in church enterprises, and frequently contributed 
toward the erection of churches and the furtherance 
of religious causes. In politics he was an ardent 
Whig until the dissolution of that party, when he 
espoused the principles of the Democratic party, of 
which he was in later years a zealous defender. He 
was in November, 1843, married to Miss Ann Maria, 
daughter of George Norwood, of Indianapolis, to 
which union two children were born, William F. and 
Georgia (Mrs. Goldsberry). The death of Mr. Bird 
occurred Oct. 20, 1881, at his home in Indianapolis, 
at the age of sixty-four years. 

Although all inward transportation was so largely 
done by wagons, and wholly by them after the first 
decade of the settlement, a considerable amount was 
done by keel-boats up to that time, while all exporta- 
tion of any consequence was done by flat-boats, as 
related in the earlier part of this work. Of the 




i^'.: 




CMctxjti-crv^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



157 



Indianapolis Gaslight and Coke Company, and for 
a long time one of the directors of the Insane Asy- 
lum. In connection with other prominent citizens 
he laid out and beautified the burial-place near the 
city known as Greenlawn Cemetery. BIr. Peck pos- 
sessed a large-hearted generosity, and manifested 
this trait in many unostentatious deeds of kindness 
during his lifetime. Especially was this manifested 
in the substantial aid given to individuals in business 
enterprises and in encouragement to manufacturing 
interests. He was a man of strong convictions, of 
steadfast purpose where a principle was involved, 
and with courage to defend the right and combat 
the wrong. He was cautious in all business opera- 
tions, — a trait which contributed greatly to his suc- 
cessful career. In his religious convictions he was 
a Presbyterian, and a liberal contributor toward the 
erection of the Second Presbyterian Church of Indian- 
apolis, to which he made a munificent bequest on 
his death. Wabash College was also the recipient 
of a legacy of very considerable proportions, as was 
the Protestant Orphan Asylum. BIr. Peck was in 
1840 married to a daughter of Rev. John Thomp- 
son, who still survives. His death occurred Nov. 6, 
1876, soon after his seventieth birthday, leaving the 
record of a virtuous life that rendered him greatly 
beloved. 

As related in a preceding chapter, several attempts 
to establish an Exchange, or Board of Trade, or some 
similar organization were made before any succeeded. 
The late William Y. Wiley, the first real estate agent 
in the days when it meant something, tried to estab- 
lish an Auction and Stock Exchange in October, 
1853, but it died in a few weeks, and repeated attempts 
and failures preceded the present firmly-established 
Board of Trade. The present condition of the city's 
commerce is presented in the fact that the number of 
cars arriving and leaving here is about twenty thou- 
sand a week, or one million a year, of which two- 
thirds are loaded, or at least six hundred thousand, 
each carrying an average of fifteen tons. This gives 
a total tonnage in the year of nine million, equal to 
the freight of nine thousand ships carrying one thou- 
sand tons each, or about twenty-five every day of the 
year. Much of this, of course, merely passes through 



the city, but what belongs and remains here appears 
from the report of the secretary of the Board of 
Trade, which says that the importations through 
the Custom-House for the year 1882 — the last of 
which any report is ready at this time — amounted to 
$213,119, paying duties to the amount of $81,513. 
The clearances of the Clearing-House amounted to 
$101,577,523. In the wholesale trade we have the 
following summary ; 

Dry-goods $6,000,000 

ftrooeries 6,300,000 

Hardware and iron 2,350,000 

Drugs, paints, oils, etc 2,000,000 

Boots and shoes 1,575,000 

Queensware 700,000 

Hats and caps 385,000 

Toys and faney goods 525,000 

Confectionery 540,000 

Coffee and spices 140,000 

Clothing 420,000 

Millinery 725,000 

Saddlery and carriage goods 575,000 

Leather, findings, and belting 610,000 

Produce and commission 1,075,000 

Agricultural machinery 1,500,000 

S25,420,000 

This was an increase of seventeen per cent, over 
the year before. Among the most prominent and 
successful of the wholesale dealers of the city may 
be named Mr. C. B. Pattison and Mr. William 
Johnson . 

Coleman B. Pattison. — The Pattisons are of 
Irish lineage. Edward Pattison, the grandfather of 
Coleman B., was a native of Kentucky, and later re- 
moved to Indiana. He married Hester Day and had 
children, twelve in number, of whom Isaac, John, 
James, Mary, Elizabeth, Sarah, Joseph D., and Nel- 
son survived. Joseph D. was born Sept. 10, 1809, 
in Kentucky, and moved in his early youth to Indi- 
ana, where he pursued the vocation of a farmer and 
speculator. Indianapolis subsequently became his 
residence, from which he repaired to Franklin town- 
ship, his present home. He married Bliss Lucinda 
Blawzy, of Bourbon County, Ky., and had daughters, 
Sarah and Elizabeth, and sons, Coleman B. and 
Joseph. Coleman B. was born near Rushville, in 
Rush County, Ind., April 9, 1845, on the farm of his 
father. In early life he was sent to Farmers' Col- 
lege, near Cincinnati, Ohio (of which he was a trus- 



158 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tee), where be graduated in his seventeenth year, 
taking high rank in his class. He then came to In- 
dianapolis, and became a clerk in the dry-goods and 
notion jobbing house of Crossland & Co., then doing 
business near Masonic Hall. He remained with this 
house until 1864, one year, when it changed hands, 
and the firm of Webb, Tarkington & Co. came into 
possession. He continued with the new firm for one 
year, when another change took place, and he came 
into the house as a one-third partner, the firm-name 
then being changed to Landers, Tarkington & Patti- 
son. In 1867 this firm was succeeded by Hibben, 
Tarkington & Co., Mr. Pattison continuing with the 
house. This firm was succeeded by Messrs. Hibben, 
Kennedy & Co. in 1870. In 1875 the house again 
changed hands, Mr. Pattison taking an active part- 
nership, and the firm-name being changed to Hibben, 
Pattison & Co. He continued in this position until 
July, 1880, when his interest was sold to Mr. J. W. 
Murphy. Such, in brief, is a history of Blr. Patti- 
son's business career. 

About the year 1877, Mr. Pattison's health began 
to fail. He was sensible from the first of the nature 
of the disease that had marked him as its victim, and 
hoping for benefit from change of climate, in the fall 
of 1877 went to Florida, where he remained all 
winter. He returned and .spent the summer of 1878 
looking after his business interests, and the following 
autumn went to Europe, remaining there until the 
spring of 1879, when he again returned. His foreign 
visit, like the others, had been of but little avail, but 
he determined to exhaust every expedient, and after 
remaining at home through the summer and autumn 
of that year, he departed for California, and prolonged 
his stay until the 20th of May. Finding that despiio 
all he could do his health was fast failing, he returned 
to await the inevitable result of his malady. Up to 
the very hour of his death he seemed to possess all 
those bright, quick, keen qualities that had been so 
characteristic of him through his more active life. 
Of him it has often been remarked that he was one 
of the best business men in Indianapolis. He had a 
large circle of friends and acquaintances, both in and 
out of business, and by his genial temper and attractive 
qualities of mind and heart formed many attachments. 



Mr. Pattison early in life exhibited quite a taste for 
literary pursuits, and had he turned his attention in 
that direction would undoubtedly have distinguished 
himself He wielded a graceful and facile pen, and 
has contributed numerous articles to the local press. 

Mr. Pattison was married on the 6th of June, 
1867, to Miss Sarah J. Hamilton. Their children 
are Joseph H., Emma A., Samuel L., Day Coleman, 
and George C. The death of Coleman B. Pattison 
occurred on the 27th day of September, 1880. 

William Johnson. — Walter Johnson, the grand- 
father of William, was of German descent, and re- 
sided in Sullivan County, East Tenn., where he fol- 
lowed farming employments. He married and had 
children, — John F., Benjamin, James, Robert, Absa- 




lom, Garrett, William, Looney, Polly (Mrs. Snod- 
grass), and Betsy (Mrs. Snodgrass). Their son John 
F. was born in Sullivan County, Tenn., where he 
continued the pursuits of his father. On the 19th 
of January, 1806, he was married to Miss Nancy 
Curtin, of the same county, daughter of John and 
Margaret Snodgrass Curtin, who were both of Irish 
extraction. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson 



k 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



159 



were Susannah, born in 1807, who became Mrs. 
Moser; Margaret, born in 1809, who was Mrs. Jones; 
Walter, whose birth occurred in 1810; William; 
Eleanor C, born in 1814, who became Mrs. Parr; 
Pollj Ann, born in 1817, who was Mrs. Johnson; 
Robert, whose birth occurred in 1819 ; John C., born 
in 1824 ; Elizabeth Jane, born in 1826, who was 
Mrs. Goodrich; and Benjamin F., born in 1828. 
Mrs. Johnson died on the 13th of August, 1854, in 
Indianapolis, and Mr. Johnson November 5th, of the 
same year, in Benton County, Ind. The latter on 
his marriage removed to Hawkins County, Tenn., and 
remained twenty-six years, after which he returned 
to Sullivan County, and in 1834 made Boone County, 
Ind., his home, where he continued farming employ- 
ments until his later residence in Indianapolis. His 
son William, the subject of this biographical sketch, 
was born in Hawkins County, East Tenn., on the 29th 
of September, 1812. He enjoyed but limited ad- 
vantages of education, and early acquired a knowledge 
of farm labor, which engaged his attention during the 
remainder of his active life. He was on the 28th of 
November, 1833, married to Sarah Elizabeth, daughter 
of Lawrence and Mary Snapp, of the same State, 
who died Aug. 6, 1882, in her sixty-eighth year. 
After his marriage Mr. Johnson removed to Virginia, 
and there cultivated a farm. In 1857 he made In- 
dianapolis his home, and combined farming with 
general trading. He is still the owner of several 
farms in the vicinity of the city, and also a large 
holder of real estate in Indianapolis. A number of 
years ago BIr. Johnson retired from active business, 
though still maintaining a personal supervision over 
his varied interests. He is in politics a Democrat, 
and filled while a resident of Virginia the office of 
justice of the peace, since which time he has held no 
office. He is not identified with any religious denom- 
ination, but a willing contributor to all worthy causes. 

In the wholesale hardware trade, Mr. S. B. Carey 
and the house with which he is connected hold a 
place among the foremost in the city. 

Simeon B. Carey. — John Cary, the ancestor of 
the family in America, came from Somersetshire, 
England, about the year 1634 and joined the Plym- 
outh Colony. His name is found among the origi- 



nal proprietors and settlers in Duxbury and Bridge- 
water, the land he owned having been a part of the 
grant made by the Pockonocket Indians in 1639. 
Some of his descendants of the eighth generation 
still occupy a portion of the original tract. John 
Cary was the constable of Bridgewater in 1656, the 
year of its incorporation, and also the first town 
clerk. He married Elizabeth, daughter of Francis 
Godfrey, one of the first settlers of Bridgewater, in 
1644, to whom were born eleven children. Of this 
number his son John, whose birth occurred in 1645, 
married Abigail, daughter of Samuel Allen, and had 
eleven children. In the direct line of descent was 
born in 1735, in Morris County, N. J., Ezra Cary, 
the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, who 
married Lyda Thompson, and removed to Western 
Pennsylvania in 1777. Their children were Phoebe, 
Rufus, Cephas, Ephraim, Absalom, Elias, and George. 
Cephas, of this number, was born in New Jersey on 
Dec. 25, 1776, and accompanied his father to West- 
ern Pennsylvania, and subsequently to Ohio in 1790, 
stopping for a time on the Ohio near Wheeling, Va. 
From thence he repaired to a farm in Shelby County, 
Ohio, where he resided until his removal in 1840 to 
Sidney, in the same county. His death occurred at 
the latter place, at the age of ninety-four years. Mr. 
Cary was married first to Jane Williamson, to whom 
were born eight children, and second to Rhoda Je- 
rard, who was the mother of eight children. His 
son by the second marriage, Simeon B., was born 
Dec. 20, 1822, in Shelby County, Ohio, in a log 
house upon the farm of his father, where he remained 
until eighteen years of age, this period being occu- 
pied in labor upon the farm or in gaining such ad- 
vantages of education as could be obtained at the 
neighboring log school-house.. His father then re- 
moved to Sidney, the county-seat, where the superior 
advantages of a grammar school were afibrded. He 
soon after entered a store as clerk and acted in that 
capacity until 1844, when a copartnership was 
formed with his brother, under the firm-name of B. 
W. & S. B. Carey. He represented the firm in the 
purchase of goods in New York, being the youngest 
merchant from that locality among the many buyers 
of that period. As an illustration of the difficulties 



160 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of travel, it may be mentioned that his route was by 
stage from Sidney to Cincinnati, and by steamer 
from tlience to Brownsville, where he traveled again 
by stage over the Alleghany Mountains, and thus by 
railroad to New York. During the time of this 
partnership he, with his brothers Thomas and Jason, 
made the overland journey with pack-mules and 
horses to California, tarrying at Salt Lake City, and 
reaching Sacramento three months from the date of 
departure. They soon after removed to the moun- 
tains and engaged in traffic between Sacramento and 
the mines. In the spring of 1851, after an absence 
of twelve months, the illness of Thomas Carey occa- 
sioned their somewhat precipitate return, via Isthmus 
of Panama and New Orleans. The death of his 
partner, Benjamin W., occurred in 1851, when Sim- 
eon B. closed the business, and two years later re- 
moved to New York, where a more extended field was 
opened to him. Mr. Carey first became a clerk in the 
hardware establishment of Messrs. Cornells & Willis, 
36 Cortland Street, where, after an acceptable ser- 
vice of two years in that capacity, he in 1855 was 
made a partner, the firm becoming Cornells, Willis & 
Carey. In 1869, owing to various changes which 
had meanwhile occurred in the wholesale and jobbing 
trade, the firm was dissolved, when he removed to 
Indianapolis and again embarked in the wholesale 
and jobbing hardware business, under the firm-name 
of Layman, Carey & Co. This from a small busi- 
ness has become the most extensive and leading 
wholesale hardware establishment in the State, occu- 
pying a spacious building at 67 and 69 South Merid- 
ian Street, equipped with two hydraulic elevators. 
Their trade is not confined to the limits of Indiana, 
but extends into Ohio and Illinois. 

Mr. Carey is in politics a Republican, but not an 
active political partisan. He is in religion a sup- 
porter of the Second Presbyterian Church of Indian- 
apolis. He was married Nov. 2, 1851, to Miss 
Lydia, daughter of Eldad and Olive King, of West- 
field, Mass. Their children are Ida Fannie, born in 
New York, May 3, 1857, who died May 25, 1857 ; 
Nellie, whose birth occurred in New York, July 14, 
1859, and her death Oct. 26, 1859 ; Jennie King, 
born Oct. 15, 1860, in New York ; and Samuel Cor- 



nell, born in Brooklyn, Dec. 16, 1861, now associated 
with his father in business. Jennie King was mar- 
ried Oct. 26, 1881, to O. S. Brumback, of Toledo, 
Ohio, who was born Dec. 2, 1855, in Delaware 
County, Ohio, and graduated at Princeton, N. J., in 
1877, receiving the degree of A.B., and in 1880 that 
of A.M. from the same college. He graduated at 
the Law Department of Ann Arbor University, Mich- 
igan, receiving in 1879 the degree of LL.B , when 
he located in Toledo in the practice of his profession. 

In the stove and hollow-ware trade the house of 
the late Robert L. McOuat & Co. holds a first rank, 
and continues unchanged under the management of 
his brother. 

Robert L. McOuat. — The family of MeOuats 
are of Scotch ancestry. Thomas McOuat, the father 
of the subject of this biographical sketch, having in 
1830 removed from Lexington, Ky., to Indianapolis, 
he married Miss Janette Lockerbie, who was born 
in Glasgow, Scotland, and had children, — William, 
Thomas, George, Annie, Robert L., Mary, Andrew 
W., Martha, and Jennie. Their son, Robert L., 
was born at Lexington, Ky., Aug. 8, 1827, and was 
but three years of age when Marion County became 
his home. He was educated under the tutorship of 
Thomas Gregg, William Sullivan, and James Kem- 
per, of the Marion County Seminary. At the age 
of seventeen he abandoned school to enter an ap- 
prenticeship at the tinner's trade with Samuel Wain- 
right. Having served his time as an apprentice, he 
was placed in charge of the business at the old stand 
by Mr. Wainright, who opened another store. In 
1850, during the gold excitement in California, he 
with a friend made the trip, overland, to the gold- 
mines, walking all the way from Salt Lake City, and 
carrying his provisions and baggage on his back, most 
of the time camping and traveling. Arriving in San 
Francisco, he immediately secured employment at his 
trade with one of the largest establishments, but find- 
ing the climate uncongenial he returned to Indian- 
apolis, and opened a stove and tinware store with a 
small capital. Soon finding the room too small, his 
brother George built a room on the opposite side of 
the street, which was occupied for many years under 
the firm-name of R. L. & A. W. McOuat, during 



I 




^.^.^.^^l^r-^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



161 



which time he was successful and acquired a little 
fortune. During the year 1880 he sold his interest in 
the business to his brother and partner, Andrew W. 
McOuat, to engage in the manufacture of car-wheels, 
forming a partnership with John May, under the 
firm-name of BlcOuat & May, and for a period of 
two years met with success. Having sold large bills 
to a manufacturing company outside the State who 
were unfortunate in their business operations, the 
firm was compelled to suspend. Mr. McOuat subse- 
quently secured or paid all claims, and also protected 
parties who were joint indorsers on paper with him. 

In 1882 he received the nomination for clerk of 
the court of Marion County at the hands of the 
Democratic party, whose principles he supported, and 
although the county was largely Republican, lacked 
but a few votes of an election. 

He married in 1850, Ellen C. Wallace, whose 
death occurred in 1863. He was a second time 
married on the 1st of August, 1865, to Eugenia F., 
daughter of Miles W. Burford, of Missouri. Their 
children are Effie B., Robert, and Burford. Mr. 
McOuat was an active member of the Independent 
Order of Odd-Fellows. In religion he was an Epis- 
copalian, and formerly senior warden and later a 
vestryman of St. Paul's Cathedral, Indianapolis, of 
which he was one of the originators, having first sug- 
gested the organization and personally presented the 
first subscription-paper to raise necessary funds for 
the salary of the rector of the parish that afterwards 
built the cathedral, in which he continued an earnest 
worker and liberal supporter. He was a man of 
large and liberal views and indomitable energy, a 
close applicant to business, but always taking pleasure 
in fishing and hunting, of which he was very fond. 
He was strongly attached to his family and home, 
where his evenings were invariably passed. In all 
his relations, both at home and abroad, he was the 
Christian gentleman. Mr. McOuat's death occurred 
June 28, 1883, in his fifty-sixth year. 

Among the early merchants of the city whose 
stocks were not so miscellaneous as those of the dry- 
goods or general merchant were the dealers in clocks, 
watches, and jewelry, — a trade proportionally more 
important now than then, — and among the earliest of 
11 



these was Humphrey Griffith, and the most extensive 
in later years W. H. Talbott. Both have been dead 
some years now. 

HuMPHEET Geiffith. — -The parents of Mr. 
Griffith were Evan and Mary Ellis Griffith, the 
former having been a member of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church, and the latter of the Congrega- 
tional Church. Their son Humphrey was born in 
Dolgelly, Merionethshire, Wales, Dec. 23, 1791. 
His mother died when he was eleven, and his father 
when he was twenty years of age, leaving him to 
carve for himself by his own unaided efforts a 
career of independence. He served an appren- 
ticeship of seven years at his trade of watch- 
maker and clockmaker at Shrewsbury, England. 
He then worked for a time in London, and in 
the spring of 1817 emigrated to America, experi- 
encing some difficulty in embarking, owing to the 
prohibition then existing against skillful workmen 
leaving the country. Having sailed from Dublin, he 
landed in New York, and was employed first in Hunt- 
ingdon, Pa. In Pittsburgh, with two others, he 
purchased a skiff, with which he came down the 
Ohio. He settled in Lebanon, Ohio, and in 1821 
visited Indianapolis, where, at the first sale of town 
lots, he purchased property on Washington Street. 
In 1822 he left Lebanon and removed to Centreville, 
Ind., and while there made additional purchases of 
land in the vicinity of Indianapolis, to which place 
he removed in 1825, having ordered a shop built 
and ready for occupancy on his arrival, in which he 
established himself as the first clock and watch- 
maker in the city. The clock made by him for the 
old State-House fifty years ago has, it is said, never 
since ru^ down or needed regulating. In the summer 
of 1836 he retired from business with a competency, 
which he increased by judicious investments. He 
avoided bold speculations, and scrupulously shunned 
contracting a debt. He felt great interest in the 
growth of the city, and was always prominent in 
every scheme of substantial improvement. In early 
days he was an active member of the Common Council, 
and also served for a term or more as city treasurer. 
His leading characteristics were punctuality in all 
things, great or little, and an investigating mind. 



162 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



He was a great reader and thinker, and developed 
more than ordinary mechanical ingenuity. He was 
modest and sensitive, always truthful and perfectly 
reliable. He married, March 13, 1819, Miss Jane 
Stephenson, a native of Scotland, and had nine chil- 
dren, four of whom died in infancy, and three, John 
E., Josiah R., and Mary Isabella, in mature years. 
John E. and Josiah R. each left families. There 
are twelve grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. 
The two surviving children of Mr. and Mrs. GriflBth 
are Pleasant H. and Mrs. Anne J. Whitehead, both 
living in Indianapolis. The eldest son, John E., 
accompanied David Dale Owen in his geological sur- 
veys in Illinois, Kentucky, and some of the Terri- 
tories. He aud his brother Josiah were exemplary 
citizens. Mary was an active Christian, and a suc- 
cessful teacher in the Sunday-school of the Third 
Presbyterian Church, of which she was a member. 
Mr. Griffith twice visited the country of his nativity 
and the old homestead at Dolgelly in which his birth 
occurred. He was confirmed in the Protestant Epis- 
copal Church in his fourteenth year, but did not con- 
tinue his membership, though always a liberal con- 
tributor to all worthy religious causes. His death 
occurred June 2, 1870. Mrs. Griffith's childhood 
was passed near the home of Sir Walter Scott, whom 
she distinctly remembered, and of whom she related 
many interesting reminiscences. She was a lady of 
retiring manners and disposition, quiet in her habits, 
but firm in her views of truth and duty. An active 
member of the Presbyterian Church, she was warmly 
attached to its doctrines and ordinances. Her death 
occurred July 23, 1879, in her eighty-fourth year. 
Rev. M. S. Whitehead, son-in-law of Mr. Griffith, 
was born in 1831, and died in 1877. He was in 
1868 licensed to preach by the Congregational Asso- 
ciation of Indiana, and was one of the founders of the 
Mayflower Church of Indianapolis, which pulpit he 
filled at times acceptably. His work was not con- 
fined to one locality, and several churches of difiierent 
denominations were established out of Sunday-schools 
organized and fostered by him. Mr. Whitehead's 
influence was wide-spread, and the desire to make 
the ministry the work of his life was completely 
realized. 



Washington Houston Talbott. — The earliest 
members of the Talbott family came from England 
and settled in Talbot County, Md. The parents of 
Washington Houston were William and Mary (Hous- 
ton) Talbott. Their son was born in the State of 
Kentucky on the 29th of March, 1817, and at an 
early age removed with his parents to Charlestown, 
Ind., where his father owned an extensive milling 
property. After enjoying ordinary advantages of 
education, he in 1835 became a resident of Indian- 
apolis, and established a jewelry and book business. 
In 1848 he married Miss Elizabeth Coram Tinker, 
daughter of Capt. William and Elizabeth Tinker, of 
Cincinnati, though formerly residents of Maysville, 
Ky. Their surviving children are William H. and 
Mary Cleves. Mr. Talbott continued the business of 
a jeweler for many years, meanwhile embarking in 
other commercial ventures. During the year 1863 he 
was elected president of the State Smking Fund, and 
subsequently filled the same office in connection with 
the Indiana and Illinois Central Railroad. He was 
also president of board of trustees of the State benevo- 
lent institutions. Mr. Talbott was closely identified 
with the Democratic politics of Indiana, having for 
several years filledthe office of chairman of the State 
Democratic Committee. He was on successive occa- 
sions delegate at large to National Conventions. He 
was president of the Galling Gun Company, and 
while directing the interests of that company in 
Europe contracted a severe cold, which occasioned 
his death at his home in Indianapolis. 

The first extensive drug house in the town, and 
the first to put up a soda fountain, was that of Mc- 
Dougal & Dunlap, to whom succeeded the late 
William Hannaman and his partner, Caleb Scudder, 
the pioneer cabinet-maker, in whose shop the first 
Sunday-school was held. Both were largely con- 
cerned in the establishment of some of our early 
manufactures, as tobacco, wool, and oil, and Mr. 
Hannaman survived to an advanced age, dying within 
a few years past. 

William Hannaman. — The Hannaman family 
are of German nationality, Christopher, the grand- 
father of William, having been a native of Prussia. 
He married Mary O'Neal, whose birthplace was Dub- 




/h'Wj^aJ^.^i^ 




^^. 



y^T^S^^^Z-^.tfS^^^^^^^^-^Z. 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



163 



lin, Ireland. This union transmitted to their descend- 
ants the sturdy qualities of both the German and 
the Irish races. William Hannaman, the father of 
the subject of this biographical sketch, was a resi- 
dent of Cherry Valley, N. Y., and married Mary 
Fletcher, of Harrison County, Va. Their son William 
was born Aug. 10, 1806, at Adelphia, Ross Co., Ohio, 
and at the age of twenty-two removed to Indian- 
apolis, where, having previously acquired the trade 
of a printer, he was for several years employed in the 
office of the Indiana Journal. In 1833 he em- 
barked with Caleb Scudder in the drug business, 
which was continued uninterruptedly until 1863. He 
also, with his partner, erected a carding-machine and 
oil-mill on the arm of the canal at its junction with 
the White River, and manufactured the first flaxseed 
oil in the locality. Mr. Hannaman was for many years 
school commissioner, a director of the State Bank of 
Indiana, located at Indianapolis, trustee of the State 
University, and identified with many benevolent and 
charitable enterprises. He was made president of 
the Indiana Branch of the Sanitary Commission dur- 
ing the late war, and disposed of his interest in the 
drug business that he might devote his time and 
energies exclusively to this humane work. The ad- 
mirable management of his department and the good 
it accomplished is in a large degree due to the gra- 
tuitous and efficient service of Mr. Hannaman, who 
on retiring from his labors in behalf of the soldiers 
was appointed by Governor Morton State military 
agent for the purpose of collecting soldiers' claims. 
In 1871 he became a member of the firm of Smith 
& Hannaman, brokers, and continued this business 
connection until his death, which occurred of pneu- 
monia, at the Hot Springs of Arkansas, on the 6th 
of December, 1880. Mr. Hannaman was married on 
the 28th of August, 1833, to Rhoda A. Luse, whose 
birth occurred Feb. 25, 1812, and her death Sep- 
tember, 1876. In the summer of 1879 he was again 
married to Mrs. A. F. Berry, who is still living. Of 
seven children but two survive their father, Henry 
G., of Indianapolis, and Mary E., of Dakota. 

Among the earlier merchants of the city were the 
late John F. Ramsay, in furniture, and Jacob S. 
Walker. 



John F. Ramsat, retired merchant, was born in 
Lebanon, Ohio, Dec. 2, 1805. His parents, Wil- 
liam and Martha (Dinwiddie) Ramsay, were of 
Scotch descent, and born in Kentucky, their parents 
being among the earliest settlers of that State. Wil- 
liam with his family came to Indiana Territory in 
1810, landing at the site of the city of Madison, 
there being but one house erected at this early 
period, which was occupied by the ferryman. They 
settled near the site of the village of Hanover, about 
two miles from the block-house, to which they 
were compelled to resort every night for protection 
from the Indians. In 1812, the latter becoming 
very troublesome, John was sent to his grandparents, 
near Georgetown, Ky., where he remained a year. 
His boyhood was spent in helping to clear the forests 
and in farm labors, the lad being subjected to all the 
hardships and privations of pioneer life. Educational 
advantages in the new country were very limited. 
He attended school six months when in Kentucky 
and a few terms in Indiana, walking a distance of 
three miles to the school-house. At the age of sev- 
enteen he removed to Cincinnati, and was appren- 
ticed to Charles Lehman, at that time the leading 
furniture manufacturer in the West. Serving out 
his apprenticeship, he worked a year in the shop, 
after which he repaired to Louisville, and from 
thence to New Orleans and St. Louis, pursuing his 
vocation for a time in each place. Returning to 
Indiana, he carried on his trade near Madison and 
at Paris, Ind., and removed to Indianapolis May 15, 
1833. Purchasing the property adjoining the 
ground now occupied by the Occidental Hotel 
(which at that time was inclosed with a rail fence 
and was planted with corn), he erected a building, 
opened a cabinet^shop, and by close attention to 
business became the leading furniture dealer in the 
place. With the advent of railroad communication 
with Cincinnati, he abandoned manufacturing and 
dealt exclusively in furniture made at the latter 
place. After a successful career, having obtained a 
handsome competency, he retired from business in 
1870. He has been twice married, his first wife, 
Elvira (Ward) Ramsay, having died in 1846. Five 
children were born to this union, all of whom are 



164 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



now deceased. He married liis second wife, Leah 
P. Malott, widow of W. H. Blalott, of Salem, Ind., 
in 1848. Five children have been born to them, 
four of whom are now living. 

Mr. Ramsay was an ardent Whig during the ex- 
istence of that party. Upon its dissolution and 
the organization of the Republican party, his strong 
anti-slavery senliments led him to become identified 
with it. He has never held any political oflBce 
other than as a member of the Common Council, 
elected by the Whigs. He has always taken a deep 
interest in matters affecting the vrelfare and growth 
of the city, and in building and otherwise he 
has done much toward advancing its material in- 
terests. He has been a faithful and leading mem- 
ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church during his 
entire fifty years' residence in the city, and, with 
others of the early settlers, has aided in giving an 
impulse to its moral and religious sentiment, that has 
caused it to be noted as " the City of Churches." 

Jacob S. Walkee. — The grandfather of Jacob 
S. Walker was a soldier of the war of the Revolu- 
tion. He married Miss Mary Hazelet, and had 
among his children a son Thomas, who married Mrs. 
Mary Rutherford, of Dauphin County, Pa., and 
had two sons, Jacob S. and James, and two daugh- 
ters, Susan and Eliza. Jacob S. Walker was born 
in January, 1814, at Harrisburg, Pa., where the 
early years of his life were spent. At the age of 
sixteen, after enjoying such advantages of education 
as the common schools offered, he determined to 
render himself independent by acquiring a trade, 
and became master of the carpenter's craft. In 1835 
be removed to Indianapolis as a builder and contractor, 
and during a period of ten years erected many impor- 
tant edifices and built dwellings, which were afterward 
sold by him. He then embarked in the lumber 
business, and continued thus engaged for twenty 
years, after which he retired from active employ- 
ments. Mr. Walker was a man of modest demeanor 
and of humane instincts, who cared little for mere 
display and esteemed highly the more substantial 
pleasures to be derived from books. He was a ju- 
dicious reader of the best literature, and possessed a 
mind well informed on all subjects. He conferred 



upon his children opportunities for education, and 
implanted in them by precept and example the 
principles which guided him through life. In 
politics he was a Whig and later became an ardent 




'a^ 



•e-erv ^ Z/^/J^-*. 



Republican, but never sought or accepted office at the 
hands of his party. In religion he was a stanch Pres- 
byterian and an officer of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher's 
church when a pastor in Indianapolis. He received 
the contract for the erection of this edifice, as also 
for the First Protestant Episcopal Church in the city. 
He was at an early period a deacon of the Second 
Presbyterian Church. He was also a member of 
the Independent Order of Odd- Fellows. Mr. Walker 
was married in 1837 to Mrs. Sarah A. Landis, of 
Harrisburg, Pa., to whom were born children, 
Thomas R. and Mary F., wife of George Knodle, a 
son of Adam Knodle, an early shoe merchant in the 
city. He married again Mary A., only child of 
Thomas Lupton, who is of English descent and 
came from Chester County, Pa., to Indianapolis in 
1835. The children of this marriage are Jacob L., 
married to Miss Keziah Rutherford, who is of 





^^^h'T':^^ 



^^^^ ^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



165 



Scotch-Irish extraction ; Edwin J. ; Louis A., who 
married Miss Eugenia, daughter of Dr. D'Acuel, of 
St. Louis; Robert P., and Harry L. The death 
of Mr. Walker occurred May 16, 1870, in his fifty- 
seventh year. 

Dealing in real estate may be fairly enough classed 
among the subjects covered by the title of commerce, 
and in real estate the dealings have been very large. 
In 1873, during the period of speculative excitement, 
the sales amounted to $32,579,256. Since that time 
no record has been kept of them that will enable a 
comparison to be made. In a year or two later, in fact, 
the reaction came, and real estate was hard to sell and 
not always easy to give away if it had no special ad- 
vantages. Of the amount of sales in the past year 
or the year before no oflSoial statement is made, but 
the reports in the daily papers show that they ranged 
from five thousand dollars to thirty thousand dollars 
a day, or an annual total of probably five million dol- 
lars. Among the first of our real estate dealers was 
the late James H. MoKernan. 

James H. McKernan was born at Wilmington, 
Del., in December, 1815. In his seventh year he 
removed with his family to Muskingum County, Ohio, 
where his father settled on a small farm of 'fifty 
acres, subsequently increased to seventy-five. He 
was able only to enjoy the merest rudiments of edu- 
cation. At the age of seventeen he was left by the 
death of his father the sole support of the family, 
with no means other than the farm. But he was a 
brave-hearted boy in the battle of life. He worked 
hard, and rented land to eke out the inadequate yield 
of his own land. Among his neighbors his reputa- 
tion for business capacity, promptness, integrity, and 
prudence was most enviable. On attaining his ma- 
jority he had paid all his father's debts, erected a 
valuable dwelling, and accumulated money in addi- 
tion with which to start in business. Heroism and 
self-dependence, combined with grasp of mind and 
energy, were inborn elements of his character. In 
1836 he began trading in produce, and in 1837 em- 
barked with a partner in mercantile pursuits at La- 
fayette, Ohio. In 1842 he established himself in the 
foundry business in the same town, and in 1845 
removed to Indianapolis, where he began his active 



career with Jesse Jones as a dealer in dry-goods. 
But his tastes and talents inclined strongly to inven- 
tions and the mechanic arts. Whatever his imme- 
diate occupation mechanical constructions, improve- 
ments, and suggestions were always floating in his 
mind, several valuable inventions having been pat- 
ented. A man of his energy quickly sought and 
created the widest field of action. He speculated in 
real estate, bought whole forests, built saw-mills to 
cut them, and erected streets of cheap but serviceable 
houses, extending Indianapolis on the southwest far 
beyond the dreams of its inhabitants. In the prose- 
cution of his real estate and other enterprises, how- 
ever, Mr. McKernan did not lose sight of a subject 
which had led him into many expensive experiments, 
— the reduction of iron ore by means of ordinary 
Western coal. He had satisfied himself of its prac- 
ticability, and detected the defects in the operation 
of those who had attempted it and failed. So certain 
was the result in his mind that he determined to 
settle the question finally and fully. In the spring of 
1867 he obtained the abandoned furnace of the Pilot 
Knob Company, at St. Louis, and after changing its 
construction made experiments which were completely 
successful, first-class iron having been produced. This 
was a great success for Mr. McKernan. He had 
fully realized his hopes, though every one before him, 
with vastly more capital and better opportunities, but 
lacking his original theories and combinations, had 
failed. He had shown St. Louis a new source of 
business and prosperity of immense value. He found 
it necessary, however, to obtain additional means or 
abandon his enterprise. The St. Louis Board of 
Trade and several large capitalists urged him to 
remain and prosecute his work. Additional means 
were promised him, and under the promise of the 
Board of Trade and prominent citizens the work of the 
furnace was in 1867 resumed, and the results, after 
inconveniences resulting from his business associa- 
tions, were such as amazed everybody, and made iron- 
smelting with cheap Western coal a fixed fact. This 
success, however, did not in a pecuniary sense profit 
Mr. McKernan. He sacrificed all his prospective 
gains, and returned home no richer than he departed. 
St. Louis has reaped the benefit of his investigations. 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and the iron industry has risen to be one of the prime 
elements of her prosperity. A leading journal stated 
that, " in view of all the facts, it becomes St. Louis 
to decide fairly what acknowledgment she owes to 
him who has achieved the great result in making 
iron, and whom she by failing in her promise forced 
to sacrifice all his interests and prospects in his own 
discovery." Mr. McKernan returned to Indianapolis, 
and at once embarked extensively in real estate oper- 
ations. While liberal and indulgent with those in- 
debted to him, be was particularly prompt in the 
payment of all demands against himself. His daily 
life was marked by a ceaseless activity. Bold and 
confident in his temperament, he inspired others with 
like feelings. The praise of far-seeing men of sound 
judgment was ever awarded to him, and the success 
that crowned his efibrts was of a character to consti- 
tute a public as well as a personal benefit. In all 
personal relations he was social, frank, and courteous, 
and at his home hospitable and cheerful. In his 
religious views he was a member of the Roman 
Catholic Church. Mr. McKernan was married to 
Miss Susan Hewitt, whose children were David S., 
Lewis, Joseph V., William E., and Leo A. The 
death of James H. McKernan occurred in January, 
1877, at his home in Indianapolis. 

The lumber trade of Indianapolis is a very im- 
portant part of the total, the retail trade of 1882 
amounting to $1,500,000. From the general state- 
ment of business it would appear that the total 
receipts of lumber for the year 1882 were 12-1,000,- 
000 feet, and the shipments 66,000,000. Saw-mills 
cut 22,000,000 feet of veneer that year. 

A specialty of the lumber trade is the trade in 
" hard wood" lumber, especially black walnut. Until 
the close of the war not much was done in this direc- 
tion, or in any general lumber business. For the 
first thirty-five years of the city's history pine lum- 
ber was little used. Oak made the frame-work of 
houses, and poplar the weather-boarding, shingles, 
and finishing. But slowly, after the development of 
the railroad system, pine began to be used in the 
place of poplar, and later in the place of oak. Lum- 
ber-yards began to figure among the forms of trade 
that required capital and made money for the city. 



By the close of the war the lumber business had 
grown into first-class importance. There were a 
dozen or more large yards in different parts of the 
city, some of them with mills to cut logs, some to 
cut veneers, and some with planing-mills, and sash- 
and door-factories connected with them. The walnut 
lumber trade came later. In early times the black 
walnut was about the worst tree the farmer had to 
deal with. It was too brittle for good lumber, and 
too hard to be cheaply sawed. It was not good fuel, 
and did not make durable rails. In fact it was a 
nuisance. Now it is no uncommon thing to find a 
single walnut-tree that is worth more money than the 
whole farm it stands on. More than a thousand dol- 
lars worth of veneers have been cut from a single 
tree and left a considerable part of it. Even as late 
as 1868 there were hundreds of farmers and business 
men in Indiana and Indianapolis who were unin- 
formed of the value of walnut wood and threw it 
away as refuse or burned it as rubbish. 

A saw-miller in Indianapolis about that time had 
collected quite a heap of walnut knots from the logs 
he had sawed, and had thrown them aside to burn in 
his boiler furnace when he could get time to split 
them. An agent of an Eastern lumber dealer saw 
them and the ill-posted sawyer sold them for fifty 
cents apiece. He was a little worried a day or two 
afterwards when he learned that they would have 
been cheap at ten dollars apiece if they were sound 
and well twisted in grain. The great demand for 
this kind of lumber for furniture, both in this coun- 
try and Europe, has thinned it out very greatly, and 
the trade in it is declining. It is impossible to give 
any idea of the development or decline of the walnut 
lumber trade, because no separate account or report 
has been made of it. In 1874 the Board of Trade 
report says the total receipts of lumber were 119,- 
800,000 feet, of which about 60,000,000 was walnut ' 
lumber. The indications are that the total has never 
been so large since. The trade is still large, how- 
ever, and a large part of it is in logs brought here to 
be sawed up. There are ten mills here sawing 
walnut and hard woods, and eighteen dealers who 
handled in the year last reported in full, 1882, to 
December 31st, 38,000,000 feet. This shows a de- 




Ejj^iJy H.B.Hall & Sonr.,62Tultcm.S1]T.XfiOTi iLBiatoifBmif: 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



167 



cline from 1873 of more than one-third. The pine 
lumber business, however, has kept on a steady ad- 
vance with other commercial interests, and occupies a 
score or more yards large and small, besides those 
attached to factories as stores of material. Oak ap- 
pears to hold its own as firmly as it did in the last 
generation. The demand for it as building timber 
has declined greatly, but it has been made up fully 
by the demand for it to make cross-ties for railway 
tracks. Hickory, birch, and sugar have never been 
accounted or used as timber, and elm but little more. 
They went for fuel when it was deemed worth while, 
and now good, well-seasoned wood of these varieties 
is a valuable product. Coal is slowly displacing 
wood, but has not done it yet. The amount of coal 
brought to the city appears from the partial report of 
the secretary of the Board of Trade to have been 
about 400,000 tons for the year ending Dec. 31, 
1882, the last of which any report has been made. 

Among the articles reported for the last six months 
of 1882 — the last official statement published — are 
20,000 bales of cotton, or 40,000 for the year ; 40 
car-loads of eggs, estimating in the same way ; 800,- 
000 barrels of flour ; 801 tons of hides — the total 
value of all hides and pelts for the year is put at 
$1,500,000; 64,000 cars of general merchandise; 
46 cars of poultry — annual value of poultry, $1,000,- 
000 ; 40,000 tons of ice ; 40,000 tons of provisions ; 
36,000 barrels of salt ; 640 cars of shingles ; 50,000 
barrels of starch ; 2600 cars of stone ; 26,000 bar- 
rels of tallow ; 43,000 hogsheads of tobacco ; 300,- 
000 rabbits shipped East and sold here in 1883 and 
winter of 1884. 

In grain the trade has been steadily growing for a 
number of years. The receipts of wheat for the year 
ending April, 1883, were about 8,000,000 bushels ; of 
corn, 17,000,000, as appears from the report of Secre- 
tary Blake. In 1872 a company was formed to build 
and conduct an elevator, and that year erected the 
first one west of the river on the St. Louis Railroad. 
It has a capacity of about 350,000 bushels. In 1874, 
Mr. F. Rusch, in association with two or three others, 
built Elevator B, the second one, with a capacity of 
300,000 bushels. It was entirely destroyed by fire 
in June, 1875, but rebuilt at once in better shape, 



and has been constantly busy since. Some three 
years ago, about the time of the completion of the 
Indianapolis, Decatur and Springfield Railroad, a 
third elevator was built by the company close to the 




CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
Corner of Maiylaud aud Tennessee Streets. 



track, in the manufacturing suburb of Hanghsville, 
with a capacity fully equal to either of the older 
ones. Besides these there are several smaller in the 
city. 

Since 1877 the stock-yards have formed a con- 
spicuous element of the city's commerce. They 
were built by the Belt Road Company on one hun- 
dred and ten acres of the old " Bayou," or " McCarty 
farm," on the Vincennes Railroad, at the southern 
border of West Indianapolis, about two miles from 
the Union Depot. In convenience of arrangement, 
amplitude of supply, and completeness of shelter and 
means of shipment, they are pronounced by those 
familiar with all the stock-yards of the country un- 
surpassed by any, and unequaled by any but one or 
two. On the northeast corner of the grounds are the 
engine-house and machine-shop, the blacksmith-shop, 
the coal platform, and the pumping engine which 
forces water from a well about ninety feet deep into 



168 



HISTOEY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



two large elevated tanks or reservoirs, whence it is 
distributed all over the premises. At the north end, 
to the west of these buildings, is the residence of the 
superintendent ; south of this, about four hundred 
feet, is the " Stock- Yard Exchange," a large, hand- 
some, three-story brick building, with a front of about 
one hundred and twenty feet, and a rear building, 
making a total depth of over one hundred and fifty 
feet. It is occupied as a hotel in the rear building 
and the upper stories of the front, and as offices of 
stock-dealers on the ground-floor. On the east of this 
is a large storage-house for hay and corn and stock- 
feed generally. On the west is a large stable for the 
finer grades of horses. Directly south of the Ex- 
change, and separated mostly by a bi'oad passage-way 
of forty feet or so, are the stock stables, built of red 
cedar posts set deep in the ground, and planked up the 
sides and ends high enough to make a perfect shelter 
for the stock. On the roof of each is an attic, with 
lattice sides, the full length of the stable. There are 
five of these, separated from each other by a narrow 
passage for stock, fifteen feet or so in width. They are 
about a thousand feet long by one hundred and seventy- 
five wide, with broad passage-ways down the middle 
and smaller lateral ones between the divisions. Stock 
is received on the west side, where there are railway 
tracks connecting with the Belt extending along the 
entire length of the stables. From the receiving 
platform, which is covered with pens, a passage leads 
to the scale-room, where the animals are weighed 
and driven ofi" to their quarters. The western stables 
are chiefly appropriated to hogs. When shipped 
away the stock is driven to the east side, where a 
platform the length of the stables, amply provided 
with shipping-pens, enables a train to be loaded in a 
very few minutes. 

LARGEST EECEIPTS IN ONE DAT, 1882. 

Deoember 9 8809 (Hogs, 8809). 

October 28 2026 (Cattle, 238). 

October 28 418+ (Sheep, 1534). 

May 10 316 (Horses, 26). 

LARGEST SHIPMENTS IN ONE DAT, 1882. 

January 4 4125 (Hogs, 4115). 

October 28 1325 (Cattle, 794). 

May20. 4194 (Sheep, 1856). 

July 4 281 (Horses, 149). 



Their business in 1882, the last year of which 
any statemetjt has been made, is summed up as fol- 
lows : Hogs, 5,319,611 ; cattle, 640,363 ; sheep, 849,- 
936; horses, 50,795; shipments, hogs, 2,298,895; 
cattle, 535,195; sheep, 780,395; horses, 48,361; 
Indianapolis delivery, hogs, 3,020,913 ; cattle, lOG,- 
178 ; sheep, 70,543 ; horses, 2533. 

Until the completion of the Madison Railroad no 
business was done off Washington Street, except that 
a year or two a little family grocery was kept in a 
one-story brick on Indiana Avenue, at the corner of 
Tennessee Street. In 1847, however, commission- 
houses and pork-packing houses began to be estab- 
lished about the Bladison Depot. Foundries and 
shops started up in convenient openings, and during 
the war groceries, drug-stores, hotels, saloons, and 
eating-houses were put wherever they could go. 
Thus came business diverted from Washington 
Street. With this change, or a little preceding it, 
came the separation of different classes of merchan- 
dise into difl'erent establishments. 

Below is given the annual live-stock report of the 
Indianapolis Stook-yards, prepared by W. P. Ijams, 
general superintendent. It will be noticed that as 
compared with the year 1882 there was a handsome 
increase in business, while it fell short of the business 
done in the years 1878, 1879, 1880, and 1881. The 
table given below is self-explanatory : 

RECEIPTS. 



Total for the year 1883 

Total for the vear 1H82 

Total tor Ihe vi'ar 1881 

Total for the year 1880 

Tolal for the year 1K79 

Total for the year 1878 

One month and 20 days, 1877... 

Total Nov. 12, 1877, to Dec. 31, 



Hogs. Cattle. Sheep. Horses. 



1,129,S 
1,:ki,:) 
1,123,'i 



121,448 
114,746 
144,144 



6,250,732 761,811 



264,653 
288,698 
225,622 
14i7i.5 
111,927 
76,107 
4,857 



18,800 
15.987 
9,506 
9,288 
9,358 
6,912 
685 



SHIPMENTS. 



Total for the year 1883 

Total for the year 1882 

Total f.>r the year 18S1 

Total lor f.lie vear ISl^O 

Total for the year 1879 

Total for the year 1S78 

One month and 20 days, 1877 .. 



443,900 102,342 
324.786: 91.(142 
6:i7,5J0 12»,i;il 
59!i,51i Un,.x)9 
4154.953 1(I4,'<45' 
264,0H5 105,117i 
8,027i 3,021 



Sheep. Horses. 



17,725 
15.097 
8.9110 



Total Nov. 12, 1877, to Deo. 31, 1883. 2,742,795' 637,537 




A.^■C-'0^-'<'-'^^ 



J^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



169 



INDIANAPOLIS DELIVEKT. 





Hogs. 


Cattle. 


Sheep. 


Horses. 


Total for the year 1S83 


487,221 
329,008 
492,374 


19,106 
24,714 
23,533 


14,041 
21,003 
22,376 


1,075 


Totiil for the year 18S1 


665 






11,0481 327 
6,2101 165 




722,423 
96,790 


14,328 
629 








Total Nov. 12, 1877, to Dec. 31, 1883. 


3,608,134 


125,284 


84,584 j 3,608 



LAEGEST EBCEIPTS IN ONE DAT, 1883. 

December 4 12,775 (Hogs, 12,775). 

February 17 1,705 (Cattle, 567). 

September S 3,065 (Sheep, 814). 

April 29.. 238 (Horses, 66). 

LARGEST SHIPMENTS IN ONE DAT, 1883. 

December 19 4,665 (Hogs, 3,352). 

August 4 1,902 (Cattle, 1,902). 

September 8 3,460 (Sheep, 2,446). 

July 1 221 (Horses, S7). 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS.— ((7oH(»i!(ec?.) 
THE BENCH AND BAK. 

In the general history is related the organization 
of the county and the early sessions of the first court. 
No more need be said here than that Judge William 
W. Wick was elected the first judge by the Legisla- 
ture at Corydon in the winter of 1821-22, and 
Hervey Bates appointed sheriff by Grovernor Jen- 
nings early in 1822. Both were residents of Con- 
nersville, and came here together in the early spring 
of 1822. The circuit consisted of Marion County, 
enlarged for judicial purposes by a considerable por- 
tion of the territory now composing Johnson, Hamil- 
ton, Boone, Madison, and Hancock Counties, with 
the following earlier-organized counties : Monroe, 
Morgan, Lawrence, Hendricks, Green, Owen, Rush, 
Decatur, Bartholomew, Jennings, and Shelby. The 
first session of the court was held at the house of 
Gen. Carr, the State agent, on Delaware Street 
opposite the court-house, Sept. 26, 1822. Judge 
Wick presided, with Eliakim Harding and James 
Mcllvain as associates. James M. Ray was clerk 
by election the previous April, and Hervey Bates 



sheriff by regular election in August succeeding his 
appointment. Calvin Fletcher was the first prose- 
cutor by appointment. Up to 1824, when the 
court-house was so far completed as to be available 
for the sessions, the first meeting was held at Carr's 
house, as the law had designated that place, and 
then an adjournment was made to Crumbaugh's on 
Washington Street, — or the place in the woods where 
the street was to run, — just west of the future line 
of the canal. We have no record of the lawyers in 
attendance at that first session of the first court of 
the county, and there is no certainty that there were 
any belonging to the town except Mr. Fletcher, the 
prosecutor, and Harvey Gregg, one of the founders 
of the Westei-n Censor, the predecessor of the 
Journal. Mr. Fletcher long held a prominent place 
at the bar, and only left it to take the presidency of 
the Indianapolis branch of the State Bank. 

Hon. Calvin Fletcher. — Robert Fletcher, the 
progenitor in America of the Fletcher family, was 
probably born in Yorkshire, in 1592. He settled at 
Concord, Mass., in 1630, with a family consisting of 
a wife, two sons, — Luke and William, — and one 
daughter. In the direct line of descent from this 
pioneer was born, on the 4th of February, 1793, 
Calvin, the subject of this sketch, the eleventh in a 
family of fifteen children. Under the teachings of 
an excellent father and a mother of more than ordi- 
nary ability he learned those habits of industry and 
self-reliance which, coupled with upright principles, 
uniformly characterized his later life. While per- 
forming all the duties exacted from a boy upon a 
New England farm, he very soon manifested a great 
desire for a classical education. Depending upon his 
own earnings for the means by which to achieve his 
desire, he set about the preparation for college by 
pursuing his studies at Randolph and Royalton 
Academies, Vermont. After some vicissitudes he 
for a time abandoned study and began labor in a 
brick -yard in Pennsylvania. Circumstances soon after 
influenced his removal to Ohio, where he first taught 
school at Urbana, Champaign Co., and was sub- 
sequently private tutor in the family of a Mr. Gwin, 
whose fine library afforded him abundant opportunity 
for reading. He finally studied law with Hon. James 



172 



HISTOKY" OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



aud for years his life was devoted to this work, fore- 
going an education that the rest should get it, and 
have shelter and food. By studying at night 
he learned to read well and write, acquired some 
knowledge of grammar, and " cyphered as far as the 
rule of three." Subsequently, by reading the best 
authors, he gained so great a command of pure Eng- 
lish that his forensic efforts, though never specially 
prepared, were admired for their fluency, finish, and 
perfection of style. After several years' work on the 
farm he determined to become a merchant, and 
entered a store in Lebanon, but the change so in- 
jured his health that he was thought to be consump- 
tive. Returning at once to farm work, to chopping 
and milling, he soon recuperated and became noted 
for activity and strength, being champion in all 
athletic exercises. It is said that, with a few yards' 
run, he could jump over the head of a man his equal 
in height. At twenty to twenty-five years old he 
was in the prime of physical strength. He was five 
feet eight inches high, weighed one hundred and 
sixty-five pounds ; erect, symmetrically formed, with 
small hands and feet. His head was large, fea- 
tures clearly cut, brows arched, shading large light- 
blue eyes ; mouth firm, and lips thin. His voice 
was musical, high-pitched, and under perfect con- 
trol. 

His business being prosperous, he was married, 
May 29, 1817, to Miss Judith Smith, a very beauti- 
ful and amiable woman, who survived him nearly 
six years. She was born July 12, 1794, in Pow- 
hatan County, Va., the daughter of Rev. James Smith, 
one of the earliest Methodist preachers. This union 
was a happy one, lasting over thirty years. They 
had nine children, one dying in infancy ; the rest 
survived them. 

After marriage he traveled on horseback to Wash- 
ington City to patent a boat-wheel he had invented, 
but before doing anything with it the panic of 1820 
overwhelmed him, with many others, and he lost all 
his property. After settling his affairs he studied 
law with Thomas Corwin for six months and was 
admitted to the bar. Mr. Corwin wished him to 
remain at Lebanon, but deeming Indianapolis abetter 
point, he removed here with his family early in No- 



vember, 1823, and was admitted by the Supreme 
Court in 1824. 

He soon acquired a good practice, ranking highest 
as an advocate in criminal cases. Before a jury his 
bearing was easy, gestures apt, voice clear and pene- 
trating, his statement of the evidence fair and forci- 
ble. He instantly grasped the strong points in his 
cases, and illustrated them in so many different ways 
that he fixed them in the jurors' minds without 
wearying them by the repetition. He identified 
himself with the feelings and interests of his clients, 
and made their cause his own. His native wit and 
keen sense of humor often enabled him to so ridicule 
an opponent's case that it was laughed out of court. 
He was sometimes, though not often, sarcastic and bit- 
ter in denunciation, but his nature was kindly and for- 
bearing. He was most formidable in desperate cases, 
when the odds were heaviest against him. " Court 
week" then brought the whole country into town, 
and when he spoke the house was always crowded. 
A volume would be needed to detail the incidents in 
his professional career and give the anecdotes told of 
his wit, humor, and stinging repartee. Some have 
been published, but most have perished with those 
who heard them. For years he was in every impor- 
tant case, and was generally successful. With the 
exception, perhaps, of a short service as prosecutor, at 
an early day, he declined executive or judicial posi- 
tion, practicing his profession from November, 1823, 
till June 8, 1853, when he died, the "father of the 
bar." His early associates had nearly all died or re- 
tired, and a new generation was growing up whose 
ways were unlike their fathers'. He disliked the 
change, and missed and mourned his old opponents. 
He often fell into reveries, his memory busy with the 
past, his face changing with each crowding recollec- 
tion, his eyes flashing until he would break out with 
the exclamation, " Ah, there were giants in those 
days !" 

We now have no idea of the hardships endured by 
the old bar in their practice, the circuit once ex- 
tending from Bloomington to Fort Wayne, its whole 
extent a wilderness. Traveling it was a campaign 
often involving weeks of absence from home, man 
and horse struggling through endless swamps, swim- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



173 



ming swollen rivers, and sleeping in the woods. It 
was at all times tedious and laborious, and in some 
seasons difficult and dangerous. The fees were far 
less than now, and often remained mere promises to 
pay. This at least was Mr. Brown's experience, for 
though he nominally made a great deal of money, his 
indulgence lost him the greater part of it. He gen- 
erally tore up the notes and accounts against his more 
dilatory clients rather than press their collection. 
With his wife and son he traveled through Iowa in 
1848, stopping each night with some old client en- 
countered on the way, and on his return said he 
ought to receive some credit for the rapid growth of 
that State, for he found it largely peopled by his run- 
away clients. 

He had no love for or desire to accumulate money, 
and at his death he left only his town residence and 
a small farm south of the city, on which and its 
orchard he had expended money enough, if it had 
been invested in town property, to have made him 
rich. He admitted this, but said he then would not 
have enjoyed it, maintaining that men only actually 
possess the money they spend, and get no benefit from 
it unless so used. 

Neither a politician nor a partisan, he was a life- 
long Whig and admirer of Henry Clay, naming his 
oldest son for him. He made Whig speeches, and 
during the Morgan excitement was strongly urged to 
run for Congress by the anti-Masons ; but though 
success seemed certain he refused, and never entered 
political life. His habits and tastes were strongly 
opposed to such a career. He disliked the glare of 
public life, and delighted in home and its pleasures, 
the society of children and old friends. With them 
his fun-loving nature had free rein, and wit, humor, 
and anecdote were lavished on all around him. Those 
only who saw him under such circumstances could 
properly appreciate the sterling worth and honesty of 
the man. 

He inherited hospitality, and the latch-string was 
always out. All preachers and clients were welcome, 
and for years his house contained nearly as many 
guests as members of his own family ; and as they 
generally came on horseback, this " entertainment for 
man and beast" not only increased the labors of 



his household, but seriously diminished his re- 
sources. 

Reared at a time when liquor was kept in every 
house and tendered to every visitor, it was only 
natural, with his temperament and social qualities, 
that at times he used it to excess. It was a common 
vice with the bar, but with him a little went a great 
way. He left off its use entirely for years before he 
died, and notwithstanding his opposition to secret 
societies — believing them to be inimical to republican 
institutions, which require the most open discussion 
and treatment of all questions — he united with and 
became a prominent officer in the Sons of Temper- 
ance, and labored in that cause till his death. At 
about the same time he joined the Methodist Church, 
— in which his wife had been a life-long member, — 
and died in that faith. He denounced gambling in 
all its forms, and was selected by a public meeting to 
assist in the prosecution of the gamblers, who seemed 
to have been given free rein by the regular authori- 
ties. In endeavoring to do so he was hampered, and 
the facts and evidence withheld from him in the 
clerk's office. Commenting on this at a subsequent 
public meeting, he said that whether the action of 
his friend the clerk was right or not, it had at least 
illustrated the greatest of the virtues, for " his charity 
had covered a multitude of sins." 

He was among the earliest to introduce fine fruits 
into this section, and spent much time, labor, and 
money in the effort. Though rarely tasting fruit 
himself, and though no market then existed for it, he 
planted twenty-four acres in the choicest varieties, 
as he said, for the public benefit and future markets. 
His devotion to it caused his death, for, having spent 
a very hot day in it, he was partially sunstruck, and 
on returning home at night was seized with conges- 
tion of the brain. He rallied from the first attack, 
and seemed better for several days, but a relapse took 
place on the night of the 7th of June and he lay 
unconscious till eight o'clock p.m. of the next day, 
when he died. When his critical illness became 
known his old friends hastened to his side. Among 
them came Calvin Fletcher, his old opponent at the 
bar, who seemed most deeply affected at his loss. 

His death was a shock to the community. Full 



174 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



obituary notices, with eiietches of his life, appeared 
in all the journals. The courts adjourned; the bar 
passed resolutions, which were spread on the records, 
and bench and bar attended his funeral in a body. 
The funeral discourse was pronounced by his old 
friend. Rev. W. H. Goode, at Roberts' Chapel, June, 
1853, and his remains were interred in Green Lawn 
Cemetery. They were subsequently removed, with 
those of his wife and two of his sons, to a lot at the 
eastern base of the hill in Crown Hill Cemetery, 
where they rest in peace, awaiting the resurrection. 

Mr. Brown had nine children ; one died in infancy, 
the rest survived him. Eliza S., the eldest daugh- 
ter, married J. C. Yohn, a prominent merchant of the 
city ; they have four surviving children and several 
grandchildren. Minerva V., the second child (now 
deceased), married A. G. Porter ; they have five sur- 
viving children and several grandchildren. Angeline, 
the third child, died at four years of age. Martha 
S., the fourth child, married Samuel Delzell, a prom- 
inent business man of the city ; they have one sur- 
viving child. Clay Brown, the oldest son, was edu- 
cated at the seminary under Kemper, and at Asbury 
University ; studied medicine with Dr. John Evans, 
and graduated at Rush Medical College ; began prac- 
tice at Anderson, Ind., but removed in a few years to 
this city, soon taking high rank in his profession ; he 
was appointed assistant surgeon of the Eleventh In- 
diana Volunteers, and was present at Fort Donelson, 
where overwork and exposure produced illness, from 
which he died at Crump's Landing, Tenn., just before 
the battle at Shiloh ; his body was brought home by 
Adjt. Macauley, and buried with the honors of war. 
Matilda A. was married to Jonas McKay, and is re- 
siding at Lebanon, Ohio ; she has two daughters. 
Ignatius Brown, the second son, was educated under 
Kemper and Lang at the seminary, studied law with 
his father, graduated Bachelor of Law at Blooming- 
ton, and began practice; he married Miss Elizabeth 
M. Marsee, oldest daughter of Rev. J. Marsee ; she 
is now dead ; they have four children ; Mr. Brown 
left the practice at the beginning of the war, and is 
now with his sons in the abstract-of-title line. James 
T. Brown, the third son, was educated at the semi- 
nary under Kemper and Lang, became traveling 



salesman for Guthrie & Co., of Louisville, married 
Miss Forsythe, and died (childless) in 1861. Mary 
E., the youngest child, married Barton D. Jones, and 
is now residing in Washington City ; they have 
three surviving children. 

Probably no man connected with the county courts 
was so widely known and closely associated with their 
history in the minds of all early residents as Robert 
B. Duncan, the deputy of James M. Ray for several 
years, and then for nearly a score of years the clerk 
succeeding Mr. Ray, on the latter's acceptance of the 
cashiership of the old State Bank in 1834. 

Robert B. Duncan is of Scotch descent, his 
grandfather, Robert Duncan, born in 1726, a native 




.^^^/^^ 



Scotchman, having emigrated to America in 1754, 
where he engaged in the pursuit of his trade, that of 
a tailor. He married Agnes Singleton, born in 1742, 
also of Scotch pai'entage, and had children, — Robert, 
James, John, and three daughters. Robert was born 
in Pennsylvania, Sept. 28, 1772, and during his youth 
resided in that State, after which he removed to 
Western New York and engaged in farming pur- 
suits. He married Miss Anna Boyles, and had 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



175 



children, — James, Esther, William, Robert B., Mar- 
garet, John, Samuel, Jane, and Annie. The death 
of Mrs. Duncan occurred in 1822, and that of Mr. 
Duncan Jan. 6, 1846. Their son Robert B. was 
born in Ontario County, N. Y., June 15, 1810, 
where the earliest seven years of his life were spent. 
In 1817 he removed to Ohio and settled near San- 
dusky, his residence until the spring of 1820, when 
the family emigrated to Conner's Station, in the pres- 
ent Hamilton County, Ind., then an unsurveyed 
prairie. Various employments occupied the time 
here until 1824, when he became a resident of Pike 
township, Marion Co., and engaged in the pioneer 
labor of clearing ground and farming. The year 
1827 found him a resident of Indianapolis, where 
he entered the county clerk's office as deputy, and 
remained thus employed until March, 1834, when 
he was elected to the office of clerk of the county, 
and held the position for sixteen successive years. 
Mr. Duncan had meanwhile engaged in the study of 
law, and immediately, on the expiration of his official 
term in 1850, began his professional career, confining 
himself mainly to business associated with the Pro- 
bate Court. He still continues to practice, devoting 
himself to the interests of the firm with which he is 
associated in connection with the Probate Court and to 
consultation. Mr. Duncan was early in his political 
career a Whig, and continued his relations with that 
party until his later indorsement of the articles of the 
Republican platform. With the exception of his 
lengthy period of official life as county clerk, he has 
never accepted nor sought office. He was reared in 
the stanch faith of the Scotch Presbyterian Church, 
and still adheres to that belief. Mr. Duncan was 
married in December, 1843, to Miss Mary B., daugh- 
ter of Dr. John H. Sanders, of Indianapolis, to whom 
were born children, — John S. (a practicing lawyer), 
Robert P. (a manufacturer), Anna D. (wife of Wil- 
liam T. Barbee, of Lafayette, Ind.), and Nellie D. 
(wife of John R. Wilson, of Indianapolis). Mr. 
Duncan enjoys the distinction of being the oldest 
continuous resident of the county. 

Two years after Mr. Duncan came to the town to 
take the deputy's place with Mr. Ray, James Morri- 
son came up from Charleston, Clarke Co., having 



been elected Secretary of State to succeed Judge 
Wick. He was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1796, 
came to this country a young lad, with his parents 
and brothers (the late William H. and Alexander F.), 
studied law with Judge William B. Rochester, in 
Western New York, and after his admission to the 
bar came to Charleston, where he practiced his pro- 
fession with the late Judge Charles Dewey, of the 
State Supreme Bench from 1836 to 1847. When 
elected Secretary of State, in 1829, he removed here 
permanently with his brothers, and succeeded Judge 
Bethuel Morris as presiding judge of the circuit. 
He also succeeded Samuel Merrill as president of the 
old State Bank, on the accession of the latter to the 
presidency of the Madison Railroad. He was the 
first attorney-general of the State, and the first presi- 
dent of the Burns Club, being a native of the same 
shire. For twenty-five years he was senior warden 
of Christ Church, and during the remainder of his 
life, after the organization of St. Paul's Church, held 
the same office there. He was one of the best men, 
intellectually and morally, that the city has ever 
claimed. He was an honorable lawyer, and that 
means a great deal, and he was a Christian gentleman. 

In the latter part of the second decade of the city's 
existence, Mr. Ovid Butler came to Indianapolis and 
formed a partnership with Mr. Fletcher, which was 
subsequently enlarged by the addition of Simon 
Yandes, Esq., eldest son of the late Daniel Yandes, 
the pioneer mill builder of the New Purchase. Mr. 
Yandes was noted at the bar for accuracy, clearness, 
and persevering labor, as was Mr. Butler, and with 
Mr. Fletcher's experience and dash, the firm was one 
of rare strength, as well known for its integrity as 
its ability. 

Ovid Butler was born on the 7th of February, 
1801, in Augusta, N. Y., and died at Indianapolis, 
Ind., on the 12th of July, 1881. His father, the 
Rev. Chauncey Butler, was the first pastor of the 
Disciples' Church in this city. He died in 1840. 
His grandfather, Capt. Joel Butler, was a Revolu- 
tionary soldier, and served in the disastrous Quebec 
expedition. He died in 1822. In 1817 the family 
removed from the home in New York to Jennings 
County, in this State, where Ovid Butler resided 



176 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



until he arrived at the years of manhood. Here he 
taught school for a few years and studied law. In 
1825 he settled at Shelby villa, where he practiced 
his profession until 1836, when he removed to In- 
dianapolis, which became his permanent residence. 
He continued in his practice here, having as part- 
ners at different times Calvin Fletcher, Simon 
Yandes, and Horatio C. Newcomb, among the ablest 
and most prominent lawyers of the State. His busi- 
ness was extensive and very lucrative, but owing to 
impaired health he retired from the bar in 1849. 

He was married in 1827 to Cordelia Cole, who 
lived until the year 1838. He was again married, 
to Mrs. Elizabeth A. Elgin, daughter of the late 
Thomas MeOuat, in 1840, who survived him one 
year. No man was more fortunate in his domestic 
relations. As a lawyer Mr. Butler excelled in the 
office. In the argument of legal questions and the 
preparation of pleadings he was laborious and inde- 
fatigable. With firmness, perseverance, clearness of 
purpose, and tenacity without a parallel he pushed 
his legal business through the courts. With not 
many of the graces of the orator, he surpassed, by 
dint of great exertion in the preparation of his cases, 
those who relied upon persuasive eloquence or sudden 
strategy at the bar. Plain, quiet, gentle, modest, but 
solid and immovable, he was a formidable antagonist 
in the greatest cases that were tried during his prac- 
tice. His style was strong and sententious ; without 
ornament, without humor, without elegance, but 
logical and convincing. His clients always got his 
best ability in the preparation and trial of their cases. 
His legal knowledge was general and comprehensive, 
his judgment sound, and his reasoning powers vigor- 
ous. He met few competitors at the bar combining 
so much industry, strength, perseverance, and cul- 
ture. He had the unbounded confidence of the 
community in his common sense, integrity, and 
general capability in his profession. 

After his retirement from the bar he devoted his 
life mainly to the interests of the Christian Church 
and of the Northwestern Christian University. But 
for a few years after the close of the Mexican war, 
while the questions as to the extension of slavery into 
the territories acquired were being agitated, he took 



an active part in politics. In 1848 he established a 
newspaper in Indianapolis called The Free Soil Ban- 
ner, which took radical ground against the extension 
of slavery and against slavery itself. The motto was 
"Free soil, free States, free men." He had been pre- 
viously a Democrat. He served upon the Free Soil 
electoral ticket and upon important political commit- 
tees, and took the stump in advocacy of his princi- 
ples in the Presidential campaigns of 1848 and 1852. 

In 1852 he contributed the funds, in a great meas- 
ure, to establish The Free Soil Democrat, a newspa- 
per for the dissemination of his cherished views upon 
these questions. This was finally merged in The In- 
dianapolis Journal in the year 1854, Mr. Butler 
having purchased a controlling interest in that news- 
paper. In the year 1854 the Republican party was 
organized out of the anti-slavery men of all parties, 
and took bold ground upon the subject, and the 
Journal became its organ. The influence Mr. But- 
ler exerted upon public sentiment was great and be- 
neficent. He ranged in the higher walks of politics, 
steadfastly and intelligently advancing the great ideas, 
then unpopular, which liave since become the univer- 
sal policy of the nation. He lived to see his prin- 
ciples written upon the banners of our armies and 
gleaming in the lightning of a thousand battles, to see 
them embodied in the Constitution and hailed with 
delight wherever free government has an advocate. 

Mr. Butler gave further evidence of devotion to 
his principles by aiding in the establishment of a 
free-soil paper in Cincinnati, and taking a wider 
range when Kossuth came preaching the gospel of 
liberty for down-trodden Hungary, he again opened 
his liberal purse for humanity. 

But he sought quiet and retirement. Many years 
ago he removed his residence from his old home in 
town to his farm north of and beyond its limits. 
Here, among and in the shade of the great walnut-, 
ash-, sugar-, and elm-trees, he built his house, and 
here he spent the remainder of his years. Here, 
walking or sitting beneath these grand representa- 
tives of the primeval forest, might be seen his ven- 
erable form fitly protected by their shadows. Here 
he received his friends and welcomed them to his 
hospitable board. Here his family assembled, his 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



177 



I 



children and his children's children, to enjoy his 
society and to pay respect to his wishes. 

The appearance of Mr. Butler was not striking. 
Of about the average height, as he walked he leaned 
forward, as if in thought. His eye was bright and 
cheerful, and the expression of his countenance was 
sedate, indicative of sound judgment, strong common 
sense, an unruffled temper, a fixedness of purpose, 
and kiudness of heai't. His voice was not powerful 
or clear, his delivery was slow and somewhat hesitat- 
ing ; but such was the matter of his speech, so clear, 
cogent, apt, and striking, that he compelled the at- 
tention of his hearers. The weight of his character, 
the power of his example, the charm of a life of rec- 
titude and purity gave a force to his words which, 
coming from an ordinary man, might not have been 
so carefully heeded. Emerson says, " It makes a 
great difference to the sentence whether there be a 
man behind it or not." He was a little shy and un- 
obtrusive in his manners, especially among strangers, 
but to his old friends cordial, winning, and confiding. 
He avoided controversies, kept quiet when they were 
impending, and conciliated by his decorous forbear- 
ance those who, by active opposition, would have 
been roused to hostility. 

Stronger than all other features of his character 
was his unaffected piety. For many years of his 
life he was an humble and devoted Christian, illus- 
trating in his daily walk and conversation the prin- 
ciples he professed. Devout without display, zealous 
and charitable, he placed before and above all other 
personal objects and considerations his own spiritual 
culture ; looking to that true and ultimate refinement 
which, begun on earth, is completed in heaven. 

The great and memorable work of Mr. Butler was 
connected with the Northwesteru Christian Univer- 
sity, now called " Butler University." He, with 
many friends, had for some years contemplated the 
establishment of this institution, and in the winter 
of 1849-50 obtained the passage of a charter through 
the Legislature of this State. Mr. Butler drafted it, 
and had the credit of giving expression in it to the 
peculiar objects of the University. The language of 
the section defining them is as follows : " An institu- 
tion of learning of the highest class for the education • 
12 



of the youth of all parts of the United States and 
of the Northwest ; to establish in said institution 
departments or colleges for the instruction of the 
students in every branch of liberal and professional 
education ; to educate and prepare suitable teachers 
for the common schools of the country ; to teach and 
inculcate the Christian faith and Christian morality 
as taught in the sacred Scriptures, discarding as un- 
inspired and without authority all writings, formulas, 
creeds, and articles of faith subsequent thereto, and 
for the promotion of the sciences and arts." As 
to intellectual training, this calls for a high standard. 
As to religious teaching, it is radically liberal. 

But Mr. Butler was not an aggressive reformer. 
His gentle nature had no taint of acrimony or intol- 
erance in it. While he entertained, announced, and 
adhered to his own views with unalterable tenacity, 
he exercised toward all who disagreed with him an 
ample Christian charity. He was not a sectarian in 
the narrow and offensive sense. He was willing to 
wait patiently for the gradual and slow changes of 
public opinion as truth was developed. 

For twenty years he served as president of the 
board of directors of the University, and in 1871, at 
the age of seventy, he retired from the office, saying 
in his letter of resignation, " I have given to the in- 
stitution what I had to offer of care, of counsel, of 
labor, and of means, for the purpose of building up 
not merely a literary institution, but for the purpose 
of building up a collegiate institution of the highest 
class, in which the divine character and the supreme 
Lordship of Jesus, the Christ, should be fully recog- 
nized and carefully taught to all the students, to- 
gether with the science of Christian morality, as 
taught in the Christian Scriptures, and to place such 
an institution in the front ranks of human progress 
and Christian civilization as the advocate and expo- 
nent of the common and equal rights of humanity, 
without distinction of sex, race, or color." 

He had fought the good fight, he had adhered to 
his purpose, he had not labored in vain. But for 
ten years more, and until his death, he gave the Uni- 
versity his attention and his best thought. He had 
devoted so many years of his life and so much of ids 
energy to this purpose that it had become the habit 



1Y8 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of his being to promote and protect the interests of 
the University. His influence and his spirit are still 
as powerful as ever there. Absence, silence, and 
death have no power over them. 

He did not run to the mountains, or the seaside, 
or Saratoga for happiness. His residence, his car- 
riage, and his dress were plain. He gratified his 
taste, but it was an exalted one. The campus of a 
college, his gift to men, was to him a finer show than 
deer-parks or pleasure-grounds. The solid walls of 
the University were more pleasing than a palace 
carved and polished and decorated for his own com- 
fort. He delighted to look upon well-trained men 
and women rather than pictures and statuary. He 
preferred to gather the young and docile of the hu- 
man race, and put them on exhibition, rather than 
short-horns or Morgan horses, and yet he did not 
despise or underrate these other good things. He 
gratified a refined and ennobled taste when he selected 
the man for culture and not the animal. But it was 
not all a matter of taste ; he looked much farther 
than that. He loved cultivated men and women for 
their uses ; for their power and capability to do 
good ; to teach the truth, to set examples ; to lead 
men from vice and ignorance ; and to give them 
strength and encouragement. And so he put forth, 
fur many of the best years of his life, his constant 
exertions to build up a great institution of learning, 
in which the principles of human freedom and of 
Christianity should be taught forever. He did not 
die without the sight. He m.^pired many to unite 
with him in the work, and has laid a foundation in a 
place and in a way that, so far as can be seen, will be 
perpetual for great good. 

The Circuit Court was the only one known here 
till 1849, except the Probate Court, which was hardly 
accounted a court, and not held in high consideration, 
being little more than a sort of relief to the Circuit 
Court, the probate business of which it assumed. 
The judge was never or rarely a lawyer, and his busi- 
ness was that of an accountant rather than a judge. 
In 1849 the bar decided, after some consultation, that 
the Circuit Court needed to be relieved in a more ef- 
fective fashion than the Probate Court did it, and the 
late Oliver H. Smith drafted a bill to create a Com- 



mon Pleas Court for this county. It passed, and 
Abram A. Hammond, subsequently Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor and Governor, was made the first judge and 
clerk, the bill adding one duty to the other to make 
the fees a sufficient salary. In a year he went to Cali- 
fornia, and was succeeded by Edward Lander, an elder 
brother of the late Gen. Fred. Lander, and the 
first chief justice of Washington Territory. An act 
of the Legislature of May 11, 1852, abolished this 
local court and created a State system of Common 
Pleas Courts, specially charged with probate business, 
but given also concurrent jurisdiction with the Cir- 
cuit Court and justices of the peace in a certain 
range of civil and criminal business. The order of 
judges of this court will be found in the list of county 
officers. The district contained Marion, Boone, and 
Hendricks Counties. In 1873 " all matters and bus- 
iness pending in the Courts of Common Pleas" were 
" transferred to the Circuit Courts of the proper 
counties," and the system of Common Pleas Courts 
came to an end, after an existence in Marion County 
of nearly a quarter of a century. 

In the courts of inferior jurisdiction the justices 
of the county and city occasionally attained a credit- 
able and well-earned distinction. Among these were 
Henry Brady, Thomas Morrow, Samuel Moore, 
Charles Bonge, Hiram Bacon, James Johnson, John 
C. Hume, and others in the county outside of the 
city ; and in the city, Obed Foote, Henry Bradley, 
Caleb Scudder, Charles Fisher, and particularly Wil- 
liam Sullivan, whose long tenure of the office, with 
the extent of his business and the soundness of his 
judgment, made him of almost equal authority with 
the Circuit Court. For many years he was almost 
the only justice of the peace that the bar would trust 
with any business. 

William Sullivan. — The ancestors of Mr. 
Sullivan were among the earliest settlers of the 
Eastern Shore of Maryland and the adjoining Slate 
of Delaware. His grandfather, Moses Sullivan, was 
of Irish-English descent, and his wife, Mary Parker, 
of Kent County, Md., was of English extraction. 
Their children were David, William, and Mary, the 
first-named of whom was the father of the subject of 
this sketch. He married Elizabeth Peacock in 1794, 





I 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



179 



and settled in Kent County, Md. Their children 
were Joel, Aaron, Sarah, Nathan P., William, Ellen 
C., and George R. The survivor of these children, 
William Sullivan, vcas born April 25, 1803. His 
father having died when the lad was in his fifth year, 
he was placed in the academy at Elkton, Md., and 
remained at this institution until his seventeenth 
year. On the death of his mother in 1827 he made 
an extended tour for purposes of observation and 
improvement, and continued his studies, after which 
he accepted employment from a corps of civil engi- 
neers as land surveyor and general assistant, and 
gained much practical knowledge in this vocation. 

He removed in 1833 to Ohio, and for a term en- 
gaged in teaching, subsequently entering Hanover 
College, Indiana, where he was employed both in 
study and as an instructor. In 1834 Indianapolis 
became his home, where he immediately opened a 
private school, and later became connected with the 
Marion County Seminary, of which he acted as prin- 
cipal. In 1836 he was appointed to the ofiice of 
civil engineer of the city of Indianapolis, and under 
his direction the first street improvements were made. 
The ofiice of county surveyor of Marion County was 
also conferred upon him. During this time he con- 
struetcd a large map of the city for general use, and 
a smaller one for the use of citizens. Mr. Sullivan 
took an active interest in educational matters, and 
was instrumental in organizing and building the 
Franklin Institute, which in its day enjoyed a suc- 
cessful career. He on dissolving his connection with 
this institution accepted the appointment of United 
States deputy surveyor of public lands, and imme- 
diately entered upon the discharge of his duties in 
Northern Michigan among the Chippewa Indians, 
then a troublesome and dangerous tribe. He was, 
while discharging the duties of this office, appointed 
chief assistant of the distribution post-office, then 
removed to Indianapolis, and held the position for 
four years, keeping account of the business and 
making quarterly and final settlement of the office 
receipts during the whole of that time. 

In the spring of 1841 he was elected mayor of the 
city, and served one term. In the fall of that year 
he was chosen justice of the peace in and for Centre 



township, Marion Co., at Indianapolis, and continued 
to hold the office until 1867, a period of twenty-six 
years, frequently discharging the duties of police 
judge during the absence of the mayor. He was 
also, while acting as justice of the peace, the only 
United States commissioner at Indianapolis. He was 
later appointed by the United States Court the com- 
missioner in bankruptcy for the State of Indiana. 
Meanwhile he has devoted both means and time to 
public improvements, particularly to plank-, gravel-, 
and railroads centring at Indianapolis, serving for 
several years as a director of the Central Railway 
from Richmond to Indianapolis, and subsequently as 
trustee of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad. Mr. 
Sullivan was a well-read elementary lawyer before 
coming West. On retiring from active pursuits in 
1867 he had a large amount of unsettled business, 
which induced him to be admitted as a practicing 
attorney in the various courts of Marion County, 
though he has during later years declined business 
for other parties. In politics he acted with the 
Democrats until the passage of the "Kansas-Nebraska 
Acts," since which time he has voted with the Re- 
publican party. On the 8th of March, 1835, Mr. 
Sullivan was married to Miss Clarissa Tomlinson, 
who was of Scotch and English descent, and resided 
in Indianapolis. Their children now living are Clara 
E. (wife of Col. Richard F. May, of Helena, Mon- 
tana), Flora (wife of E. Wulschner, of Indianapolis), 
and George R. Sullivan, who married Miss Annie 
Russell, of Indianapolis, and has one son, Russell. 
Both Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan, though advanced in 
years, enjoy excellent health and exceptional mental 
vigor. 

Id 1865 the Criminal Circuit Court of Marion 
County was created to relieve the original court of a 
class of business that consumed a great deal of time, 
obstructed important interests, and largely inerea.sod 
the cost of maintaining the court to the county and 
the costs of litigation to parties. A separate court 
would hasten the dispatch of business of all kinds, 
and be a money-saving as well as trouble-saving 
measure. The Criminal Court, however, was not 
separated so completely from the parent court as was 
that of the Common Pleas in 1849. It was separate 



180 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



only in its duties and its judges. The county clerk 
had charge of its papers and records, and the county | 
sheriff served it as he did the old Circuit Court and \ 
the Common Pleas Court. These three, the Circuit, 
the Common Pleas, and the Criminal Court, con- 
sitituted the judicial force of the county from 1865 
to 1873, when the Common Pleas was reabsorbed into 
the Circuit Court. The Criminal Court continues, 
with a little modification since its original establish- 
ment, with a series of accomplished and efficient 
judges, as will be seen from the list appended to this 
work. The member of the city bar who is probably 
the best known as an advocate in the Criminal Court, 
though his practice is by no means confined to that 
class of business, is Jonathan W. Gordon. 

Hon. Jonathan W. Gordon was born Aug. 13, 
1820. His father, William Gordon, was an Irish 
laborer, who emigrated to the United States in 1789- 
90, and settled in Washington County, Pa., where, 
Aug. 18, 1795, he married Sarah Wallon, a native 
of Greenbrier County, Va., by whom he had fourteen 
children, of which the subject of this biography is 
the thirteenth. The father removed from Pennsyl- 
vania to Indiana in the spring of 1835, and settled 
in Ripley County, where he resided until his death, 
Jan. 20, 1841. His wife survived him until May 
29, 1857, when she died at the residence of her 
youngest daughter, Mrs. Charlotte T. Kelley. 

In the mean time the subject of this sketch mar- 
ried Miss Catharine J. Overturf, April 3, 1843 ; 
entered upon the profession of the law Feb. 27, 
1844 ; went to Mexico, June 9, 1846, as a volunteer 
in the Third Regiment of Indiana Volunteers ; lost 
his health in the service, and upon his return aban- 
doned the law and studied medicine on account of 
hemorrhage of the lungs ; was graduated as M.D. 
from Asbury University in 1851, and resumed the 
practice of the law at Indianapolis in 1852. He was 
elected prosecuting attorney in 1854 ; member of 
the House of Representatives in the General As- 
sembly in 1856, and again in 1858 ; and during the 
latter term was twice chosen Speaker. 

In 1859 he was nominated by many members of 
the bar, without distinction of party, for the office 
of Common Pleas judge, made vacant by the death 



of Hon. David Wallace ; but, finding that some 
aspirants for the position desired a party contest, he 
declined the race, holding that the judicial office 
ought to be kept clear of party politics. In 1860 he 
took an active part in behalf of Mr. Lincoln, to 
whose nomination he had largely contributed by de- 
feating an instruction of the Indiana delegation for 
Edward Bates. His speech against Mr. Bates was 
published, and though eifective for the purpose for 
which it was delivered, was scarcely less so to prevent 
his own appointment to any civil position under Mr. 
Lincoln. In 1861 he was chosen clerk of the House 
of Representatives, but resigned the position for a 
place in the ranks of the army upon the outbreak of 
the war. He served during the three months' ser- 
vice in the Ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, and 
received ■ from the President during the time the 
appointment of major in the Eleventh United States 
Infantry. He accepted the position and served in 
garrison duty until March 4, 1864, when he resigned; 
and, returning to Indianapolis, resumed the practice 
of the law. He united with those represented in the 
Cleveland Convention of that year in the support of 
Gen. Fremont, but when he ceased to be a candidate, 
supported Mr. Lincoln. He made two political 
speeches during the contest, taking strong ground 
against public corruption, and the exercise of all un- 
authorized power. In the fall of the year he 
defended those citizens of the State who were ar- 
raigned and tried before military commissions, and 
maintained the want of any jurisdiction on the part 
of such commissions to try a citizen of a State not 
involved in actual war. His argument was printed 
and largely circulated at the time, and it is believed 
that little was added to it by any subsequent discus- 
sions. He opposed not so much the impeachment 
of President Johnson, as the heated and partisan 
manner in which the Republican party tried to make 
it effective. This he opposed with zeal and enthu- 
siasm from first to last, and when it failed in the 
vote on the eleventh article, congratulated the coun- 
try on its failure. 

He supported Gen. Grant in 1868, and in the 
course of the canvass delivered one of his ablest 
speeches in defense of the constitutionality of the 





'"/7V^^<;^^^Ccm/' 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



181 



measures of Congress for the reconstruction of gov- 
ernments in the seceding States. In the spring of 
1869 he suffered a great loss in the burning of his 
hou.se and the greater part of his library. This loss 
he has never been able to repair, and his preparation 
in many a great controver.sy since has limped be- 
cause of it. In 1872 he again supported Grant; was 
placed at the head of his electoral ticket in the State, 
and being elected was chosen by his colleagues 
president of the electoral college. In his speech 
upon taking the chair, he endeavored to ameliorate 
the asperity of party feeling and spirit by a generous 
tribute to the great journalist who had been sup- 
ported by the opponents of the President. His party 
nominated him in 1876 for the office of attorney-gen- 
eral of the State, but as the party was defeated that 
year in the State, he went down with the rest. In 
1868 he ran for and was elected to the House of 
Representatives in the General Assembly. His can- 
vass was regarded as indiscreet and audacious by 
many of his more prudent friends. Under the leader- 
ship of its most prominent leader, the Republican 
party of the State was deeply poisoned with the 
greenback virus. He knew this as well as others ; 
but believing that it was altogether more important 
that sound views on the subject of the currency 
should be presented to the people than that he should 
be elected to the Legislature, he exposed and ridiculed 
the fallacies of the greenbackers without stint or 
mercy. His defeat was confidently predicted by 
many prominent men of his own party ; but at the 
close of the election it was found that just views are 
understood and appreciated by the people, for he 
ran as well as his associates on the ticket. In the 
Legislature he devoted his labors and time to the 
amendment of the criminal law, so as to secure con- 
viction of the guilty in many cases where it was be- 
fore next to impossible. His labors were defeated 
for want of time to carry them through. He did 
succeed, however, in limiting the power of courts to 
punish for contempt, a thing hitherto neglected in 
the State. 

Having lost his first wife, he married Bliss Julia 
L. Dumont, March 13, 1862. He has had six chil- 
dren, five by his first, and one by his last wife. 



He has followed his profession with a fair degree 
of success, bestowing great labor upon such new 
questions as have from time to time arisen in the 
course of his practice. In several instances he has, 
it is believed, given a permanent bent to the law 
as decided by the highest tribunal of the State ; 
but has in others failed where he believed, and still 
believes, that he was right. In such cases he finds 
consolation in the faith that just principles do finally 
triumph, and that his defeats are not final. He has 
not been satisfied to be merely a lawyer, but has 
taken a general view of literature and philosophy. 
Smitten with the love of poetry, he has sometimes 
mistaken it for the impulsions of genius, and essq.yed 
to sing. Some of his fugitive pieces have met with 
popular favor, and others with neglect. In this way 
he has been preserved from surrendering himself to 
the muses by the dead level of appreciation. He is 
not likely now to be .spoiled by the passion for literary 
success. His last published poem shall end this 
sketch. 

THE OPEN GATE. ' 

I stand far down upon a shaded slope, 

And near the valley of a silent river, 
Whose tideless waters darkling, stagnant mope, 
Through dimes beyond the flight of earthward hope, 

Forever and forever. 

No sail is seen upon the sullen stream, 

No breath of air to make it crisp or quiver, 
Nor sun, nor star to shed the faintest gleam 
To cheer its gloom ; but as the Styx, we deem, 
It creeps through might forever. 

An open gate invites my bleeding feet, 

And all life's forces whisper, " We are weary ; 
Pass on and out, thou canst no more repeat 
The golden dreams of youth : and rest is sweet, 
And darkness is not dreary. 

*' Pass on and out; the way is plain and straight, 

And countless millions have gone out before thee; 
What shouldst thou fear, since men of every state, 
And clime, and time have found the open gate. 
The gate of death or glory. 

" Then fearless pass down to the silent shore, 

And look not back with aught like vain regretting ; 
The sunny days of life for thee are o'er, 
And thy dark eyes shall hail the light no more, — 
The finn.l sun is setting." 



182 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



They cease j and silent through the gate I glide, 
And down the shore unto the dismal river, 

That doth the lands of Death and Life divide, 

To find, I trust, upon the farther side 
Life, light, and love forever. 

In 1871 the Superior Court of Marion County 
was created with three judges, from the decision of 
any one of whom an appeal lay to all of them in 
"banc." In 1877, March 5, the number of judges 
was increased to four, and reduced again to three by 
the act of May 31, 1879. One of the most noted 
judges of the Superior Court, though not of the first 
three, was Samuel E. Perkins, for many years a 
member of the Supreme Court. 

Samuel Elliott Perkins was bom in Brattle- 
boro', Vt., Dec. 6, 1811, being the second son of 
John Trumbull and Catharine "Willard Perkins. 
His parents were both natives of Hartford, Conn., 
and were temporarily residing in Brattleboro', where 
his father was pursuing the study of law with Judge 
Samuel Elliott. Before he was five years old his 
father died, and his mother removed with her chil- 
dren to Conway, Mass., where she also died soon 
afterward. Before this, however, Mrs. Perkins 
being unable to support her family, Elliott was 
adopted by William Baker, a respectable farmer of 
Conway, with whom he lived and labored until he 
was twenty-one years of age. During this time, by 
the aid of three months' annual schooling in the free 
schools in winter, and by devoting evenings and rainy 
days to books, he secured a good English education, 
and began the study of Latin and Greek. After 
attaining his majority he pursued his studies in 
difierent schools, working for his board and teaching 
in vacation to provide means for tuition and clothing. 
The last year of this course of study was spent at the 
Yates County Academy, N. Y., then under the presi- 
dency of Seymour B. Gookins, Esq., a brother of the 
late Judge Gookins, of Terre Haute, Ind. Having 
obtained a fair classical education he commenced the 
study of law in Penn Yan, the county-seat of Yates 
County, in the office of Thomas J. Nevius, Esq., and 
afterward as a fellow-student of Judge Briukerhoff, 
late of the Supreme Bench of Ohio, studying in the 
office of Henry Welles, Esq., since one of the judges 



of the Supreme Court of New York. In the fall of 
1836 he came alone, on foot, from Buflfalo, N. Y., to 
Richmond, Ind., a stranger in a strange land, not 
being acquainted with a single individual in the 
State. His original intention had been to locate in 
Indianapolis, but on reaching Richmond he found 
the roads impassable from recent heavy storms, it 
being necessary to carry even the mails on horse- 
back. Finding it impossible to proceed farther, and 
desiring to lose no time in qualifying himself for 
practice, he inquired for a lawyer's office, and was 
referred to Judge J. W. Borden, then a practicing 
attorney in Richmond, and now criminal judge of 
Allen County. He spent the winter in his office 
doing office work for his board. In the spring of 
1837, after a satisfactory examination before Hon. 
Jehu T. Elliott, Hon. David Kilgore, and Hon. 
Andrew Kennedy, a committee appointed by the 
court for that purpose, he was admitted to the bar 
at Centreville, Wayne Co., Ind. He immediately 
opened an office in Richmond, and soon obtained a 
large and lucrative practice. The Jeffersonian, a 
weekly paper, had been established in 1837 by a 
Democratic club, with Mr. Perkins as editor. In 
1838 the Jeffersonian was sold to Lynde Elliott, 
who conducted it about a year and failed. He had 
mortgaged the press to Daniel Reed, of Fort Wayne, 
for more than its value. Mr. Reed visited Rich- 
mond, after Elliott's failure, for the purpose of mov- 
ing the press to Fort Wayne. Unwilling that the 
Democracy of the place should be without an organ, 
Mr. Perkins came forward and paid off the mort- 
gage, took the press, recommenced the publication 
of the Jeffersonian, and continued it through the 
campaign of 1840. In 1813 he was appointed by 
Governor Whitcomb prosecuting attorney of the 
Sixth Judicial Circuit. In 181:4 he was one of the 
electors who cast the vote of the State for Mr. Polk. 
In the winter of 1844, and again in 1845, he was 
nominated by Governor Whitcomb, a cautious man 
and good judge of character, to a seat on the 
Supreme Beuch, but was not confirmed. On the 
adjournment of the Legislature, quite unexpectedly 
to himself, he received from the Govefnor the ap- 
pointment for one year to the office for which he 




o^^^^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



183 



had been nominated. He was then thirty-four years 
of age, and had been at the bar and a resident of the 
State but nine years. With much reluctance he ac- 
cepted the appointment, having to risk the reelection 
of Governor Whitcomb for a renomiuation to the 
Senate the following year. He was, however, re- 
elected, and Judge Perkins, having served on the 
bench one year, was renominated and confirmed by 
the Senate, receiving a two-thirds vote, seven Whig 
senators voting for him. In 1852, and again in 
1858, he was elected, under the new Constitution, by 
the vote of the people to the same position, and was 
therefore on the Supreme Bench nineteen consecu- 
tive years. When, in the stress of political disaster 
in 1864, he left that court he did not therefore 
despair or retire, but entered at once into the prac- 
tice of his profession. In 1857 he accepted the 
appointment of professor of law in the Northwestern 
Christian (now Butler) University, which position 
he retained several years. In 1870-72 he was 
professor of law at the Indiana State University, at 
Bloomington. He felt much pride and gratification 
in the marked success of so many of his students. 
In addition to his immense labor as one of the 
judges of the Supreme Court and professor of law, 
he prepared in 1858 the " Indiana Digest," a book 
containing eight hundred and seventy pages, and 
requiring in its writing, arrangement, and compila- 
tion for the press a great amount of labor, involving 
the deepest research into the statutes of the State 
and the decisions of the Supreme Court. This work 
has received the approbation of the members of the 
Indiana bar as a work of great merit and utility. In 
1859 he also produced the " Indiana Practice," a 
work requiring an equal amount of labor. In 1868 
he undertook the editorship of the Herald, formerly 
and since the Sentinel, the Democratic State organ. 
In August, 1872, he was appointed by Grovernor 
Baker, to fill a vacancy caused by the resiguation of 
Judge Rand, to a seat on the Superior Bench of 
Marion County, a nisi prius and inferior tribunal, 
one of great labor and responsibility, and discharged 
its duties with all diligence and fidelity. He was 
subsequently elected to the same office in 187-1 with- 
out opposition. Nor was there ever a juster act of 



popular gratitude and recognition than when the 
people of the State, in 1876, almost without action 
upon his part, took him from this place and returned 
him to a higher station in the courts of the common- 
wealth which he had formerly so long adorned with 
his presence. To his studious application, which 
supplemented the natural qualities of his mind, much 
was due for the reputation of the Indiana Supreme 
Bench in the days when it was honored for its wis- 
dom. He helped to give it the name it had in the 
days of Blackford and Dewey, his first associates in 
the court, and not the smallest part of the loss occa- 
sioned by his death is, that it deprives the bench of 
the quality it needs most and has least. Shortly after 
Judge Perkins' appointment to the Supreme Bench 
he became a resident of Indianapolis, where he con- 
tinued to live until the time of his death. He took 
a lively interest in the development of the material 
interests of his adopted city, and during his long 
residence there assisted with his means and influence 
in many enterprises looking toward the prosperity of 
Indianapolis. As he was familiar with adversity in 
his early days, and often experienced all that was 
bitter in poverty, his heart continually prompted 
him to acts of benevolence toward the unfortunate 
of his neighborhood. It was a mystery to many how 
he could apply himself professionally with such unre- 
mitting diligence, and at the same time take such a 
lively interest in everything looking toward the pros- 
perity of Indianapolis ; but the fact is he knew no 
rest; he was indefatigable; he never tired when there 
was anything to be done. His life was an unceasiug 
round of labors which he never neglected, and which 
he pursued with a devoted industry from which more 
robust constitutions might have recoiled. On politi- 
cal subjects the judge was a pertinent and forcible 
writer, and when his pen engaged in miscellany its 
productions possessed a truthful brevity, perspicuity, 
and beauty which ranked them among the best liter- 
ary productions of the day. His eulogy on the late 
Governor Ashbel P. Willard, delivered in the Senate 
chamber during the November term (1860) of the 
United States District Court, does ample justice to 
the character and memory of that distinguished man ; 
and the sentiments that pervade the entire address 



184 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



bear testimony to the soundness of the head and 
goodness of the heart from which they emanated. 
The pith and fibre of his mental faculties are not by 
anything better attested than by the very evident 
growth and progress of his judicial style. His mind 
was of that finest material which does not dull with 
age or become stale with usage. He improved 
steadily and constantly to the very last. His last 
opinions are his best. There is in these a manifest 
terseness, a cautious, careful trimming and lopping off 
of all superfluousness ; the core only, the very kernel 
of the point to be decided, is presented.' But for this 
tacit acknowledgment of a fault in his earlier writings 
he is not to be upbraided, but commended rather for 
the moral courage necessary in the avowal and avoid- 
ance of such fault. The first, and not the least, 
quality in a judge is thorough integrity of purpose 
and action. In this great qualification he was fault- 
less. In a long and diversified course of public life 
no charge was ever made against him of corruption 
or oppression, or even of discourtesy or unkindness. 
In his intercourse, whether with his colleagues of the 
bench and bar, or with the people at large, no stain 
was ever found upon the ermine which he wore. 
Too much praise can hardly be bestowed upon the 
firmness with which he maintained his political 
integrity. In early life an ardent friend and sup- 
porter of the principles of Jackson and Jefferson, he 
remained faithful in his adherence to them to the 
end. There were many notable examples in his day 
of political apostasy ; there were many of his contem- 
poraries who, yielding to what was called the force of 
circumstances, did 

" Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, 
That thrift might follow fawning." ■ 

But he was not of the number. At the grand 
assizes of the future, posterity will award to the 
late chief justice of Indiana the white glove of 
purity, in token of a lengthened term of public ser- 
vice in which justice was administered without fear, 
without favor, and without reproach. Judge Per- 
kins died of paralysis of the brain, at his residence 
on West New York Street, Indianapolis, at mid- 
night, Dec. 17, 1879, in the sixty-ninth year of his 
age. He died full of years and honors. 



It seldom falls to the lot of a single individual in 
these feverish and cliangeful times to fill a position 
of such high honor and trust in the State such a 
length of time. As is customary on the death of a 
member of the profession, a bar meeting was called, 
and, after appropriate remarks, the following memo- 
rial was reported by Governor Baker, as chairman 
of a special committee : 

'* Again, iu the history of the State, death has entered the 
Supreme Court and made vacant a seat upon its bench. The 
chief justice is dead. We meet to do suitable honor to the 
name and memory, and mourn the death, of Judge Perkins. 
His eminent success is an encouragement, his death an admo- 
nition. Endowed with strong and active faculties, he pursued 
the purposes of his life with fortitude and determination, and 
at the close of his career he stood among the distinguished of a 
profession in which distinction must be merited to be achieved. 

'* He was successful in life, and attained exalted position and 
enjoyed the admiration and approval of his countrymen, not 
only because of his excellent natural endowments, but also 
because his faculties were cultivated and developed by diligent 
labor, and beautified by extensive and useful learning, and also 
because his motives were pure and his conduct upright. In 
this we have a lesson and an encouragement. 

" The people gave him high honor, and made it as enduring 
as the laws and the records of the State. His name is forever 
interwoven in our judicial history. So long as society shall 
remain oi'ganized under the government of law will the student 
of laws consult his opinions and decisions. Through coming 
generations will his labor and learning influence both the legis- 
lator and the judge. 

"He was an able and faithful judge, and brought honor on 
our profession. We will cherish his raeraory. 

" In his death we are admonished that no earthly distinction 
can defeat or postpone the ' inevitable hour.' 

* The paths of glory load but to the grave.' 

"To his family and kindred we extend our sympathy." 

Judge Perkins was married, in 1838, to Amanda 
Juliette Pyle, daughter of Joseph Pyie, a prominent 
citizen of Richmond, Ind. By this marriage there 
were ten children, three of whom lived to maturity. 
Mary married Oscar B. Hord, and died in 1874, 
leaving four sons, — Samuel B. P., Henry E., Prank 
T., and Ricketts Hord. Emma married H. C. Hol- 
brook, and died without children. Samuel Elliott, 
Jr., the only one now living, married Sue E. Hatch, 
and has two little sons, — Samuel Elliott and Volney 
Hatch Perkins. 

In the three " rooms" or divisions of the Superior 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



185 



Court is now transacted much the larger proportion 
of all the civil business of the county, except probate 
business, which all goes to the Circuit Court. The 
sessions run on almost continuously from one year's 
end to another. The succession of judges will be 
found in the appended list of county officers. Among 
those who have served with efficiency and high credit 
none have left the bench with a more desirable 
record and reputation than Judge John A. Holman. 

John A. Holman comes of English stock. His 
great-grandfather, George Holman, was born in Mary- 
land, Feb. 11, 1762. When sixteen years of age he 
went with his uncle to Kentucky, where they settled 
near the site of the city of Louisville. In February, 
1781, while going to Harrodsburg, he with his com- 
panions were captured by the Indians, carried as a 
prisoner into what is now the northern part of Ohio, 
where he was compelled to run the gauntlet and 
barely escaped death. Not long afterwards he was 
sentenced by a council to be burned at the stake, but 
was rescued by a warrior who adopted him as a son. 
He was in captivity three years and a half when the 
tribe consented that he might return to Kentucky to 
obtain supplies for them, in company with some of 
their number. Returning through the forest they 
struck the Ohio River a few miles above Louisville, 
and, with guns and blankets lashed to their backs, 
swam the river. Young Holman was at once ran- 
somed and immediately entered the service of Gen. 
George Rogers Clark, and served under him in the 
following campaign. 

On his return from captivity he had passed down 
the White Water, and was delighted with the coun- 
try. In 1804 he, with two friends, returned to the 
White Water country and selected a home on the 
east bank of the river, about two miles south of 
where the city of Richmond now stands, to which he 
removed his family in the following spring. They 
were the first settlers in Wayne County, where he 
resided the remainder of his life. 

His son William was a captain in the war of 1812, 
and afterwards became a Methodist preacher on the 
frontier, and was widely known for his zealous devo- 
tion to the establishment of the principles of Meth- 
odism. James, another son of the old pioneer, was 



well known for his steady integrity. His youngest 
son was George G. Holman, who married Blary, the 
daughter of Governor James Brown Ray. He was 
a leading merchant in Centreville for many years, 
from whence he removed to Indianapolis. 

John A. Holman, the subject of this sketch, is the 
youngest child of George G. and Mary Holman. He 
was born in the city of Indianapolis on April 16, 
1849. He was educated at the Northwestern Chris- 
tian University, graduating at the age of seventeen. 
Even before this he had determined to devote his life 
to the profession of the law. Immediately after com- 
mencement-day he began his studies under the in- 
struction of those eminent jurists, Samuel E. Perkins 
and David McDonald, and was admitted to the bar, 
ex c/ratia,' upon their recommendation, when but nine- 
teen years of age. 

Martin M. Ray, his kinsman, then practicing at 
the Indianapolis bar, was so well pleased with the 
boy that he took him into his office at once as an as- 
sociate, with whom he remained in active practice 
until the sudden death of Mr. Ray, in August, 1872. 
Although now only twenty-two years of age, he had 
already taken high rank at the bar, and continued to 
practice alone with eminent success until 1876, when, 
on Judge Perkins being again elected to the Supreme 
Bench, young Holman was at the age of twenty- 
seven appointed by Governor Hendricks to the va- 
cancy on the Superior Bench of this city. His early 
training and profound knowledge of the principles of 
jurisprudence eminently fitted him for the discharge 
of judicial functions. He knew the source and his- 
tory of the law. He was familiar with the origin 
and development of the rules of property and busi- 
ness, whether found in statutes or recorded only in 
the treatises and reports. His knowledge was so 
thorough and his faculties so well disciplined, that 
from the beginning he presided with dignity and even 
justice. He remained upon the bench until the end 
of the year 1882, when he again returned to the bar. 

The bar of Indianapolis has had the good fortune 
to be steadily recruited from the local bars of the 
State, and it has thus become possessed of no incon- 
siderable share of their ability and reputation. It 
has in a measure swallowed them as fast as they 



186 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



showed force enough to be felt beyond their local 
limits. A lawyer in a county town attracts atten- 
tion, in time gets to be prominent in politics, is 
elected to a State ofi&ce, comes to the capital, and 
stays. Others, for the advantages offered by the Su- 
preme and Federal Courts, come and settle here perma- 
nently. Thus came here Governor David Wallace, 
William J. Brown, Oliver H. Smith, Caleb B. Smith, 
Ovid Butler, Samuel E. Perkins, Oliver P. Morton, 
Thomas A. Hendricks, Conrad Baker, Joseph E. 
McDonald, John M. Butler, Jonathan W. Gordon, 
Ralph Hill, William Henderson, Oscar B. Hord, 
Benjamin Harrison, and others. Among members 
of the city bar of national reputation, professionally 
and politically, are ex-Governor and Senator Oliver 
P. Morton, ex-Governor and ex-Senator Thomas 
A. Hendricks, and ex-Senator Joseph E. McDon- 
ald. 

Oliver Perry Morton. — In the little village of 
Saulsbury, Wayne Co., Ind., on the 4th day of 
August, 1823, Oliver Perry Morton was born. He 
was of English descent, his grandfather having emi- 
grated from England about the beginning of the Revo- 
lutionary war, and settled in New Jersey. His 
mother died when he was quite young. After the 
death of his mother the most of his boyhood days 
were spent with his grandparents in Ohio, and with 
his widowed aunts in Centreville, Ind. His op- 
portunities for education were rather limited, and at 
the age of fifteen he was put to learn the hatter's 
trade with his half-brother, William T. Morton. At 
this occupation he worked four years, employing all 
his spare time in study. Early in 1843 he entered 
Miami University, at Oxford, Ohio. He remained 
there two years in hard study. While there he was 
counted the best debater in the University, and dis- 
played the powers of presenting an argument that 
afterwards made him so famous. 

On leaving college he entered the office of Hon. 
John S. Newman, at Centreville, and began the study 
of law. He was then nearly twenty-two years of 
age. On the 15th of May, 1845, he married Miss 
Lucinda M. Burbank, daughter of Isaac Burbank, of 
that place. This marriage proved a most happy one, 
his chosen companion holding and exercising over him 



from their marriage until his death an influence that 
did much to advance his fame. 

He went into the study of the law as he did every- 
thing else— with all the energy and industry he had. 
His preceptor said of him that he was a most labori- 
ous student, occupying all his time in mastering the 
fundamental principles. He did nothing half-way. 
He centred all the powers of his mind on his study, 
and his intense application brought its reward. In 
1847 he was admitted to the bar, and entered the 
practice of the law in Centreville. Although Indiana 
then had not attained to the powerful position she has 
since occupied, the bar of Wayne County was an ex- 
ceptionally strong one, and one that would have ranked 
high in any State. It numbered among its members 
such men as John S. Newman, Caleb B. Smith, James 
Rariden, Samuel W. Parker, Jehu T. Elliott, and 
others. It was among these men young Morton ex- 
pected to try his fortunes. They were the men he 
was to meet and combat. They were men learned in 
the law, men of high character, with reputations 
already established, and a young man to occupy a 
place among them had to be possessed of more than 
ordinary ability. Among these men he soon came to 
be acknowledged a sound lawyer, and they found that 
in him they met one able to cope with them before 
the bench or jury. Business multiplied, and he was 
retained in many important cases in all the neighbor- 
ing counties. In 1852 he was appointed judge of 
the circuit. He had only been practicing five years 
when he received this high honor. In a circuit com- 
posed of such distinguished lawyers as those men- 
tioned above, this appointment at so early an age was 
no light honor, and is but an evidence of the ability 
he was recognized as possessing. He only remained 
on the bench a year, when he relinquished it to again 
enter active practice, in which he continued until 
1860. 

Some men have been disposed to look upon him as 
more of a politician than a lawyer, and to regard his 
legal attainments as being limited. This was not the 
judgment of those who knew him. In fact, it is con- 
trary to the natural order of things for a man with 
his analytical mind and his powers of application to 
have been a poor lawyer. The universal testimony 






^/-^^f^^ 



OLIVER P. MORTON 

GOVERNOR OF INDIANA, 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



187 



of those who met him at the bar is that he was a 
master. His great faculty was his power of going to 
the very root of a thing. He studied his cases 
closely, seized upon the salient points, and those he 
presented with vigor and skill. He discarded all the 
tricks so often resorted to by lawyers, and depended 
solely upon the law and the facts. When he was 
ready to go into the trial of a case he was prepared 
at all points ; there were no surprises in store for 
him, but he was thoroughly conversant with every 
feature of the case and the law bearing upon it. He 
seemed to deal with the great principles of the law, 
and to apply them to the case at bar, disdaining to 
seize upon quibbles or technicalities. In his addresses 
to the court or jury he was always impressive, build- 
ing his facts into an edifice, cemented by the law, 
that was impregnable against all attacks. One who 
knew him well, and had met him at the bar, said of 
him, " His great characteristic was that he studied 
up his cases, and he never came into court without 
giving evidence of careful preparation. ... I dis- 
tinctly remember that in the four years before he 
was called into the service of the State he literally 
annihilated everybody connected with the bar of 
Wayne County, and walked rough-shod over all 
other lawyers of the circuit. . . . There are prob- 
ably few men who have at the same age surpassed him 
in ability and success." His success was demonstrated 
by the fact that when he left the practice in 1860 
he was the leading attorney in all Eastern Indiana, 
and was engaged in every prominent case. After his 
death the bar of Indianapolis adopted unanimously 
a memorial, in which it was said, " Having chosen 
his profession, Senator Morton's place in it by natural 
right was in the front rank, and, without a struggle, 
he was conspicuous there by force of character, gen- 
erous stores of knowledge, and eminent ability. He 
was a judge remarkable for the wise, speedy, and 
impartial administration of justice on an important 
circuit at an age when most men are making their 
first steps in professional life." The men who drafted 
the memorial and adopted it knew whereof they 
spoke, for Mr. Morton had been called at one time 
to preside over the Circuit Court of Indianapolis. 
Of that time one of the most prominent lawyers of 



Indianapolis said, " I saw him but once in the exer- 
cise of the functions of judge. . . . His decision 
was a clear and forcible enunciation of the law, 
which left no doubt in the minds of those who heard 
it of its correctness." His great political rival, Hon. 
Thomas A. Hendricks, said of him at a public meet- 
ing, " I never mfet Governor Morton in court, and 
had no knowledge of his habit in the management 
of cases. I have heard from others, however, that 
which convinces me that he was very able, and I 
know he must have been, because he possessed every 
qualification for eminence in our profession." Such 
was the testimony universally given. 

All his speeches on the stump, in the Senate of the 
United States, all his messages to the State Legisla- 
ture, show an intimate knowledge of the great prin- 
ciples of law, especially constitutional law. One re- 
markable instance of this kind he exhibited in his 
speech on the right of secession. It had been 
claimed upon all hands that there was no power 
inherent in the government to coerce a State. In 
that speech he took the ground that secession was 
the act of individuals and not of States, and ought to 
be so regarded ; that the individuals could not shield 
themselves behind State governments. This was the 
key to the whole problem. The late Senator Matt 
H. Carpenter, who had been associated with him in 
the investigation of the Louisiana case, said, " No 
one need tell me that Morton is not a great lawyer. 
I know better. I have seen him and been a witness 
to his power and knowledge of the law." Senator 
Thurman, in one of the debates, said, " The Senator 
from Indiana may have been a lawyer at one time, 
but has been too much engaged in polities, and has 
forgotten the law on this subject. He has not kept 
up his reading." Senator Morton's only reply was to 
call from memory for the reading by the secretary of 
passages of law from a large number of authorities, 
all so applicable to the case and so much against the 
position taken by his opponent, that Senator Thur- 
man was overwhelmed and signally defeated. 

Senator Morton was a Democrat in politics in his 
earlier years, and always took a deep interest in polit- 
ical affairs. In 1854, when the Missouri Compromise 
was repealed, Mr. Morton was one of the vast army 



188 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



who left the Democratic party and united to stem the 
tide of slavery aggression, and he became the leader 
of the new party in his section of the State. He 
attended the Pittsburgh Convention in 1856, and 
actively participated in its discussions. On the first 
of May of that year the new party met at Indianap- 
olis to nominate a State ticket. 'Mr. Morton was 
elected unanimously to head the ticket. His oppo- 
nent was Hon. A. P. Willard, the idol of his party, 
and who was regarded as the ablest stump speaker in 
the State. A joint canvass was arranged, and the 
champion of the new party soon proved himself more 
than a match for his opponent in debate. His strong, 
logical arguments utterly drove his antagonist from 
all his defenses. . The election resulted in favor of 
the Democrats, and Mr. Morton thought his polit- 
ical career was ended. The Republican party grew 
very rapidly between 1856 and 1860. In the latter 
year he accepted the second place on the ticket with 
Hon. Henry S. Lane as its head. He throw himself 
heart and soul into the canvass, and was everywhere 
recognized as the most powerful debater in either 
party. This time his party was successful. 

The anticipated election of Mr. Lincoln as Presi- 
dent had brought about threats of secession, and his 
success was no sooner heralded than South Carolina 
made haste to take herself, as she thought, out of the 
Union. It was a critical time. All hearts feared the 
Union was gone. The prevailing sentiment seemed 
to be that there was no remedy for secession. The 
Democrats held that there was no power to coerce a 
State, and the leading Republicans were advocating 
that the " wayward sister" should be permitted to de- 
part in peace. There were stormy forebodings on all 
sides. The idea of civil war was abhorrent, yet the 
loyal people did not like the idea of having the Union 
dismembered. In the midst of this general gloom 
there came a lightning flash which electrified the 
North and startled the South. On the 22d of No- 
vember a monster meeting was held in Indianapolis to 
ratify the election of Lincoln. The newly-elected 
Governor Lane and others spoke. Their speeches 
were of a conciliatory nature. At length Lieutenant- 
Governor Morton arose, and in his very first words 
the vast audience saw that the man had come with 



the hour. There was no uncertainty with him. He 
at the very outset announced that if the issue was to 
be disunion and war, he was for war. It was a mo- 
mentous occasion, and he felt that he was speaking 
for the Republican party, and not alone for it, but for 
the whole loyal element of the country, and his 
measured words fell upon the air like the notes of a 
bugle calling men to action. He discussed the right 
of secession and the power to coerce, and gave to the 
acts of South Carolinians an interpretation none be- 
fore had been clear-sighted enough to see. On coer- 
cion he said, — 

''What is coei'cion but the enforcement of the law? Is any- 
thing else intended or required? Secession or nullification can 
only be regarded by the general government as individual 
action upon individual responsibility. Those concerned in it 
cannot intrench themselves behind the forms of the State gov- 
ernment so as to give their conduct the semblance of legality, 
and thus devolve the responsibility upon the State government, 
which of itself is irresponsible. The Constitution and laws of 
the United States operate upon individuals, but not upon States, 
and precisely as if there were no States. In this matter the 
President has no discretion. He has taken a solemn oath to 
enforce the laws and preserve order, and to this end he has been 
made commander-in-chief of the army and navy. How can 
he be absolved from responsibility thus devolved upon him by 
the Constitution and his official oath?" 

He demonstrated that there was no right of seces- 
sion belonging to the States ; that they were parts of 
a whole and could not dissolve the connection, and 
that if they attempted to dissolve the Union force 
must be employed. He said, — ■ 

**The right of secession conceded, the nation is dissolved. 
Instead of having a nation, one mighty people, we have but a 
collection and combination of thirty-three independent and 
petty States, held together by a treaty which h.is hitherto been 
called a Constitution, of the infraction of which each State is to 
be the judge, and from which any State may withdraw at 
pleasure. . . . The right of secession conceded, and the way to 
do it having been shown to be safe and easy, the prestige of the 
Republic gone, the national pride extinguished with the na- 
tional idea, secession would become the remedy for every State 
or sectional grievance, real or imaginary. ... If South Caro- 
lina gets out of the Union, I trust it will be at the point of the 
bayonet, after our best efibrts have failed to compel her to sub- 
mission to the laws. Better concede her independence to force, 
to revolution, than to right and principle. Such a concession 
cannot be drawn into precedent and construed into an admis- 
sion that we are but a combination of petty States, any one of 
which has a right to secede and set up for herself whenever it 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



189 



suits her teaiper or views of peculiar interest. Sucli a contest, 
lot it terminate as it may, would be a declaration to tlie other 
States of the only terms upon which they would be permitted to 
withdraw from the Union. . , . Shall we now surrender the 
nation without a struggle, and let the Union go with merely a 
few hard words ? If it was worth a bloody struggle to establish 
this nation, it is worth one to preserve it, and I trust that we 
shall not, by surrendering with indecent haste, publish to the 
world that the inheritance our fathers purchased with their 
blood we have given up to save ours." 

In concluding, lie struck the key-note of the whole 
in declaring and emphasizing that we are a nation 
and not a combination of States. Upon this point 
he said, — 

" We must, then, cling to the idea that we are a nation, one 
and indivisible, and that, although subdivided by State lines 
for local and domestic purposes, we are but one people, the 
citizens of a common country, having like institutions and 
manners, and possessing a common interest in that inheritance 
of glory so richly provided by our fathers. We must, therefore, 
do no act, we must tolerate no act, we must concede no idea 
or theory that looks to or involves the dismemberment of the 
nation. , . . Seven years is but a day in the life of a nation, 
and I would rather come out of a struggle at the end of that 
time, defeated in arms and conceding independence to success- 
ful revolution, than to purchase present peace by the concession 
of a principle that must inevitably explode this nation into 
small and dishonored fragments. . . . The whole question is 
summed up in this proposition : * Are we one nation, one peo- 
ple, or thirty-three nations, or thirty-three independent and 
petty States ?' The statement of the proposition furnishes the 
answer. If we are one nation, then no State has a right to 
secede. Secession can only be the result of successful revolu- 
tion. I answer the question for you, and I know that my 
answer will find a true response in every true American heart, 
that we are one people, one nation, undivided and indivisible." 

This was the first time that resistance upon the 
part of the North had been advocated. It touched 
the popular chord everywhere. From that time on 
there was no hesitancy upon the part of the loyal 
masses. Mr. Lincoln, when he read it, said that " it 
covers the whole ground, and declares the policy of 
the government." That speech made Mr. Morton a 
leader in national politics. 

On the 14th day of January, 1861, he took the 
oath of oflBce as president of the Senate. Two days 
afterward Governor Lane resigned to take his seat in 
the United States Senate, and Mr. Morton became 
Governor of the State. The history of his adminis- 
tration of the afiairs of the State for six years has 



become the foundation-stone of his fame. He every- 
where became known as the great War Governor. 
When the war came in April, as he had been the 
first to predict that it would come, and the first to 
crystallize the loyal sentiment of the North, so he was 
the first to respond to the call of the President for 
troops. At his word Indiana sprang to arms, and 
thousands of her loyal sons answered the call of the 
President for six regiments. Here was a chance for 
his wonderful executive ability. Indiana, like the 
other Northern States, was unprepared for war. 
She had but few men in her borders who were 
possessed of any military training. Volunteers were 
plenty, but how to arm and equip them was the 
trouble. Governor Morton was equal to the emer- 
gency. He grasped the situation at a glance, and 
seemed to be everywhere present, stirring and ani- 
mating the citizens, bringing order out of chaos, and 
reducing all to a system, so that in comparatively few 
days Indiana was a vast military camp, and troops 
were ready for the field. An agent was sent to the 
leading manufacturers of the East and Canada to 
purchase arms. He gave but few hours to sleep in 
those days, but wore out his secretaries in continuous 
labors. During the four years of the war this intense 
strain was continued. A large number of the people 
of his State were opposed to the war, and thousands 
of them actively sympathized with the Rebellion. 
These things added to his labors. He was the 
youngest of all the loyal Governors, but so mani- 
fest was his ability, so lofty his patriotism, so hope- 
ful was he in the darkest hours, that all turned to 
him for counsel. President Lincoln and his great 
war secretary trusted him and leaned upon him as 
they did upon no one else. He was often consulted 
by the generals in the' field, especially those in the 
West, in regard to the movements of the army, and 
he was always the first one appealed to for help and 
reinforcements. No such appeal was ever made in 
vain. Of the high opinion entertained of him and 
his labors by the members of Mr. Lincoln's cabinet, 
the following extract from a letter written by Hon. 
S. P. Chase to Governor Morton in 1865, will evi- 
dence. Mr. Chase wrote him a letter stating that, 
in a conversation with Secretary Stanton the night 



190 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



before, " we naturally, turning our minds to the 
past, fell to talking of you. We agreed tbat no 
Governor rendered such services, or displayed such 
courage or more ability in administration ; and we 
agreed that your recent services were most meritor- 
ious of all, because rendered under circumstances of 
greatest personal risk of health and life, and which 
would have been by almost any man regarded, and 
by all accepted, as good reasons for total inaction. 
I have seldom heard Stanton express himself so 
warmly." 

As we said before, the war found the North unpre- 
pared. In the autumn of 1861 he found that the 
general government would be unable to supply the 
men with overcoats in time to prevent suffering from 
the cold. He went to New York and purchased 
twenty-nine thousand overcoats for the use of the 
Indiana troops. The soldiers were his first care. 
To relieve the sick and wounded he organized a sani- 
tary commission, which afterwards was adopted by 
the other States. To show his deep interest in the 
soldiers, and the care he took of their interests, it 
may be mentioned that during the siege of Vicks- 
burg, when the army hospitals were full of sick and 
wounded, he applied to the Secretary of War for per- 
mission to remove the Indiana sick and wounded to 
the North. The secretary declined to grant the per- 
mission. Governor Morton declared his intention to 
take the matter before the President. He did so, 
and the result was a general order permitting not 
only Indiana, but any other State to remove the sick 
and wounded and care for them. Under the system 
of relief inaugurated by him, Indiana collected and 
disbursed over six hundred thousand dollars in money 
and supplies. 

In this short sketch we" can do no more than 
glance at his work as Governor. In 1862 the Dem- 
ocrats elected a Legislature hostile to the war, and 
efforts were made to cripple the Governor in the dis- 
charge of his duties. They refused to make appro- 
priations to carry on the State government and to 
meet the interest on the public debt. Governor 
Morton was undismayed. He went to New York, 
and through the banking firm of Winslow, Lanier & 
Co., and some of the counties of the State and a few 



of the patriotic citizens, arranged for money for the 
use of the State. He established a financial bureau 
without authority of law, and in one year and nine 
months he raised and paid out over a million of dol- 
lars. Every dollar of this was paid out upon his own 
check, and not a dollar was lost or misappropriated. 

His extraordinary activity was well demonstrated 
in 1862, during the invasion of Kentucky by Gens. 
Bragg and Kirby Smith. These two active rebel gen- 
erals had slipped around Gen. Buell and invaded 
Kentucky, threatening both Louisville and Cincin- 
nati. On the 17th of August, late at night, he re- 
ceived a telegram that Kentucky had been invaded 
at several points. Before night of the 18th one 
regiment was mustered in, armed, and started for the 
scene of action. During the night of the 18th four 
more regiments were forwarded. On the morning of 
the 19th some of the patriotic banks and citizens 
advanced half a million dollars, and during the day 
and night four more regiments were paid and sent 
forward. By the 31st of August more than thirty 
thousand troops had been armed and sent to the relief 
of Kentucky. All this time the arsenal of the State 
was employed day and night in the manufacture of 
ammunition, making three hundred thousand rounds 
daily, and all the river towns of the State were occu- 
pied by the State militia. Ohio as well as Kentucky 
wanted help. Cincinnati was threatened. Governor 
Morton was called upon, and Indiana troops rushed 
to the defense of her sister State. Ammunition was 
wanted for the heavy guns being placed in position. 
The mayor of Cincinnati and Committee of Defense 
telegraphed to Columbus for a supply. Tliey were 
instructed to make out a requisition in due form and 
have it approved by the commanding officer, and for- 
ward it, and the ammunition would be supplied. 
They then applied to Governor Morton. No requi- 
sition was asked for, but the telegraph fliished back 
the answer that in an hour a train would start; and 
the train did so, bearing about four thousand rounds 
for artillery and seven hundred and twenty thousand 
rounds for small-arms. In eight days Indiana sup- 
plied thirty-three thousand rounds for artillery and 
three million three hundred and sixty-five thousand 
for small-arms, the entire amount having been made 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



191 



at the State arsenal. For his services the Cincinnati 
Common Council ordered his portrait painted and 
placed in the City Hall, which was done with impos- 
ing ceremonies. 

In 1864, in the midst of a heated Presidential 
canvass, the exposure came of the organization known 
as the Knights of the Golden Circle, or Sons of Lib- 
erty. This organization numbered fifty thousand 
members in the State, and an uprising was planned. 
Governor Morton had possessed himself of all their 
secrets, and before they knew that they were even 
suspected he dealt them a terrible blow and crushed 
them. He ordered the arrest of the prominent leaders 
of the movement, and so alarmed were the members 
to find that their plots were known, and that they 
were in the power of a man whose hatred of treason 
was so intense, and who was so unrelenting in his 
eiforts to crush all disloyalty, that dismay seized 
upon them and they stood bewildered, not knowing 
what to expect. The trial and conviction of the 
leaders is a part of the general history of the country. 

Governor Morton was triumphantly elected to the 
oflBce of Governor in 1864, and the people placed a 
loyal Legislature to help him. It was the grandest 
political triumph ever achieved in this State. He 
entered upon the new term filled with the same 
ardor, the same resistless energy, the same tireless 
activity. But the war soon closed. It brought no 
relief to him from labor. But now came his greatest 
trial. His labors had been incessant for more than 
four years, the strain upon his nervous system had 
been intense, and he was now to pay the penalty. 
One morning in 1865 he awoke to find that paralysis 
had seized upon his left leg. This leg had been 
injured by a fall, and the disease struck the weakest 
spot. Overwork had stricken him down in the noon- 
tide of his power, and just as he saw his fame ripen- 
ing. He was advised to go to Europe and place him- 
himself under medical treatment. He convoked the 
Legislature in extra session. It assembled on the 
14th of November, when he read a message which 
surpassed all his others in the comprehensive manner 
with which it treated of State and national policy. 
He concluded it with the following eloquent tribute 
to the American soldier : 



" The war has established upon imperishable foundatioos the 
great fundamental truth of the unity and indivisibility of the 
nation. We are many States but one people, having one undi- 
vided sovereignty, one flag, and one common destiny. It has 
also established, to be confessed by all the world, the exalted 
character of the American soldier, his matchless valor, his self- 
sacrificing patriotism, his capacity to endure fatigues and 
hardships, and his humanity, which, in the midst of carnage, 
has wreathed his victorious achievetnents with a brighter glory. 
He has taught the world a lesson before which it stands in 
amazement, how, when the storm of battle had passed, he 
could lay aside his arms, put oif the habiliments of war, and 
return with cheerfulness to the gentle pursuits of peace, and show 
how the bravest of soldiers could become the best of citizens. 
To the army and navy, under the favor of Providence, we owe 
the preservation of our country, and the fact that we have to- 
day a place, and the proudest place, among the nations. Let it 
not be said of us, as it was said in olden time, ' that Republics 
are ungrateful.' Let us honor the dead, cherish the living, 
and preserve in immortal memory the deeds and virtues of all, 
as an inspiration for countless generations to come." 

The parting scene was of the most afiecting char- 
acter. Party lines were forgotten ; all recognized the 
great services rendered by the stricken man, and all 
joined in words of commendation and sympathy. Few 
States, few Legislatures, if any, ever witnessed such 
a scene. None who were present will ever forget it. 
It was a sublime as well as touching spectacle. 

Early in December he sailed from New York, and 
spent some time in France, Italy, and Switzerland, 
but received little or no benefit from either travel or 
treatment, and in March, 1866, he returned. He 
gave himself no rest, but at once commenced the 
preparations for the political campaign of that year. 
He opened the campaign in a speech at Masonic Hall, 
which has been pronounced the greatest political 
speech ever made in America. It seemed as if he 
had determined to crush his political opponents at the 
outset of the campaign and render them powerless. 
He employed all of his wonderful powers of logic to 
arraign his opponents at the bar of public opinion 
for what he considered their political failures. The 
speech not only served as a basis for the platform of 
his party, but for all other speeches during the cam- 
paign. It lashed his enemies to fury, but it aroused 
his party to the very highest pitch of enthusiasm. 

Oliver P. Morton was twice elected a member of 
the United States Senate by the Republicans, his first 



192 



HISTORI OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



term commencing on the 4th day of March, 1867, 
and his second on the 4th day of March, 1873. The 
limits of this sketch forbid anything like an attempt 
at a history of his senatorial labors. During his ten 
years of service he was foremost in all things, — in 
debates, in party counsels, in labors. It is not in- 
vidious to say of him that in labors he was more 
abundant than any other, notwithstanding his physical 
disability. He entered the Senate at a stirring time. 
The war was ended, but the South was in a state of 
chaos. What was to be done, and how to do it, were 
the two questions uppermost in the minds of all. 
There was an irreconcilable quarrel between Congress 
and the President. At the very outset of his sena- 
torial career, although it was his first legislative ex- 
perience, he was given three important places. He 
was made chairman of the Committee on Manufactures, 
and a member of the Committee on Foreign Relations 
and that of Military Affairs. 

The first great question in which he took part was 
that of reconstruction. He went into the Senate with 
well-settled views upon this question. He had held 
tenaciously to the idea that this was a nation, and he 
insisted upon that on all occasions. He looked upon 
treason as a crime deserving of punishment. He 
could not be led to believe that those who had laid 
down their arms after a four years' struggle to over- 
throw the Government could safely be intrusted with 
power until, at least, they had given evidence of 
having renewed their allegiance. He was inspired 
by no hatred of the people of the South ; it was their 
treason he hated. His first speech on this question 
was an impromptu reply to Senator Doolittle, of Wis- 
consin. In that speech, brief as it was, he outlined 
his whole after-attitude on this question. He said, — 

" The issue here to-day is the same which prevails through- 
out the country, which will be the issue of this canvass, and 
perhaps for years to come. It is between two paramount ideas, 
each struggling for the supremacy. One is, that the war to 
suppress the Kebellion was right and just on our part; that the 
rebels forfeited their civil and political rights, which can 
only be restored to them upon such conditions as the nation 
may prescribe for its future safety and prosperity. The other 
idea is, that the rebellion was not sinful, but was right; that 
those engaged in it forfeited no rights, civil or political, and 
have a right to take charge of their State governments, and be 
restored to their representation in Congress, just as if there were 



no rebellion and nothing had occurred. The immediate issue 
before the Senate now is between the existing State govern- 
ments established under the President of the United States in 
I the rebel States and the plan of reconstruction presented by 
Congress." 

He then proceeded to demonstrate that Congress 
had all the power that was necessary to formulate or 
dictate to the States the kind of a constitution they 
should adopt, and that it was in duty bound to insure 
justice, security, and equality to all classes in the 
South, and said, — 

" Sir, when Congress entered upon this work it had become 
apparent to all men that loyal republican State governments, 
such as are required by the Constitution, could not be erected 
and maintained upon the basis of the white population. We 
had tried them. Congress had attempted the work of recon- 
struction through the fourteenth constitutional amendment by 
leaving the suffrage with the white men, and by leaving with 
the white people of the South the question as to when the col- 
ored people should exercise the right of suffrage, if ever; but 
when it was found that those white men were as rebellious as 
ever; when it was found that they persecuted the loyal men, 
both white and black, in their midst; when it was found that 
Northern men who had gone down there were driven out by 
social tyranny, by a thousand annoyances, by the insecurity of 
life and property, then it became apparent to all men of intel- 
ligence that reconstruction could not take place upon the basis 
of the white population, and something else must be done. 
Now, sir, what was then left to do ? Either we must bold these 
people continua.ny by military power or we must use such ma- 
chinery on such a new basis as would enable loyal republican 
governments to be raised up : and in the last result I will say 
Congress waited long, the nation waited long, — experience had 
to come to the rescue of reason before the thing was done. In 
the last resort, and as the last thing to be done, Congress deter- 
mined to dig through all the rubbish, dig through the soil and 
the shifting sands, and go down to the eternal rock, and there, 
upon the basis of the everlasting principle of equal and exact 
justice to all men, we have planted the column of reconstruc- 
tion ; and, sir, it will rise, slowly but surely, and ' the gates of 
hell shall not prevail against it.' " 

On the charge of inconsistency on the subject of 
negro suifrage he said, — 

*' Why, sir, let me frankly say to my friend from Wisconsin 
that I approached universal colored suffrage in the South re- 
luctantly. Not because I adhered to the miserable dogma that 
this was the white man's government, hut because I entertained 
fears about at once intrusting a large body of men just from 
slavery — to whom education had been denied by law, to whom 
the marriage relation had been denied, who had been made the 
most abject slaves — with political power. And the senator 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



193 



has referred to a speech which I made in Indiana in 1865. 
Allow me to show the principle which then actuated me, for in 
that speech I said, ' In regard to the question of admitting the 
freedmen of the Southern States to vote, while I admit the 
equal rights of all men, and that in time all men will have the 
right to vote, without distinction of color or race, I yet believe 
that in the case of four million slaves just freed from bondage 
there should be a period of probation and preparation before 
they are brought to the exercise of political power.' Such was 
my feeling at that time, for it had not then been determined by 
the bloody experience of the past two years that we could not 
reconstruct upon the basis of the white population, and such 
was the opinion of a great majority of the people of the 
Korth. ... I confess (and I do it without shame) that I have 
been educated by the great events of the war. The American 
people have been educated rapidly; and the man that says he 
has learned nothing, that he stands* now where did six years 
ago, is like an ancient mile-post by the side of a deserted high- 
way." 

He concluded as follows : 

" The column of reconstruction has risen slowly. It has not 
been hewn from a single stone. It is composed of many blocks, 
painfully laid up and put together, and cemented by the tears 
and blood of the nation. Sir, we have done nothing arbitrarily. 
We have done nothing for punishment — aye, too little for pun- 
ishment. Justice has not had her demand. Not a man has yet 
been executed for this great treason. The arch-fiend himself is 
now at liberty upon bail. No man is to be punished j and now 
while punishment has gone by, as we all know, we are insisting 
only upon security for the future. AYe are simply asking that 
the evil spirits who brought this war upon us shall not again 
come into power during this generation, again to bring upon us 
rebellion and calamity. We are simply asking for those secu- 
rities that we deem necessary for our peace and the peace of our 
posterity." 

To Senator Morton more than to any other man 
ia due the credit of the adoption of the fifteenth 
amendment. He was bold and aggressive in his ad- 
vocacy of this important measure, designed as it was 
to secure to the colored man the right of suffrage. 
It was opposed by Senator Sumner and some other 
Republican members, but Mr. Morton led in the de- 
bate and carried the measure triumphantly through. 
He met all arguments, repelled all assaults, held the 
friends of the amendment together until the final 
vote was taken. Nor did his labors end with its 
adoption by Congress. It had to be ratified by the 
States. The Democratic members of the Indiana 
Legislature resigned to defeat its ratification. Sen- 
ator Morton reached Indianapolis the morning the 
13 



resignations were handed in. He sent word to the 
Republican members not to adjourn, but take a recess 
and meet him. He then showed them the resigna- 
tions did not break a quorum, and demonstrated that 
they had the power to ratify the amendment. They 
acted in accordance with his wishes, and the work 
was done, to the amazement of the Democrats. Still 
States were wanted. Senator Morton was equal to 
the emergency. A bill was introduced providing for 
the reconstruction of Mississippi, Texas, and Vir- 
ginia. He seized the opportunity and offered an 
amendment providing that before these States should 
be admitted to representation in Congress they should 
ratifiy the proposed fifteenth amendment. The 
amendment was referred to the Committee on Judi- 
ciary. An adverse report was made by Senator 
Trumbull, chairman of the committee. Senator 
Morton still adhered to his amendment, and, after 
a debate lasting three days, was successful. This 
was one of the most remarkable debates of the 
Senate. Still another State was wanted, and again 
Senator Morton led in the work of securing it. He 
introduced a bill authorizing the military commander , 
of Georgia to call the Legislature of that State to- 
gether, including the colored members who had been 
expelled the year before, and empowering the Legis- 
lature to reconstruct that State, by electing two 
United States senators, after ratifying the fifteenth 
amendment. Again the Judiciary Committee an- 
tagonized him, but again he triumphed, and the 
fifteenth amendment became a part of the Consti- 
tution, and stands to-day a monument of his love of 
justice and his powers as a leader, more enduring 
than brass or marble. 

Space will not permit the dwelling on his labors in 
the great kuklux debates and other similar measures, 
but in all he took a leading part, and upon all he left 
the impress of his lofty and unyielding patriotism. 

As chairman of the Committee on Elections and 
Privileges he rendered signal service. All questions 
that came before him were treated with the utmost 
fairness, and stern justice ruled in the decisions of his 
committee. One notable instance of this kind was 
his action in regard to the election of Caldwell as 
senator from Kansas. It was evident that his election 



194 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



had been procured by corrupt means. Senator Mor- 
ton held that he should be expelled from the Senate 
as unworthy a seat in that body. The friends of 
Caldwell plead to have the election simply declared 
void. Mr. Morton would not listen. His sense of 
justice had been outraged and he felt that American 
politics needed purifying, and insisted on expulsion, 
and to save himself from that the Kansas senator 
resigned. With fraud, force, or corruption he had 
no patience, and he would neither listen to the plead- 
ings of friends of the accused, nor pay heed to their 
threats. He believed in the right and had the cour- 
age to at all times and under all circumstances to 
maintain his beliefs. 

In 1873 he delivered a speech in the Senate, which 
in the light of later events looks almost like prophecy. 
The question under discussion was a resolution in- 
structing the Committee on Privileges and Elections 
to report upon the best and most practicable mode of 
electing a President and Vice-President, and provid- 
ing a tribunal to adjust and decide all contested 
elections connected therewith. Senator Morton took 
strong grounds in favor of doing away with the 
Electoral College and electing a President by the 
direct vote of the people. In the course of that 
speech, in regard to the dangers of the present 
system, he said, — 

" There is imminent danger of revolution to the nation when- 
ever the result of a Presidential election is to be determined by 
the vote of a State in which the choice of electors has been 
irregular, or is alleged to have been carried by fraud or vio- 
lence, and where there is no method of having these questions 
examined and settled in advance ; where the choice of Presi- 
dent depends upnn the election in a State which has been 
publicly characterized by fraud or violence, and in which one 
party is alleged to have triumphed and secured the certificates 
of election by chicanery or the fraudulent interposition of courts. 
If the system of electoral colleges is to be continued, some 
means should be devised by which the election of these electors 
in the States may be contested, so that if it has been controlled 
by fraud or violence, or if there be two sets of electors, each 
claiming the right to cast the vote of a State, there may be 
some machinery or tribunal provided by which fraudulent re- 
turns could be set aside or corrected, and the contending claims 
of different sets of electors be settled in advance of the time 
when the vote is to be finally counted, and by which the Presi- 
dent of the Senate may no longer be left to exercise the 
dangerous powers that seem to be placed in his hands by the 



Constitution, nor the two houses of Congress by the twenty- 
second joint rule." 

Could he have been given the power to look into 
the future only three years he could not have been 
able to better portray the dangers that were before us 
as a nation. This was one of his great powers, — to 
discern the signs of the times, and see the pitfalls 
and the rooks that lay hidden from view. It was 
this power which stamped him before all other Amer- 
icans, a wise statesman. 

It was Morton that gave to us the civil rights bill, 
which were intended to make good the promises of 
the nation to the colored men, — that they should 
have equal and exact justice with all races. That 
they have since failed was no fault of his. 

In the Senate he left the stamp of his individuality 
upon all legislation. He was the moving spirit, the 
leader, the one upon whom all relied. There was no 
question of public moment too small for his attention ; 
but his mind grasped all, his wisdom foresaw all, and 
as far as possible be attempted to warn and to guide 
the country that it might avoid the danger he saw 
before it. He spoke often in the Senate, but always 
with effect, and was listened to with the utmost at- 
tention, for it soon became recognized that when he 
summed up the arguments there was little or nothing 
left to be said. When defeated, as he sometimes was, 
he at once accepted the situation, but never despaired. 
His fertility of resource was wonderful, his industry 
was prodigious. The last stroke, which ended eventu- 
ally his life, came while in the discharge of his sena- 
torial duties, and though not in his place at the cap- 
itol, yet, like John Quincy Adams, he died in the 
harness. In 1877 the Senate ordered an investigation 
into the case of Senator Grover, of Oregon, who was 
charged with having secured his election to the Senate 
through corrupt means. This duty devolved upon 
the Committee on Privileges and Elections, of which 
Senator Morton was chairman. It was necessary to 
go across the continent to Oregon. Senator Morton, 
though physically feeble and worn out by his incessant 
labors, did not hesitate to undertake the long and tire- 
some journey, in company with Senators Saulsbury, 
of Delaware, and McMillan, of Minnesota. 

During the entire trip to San Francisco he was 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



195 



much prostrated, but the sea-voyage to Portland, 
Oregon, seemed to do him good. The investigation 
lasted eighteen days, during which he labored inces- 
santly, and the sessions of the committee were some- 
times prolonged late into the night. This labor nearly 
broke down the other members of the committee, but 
it seemed the iron will of Senator Morton rose above 
every trial, for, in addition to his work on the com- 
mittee, he prepared an elaborate political speech to be 
used in the approaching Ohio campaign. At the con- 
clusion of the investigation he addressed the people 
of Salem in a speech of considerable length, which 
was pronounced the ablest speech ever heard in the 
State. 

He arrived in San Francisco on his return home 
early in August, and on the 6th received his second 
stroke of paralysis. By morning his entire left side 
was paralyzed. We take the following account of 
his journey home and the closing scenes from a 
sketch written by Hon. C. M. Walker: 

"Notwithstanding his alarming condition he insisted upon 
starting borne the next day, and accordingly a special car was 
furnishedj in which a cot was provided and the best arrange- 
ments possiltle made for his comfort. Then, on the 7th of 
August, accompanied, as usual, by his wife and son, he started 
from San Francisco for his Indiana home. During this long 
journey, though he was very much depressed and even feared 
he would not reach home to die, he uttered not a word of com- 
plaint, but bore his affliction in heroic silence. At Cheyenne, 
W. T., he was met by his brother-in-law. Col. W. K. Holloway, 
who tbeneeforward was a constant attendant at his bedside, 
and at Peoria, III., Br. W. C, Thompson, the senator's long- 
time physician, joined the sad party. His house in Indian- 
apolis not being prepared for his reception, he was taken to 
Richmond, Wayne Co., and to the residence of his molher- 
in law, Mrs. Burbank, in that city. Here he was at once made 
as comfortable as his condition would permit, and had every 
attention that medical skill or loving affection could devise. 
The news of his attack had already spread abroad, and, al- 
though as yet his friends did not think it would prove fatal, 
the greatest concern was manil'ested throughout the country. 
Letters and telegrams poured in from all parts, and this con- 
tinued during his entire illness. Many distinguished men 
visited him, and a still larger number sent messages of love 
and sympathy. On the 13th of September the President of 
the United States visited Richmond for the express purpose 
of calling on the sick senator. The meeting between them 
was simple but affecting. The great war Governor and dis- 
tinguished senator lay stretched upon his bed broken, ema- 
ciated, and almost helpless. His once massive features were 



pinched with pain, and the eyes that had flashed fire in so 
many contests were dimmed by sickness and by the medi- 
cines taken to alleviate his sufferings. Approaching the bed, 
the President pressed the senator's extended hand warmly, 
and then, bending over, kissed him on the forehead. The 
interview was necessarily brief, and after a few words of 
earnest sympathy from the President, in which he said he 
spoke for the country as well as for himself, he retired from 
the room evidently much affected. In this interview Senator 
Morton assured the President that he would be in his seat in 
the Senate at the opening of the I'egular session of Congress 
in December. Such was doubtless his expectation at the 
time, but it was not to be realized. 

"On the evening of the 15th of October he was placed in a 
special car and removed to his home in Indianapolis. This 
short trip seemed to do him some good, and the hope of his 
recovery, at least sufficiently to take his seat in the Senate, was 
strengthened. During the following weeks Col. Holloway and 
other friends were unremitting in their attentions, and nothing 
was left undone either to prolong his life or mitigate his suffer- 
ings. All this time he took a lively interest in current affairs, 
and especially in what was passing in the political world. He 
wanted the papers read to him during nearly every waking 
moment, and even at night, waking from a short sleep, his 
first exclamation was ' Read.* If the reader stopped a moment 
to rest or for any other purpose, he would say, ' Read on ! Don't 
stop till I tell you.' So absorbing was his interest in public 
affairs, and his desire to keep up with current events. Mean- 
while it had become apparent that his vital forces were giving 
way, and that he could not last much longer. For many days, 
even weeks, he took no nourishment except milk, or occa- 
sionally a little beef-tea, and even these were not digested. 
The paralysis seemed to have reached bis stomach, and all 
natural action was destroyed. Still his mind continued active 
and clear, and when friends visited his bedside he would wel- 
come them with a pleasant smile and grasp of the hand. As 
long as there was the slightest ground for hope those nearest to 
him clung to the belief that he would recover, but from Tuesday, 
October 3Uth, it became evident to all that his case was hopeless. 
His symptoms on that day were such as to make it plain that 
his end was drawing near. During the 3 1st his death was 
hourly expected, and several times the rumor went abroad that 
he was dead. A great many telegrams were received from all 
parts of the country, inquiring if th<se rumors were true, and 
asking for information as to his condition. Thui'sday, Novem- 
ber 1, 1S77, dawned gloomily. The dull, gray light that first 
found admittance to the sick-room fell upon a dying man, 
though the end was yet some hours distant. During the day 
he lay very quietly, only making known his wants in broken 
accents. A number of friends were in and out of the room 
during the day, and his wife and family remained near the 
bedside. In the afternoon he sank rapidly. At 4.45 o'clock 
he had a paroxysm of pain, and passing his hand over his 
stomach, said feebly, * I am dying.' A little later his youngest 



196 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



son, taking his hand, said, 'Father, do you know me?' He 
nodded an assent, and gave signs of satisfaction when his son 
and other members of the family kissed him. A few minutes 
after five o'clock, while Dr. Thompson was holding his hand, he 
said, ' I am dying ; I am worn out.' These were the last 
audible words he uttered. Then he ceased to move, and at 
twenty-eight minutes past five o'clock the vital spark went 
out, and his great life was at an end. 

** The news of Senator Morton's death caused a profound 
sensation throughout the country. Although the event had 
been anticipated for several days, it came as a shock at last, 
and created a sorrow so deep and wide-spread that it could only 
be compared to that caused by the tragic death of Abraham 
Lincoln, Flags were displayed at half-mast, and bells were 
tolled throughout the land. Men gathered on the street cor- 
ners, and discussed the event as a national calamity. The 
President of the United States issued a special order directing 
the flags on all the public buildings to be placed at half-mast, 
and the government departments to be closed on the day of the 
funeral. He also sent a telegram to W. R, Holloway, expres- 
sive of his personal bereavement, and his sympathy for the 
surviving family of the departed statesman. The Vice-Presi- 
dent of the United States sent a similar dispatch. The cabinet 
met, and gave expression to their deep sense of the nation's 
loss., The Senate and the House of Representatives each ap- 
pointed committees to attend the funeral, and both adjourned 
as a farther mark of respect to his memory. The Governor of 
Indiana and the mayor of Indianapolis issued proclamations 
closing public offices, and calling upon citizens to suspend busi- 
ness during the funeral services. The bells of Indianapolis 
were tolled and the City Council met, and, after passing me- 
morial resolutions, resolved to attend the funeral in a body. 
The City Council of Cincinnati met, and appointed a committee 
to attend the funeral. Citizens' meetings were held in all the 
large towns of the State, and appropriate action taken in regard 
to the sad event. The State University and the public schools 
of Indianapolis were ordered to be closed on the day of the 
funeral. The Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections, 
of which Senator Morton was chairman, met, and having passed 
a resolution of sympathy and condolence, adjourned in honor 
of bis memory. The members of the bar of Indianapolis and 
other cities met and took appropriate action. In many of 
the country towns throughout the State the court-houses were 
draped in mourning and business was suspended. The press 
teemed with elaborate articles upon his character and public 
services, and agreed with remarkable unanimity that the coun- 
try had lost one of its greatest men. " Military companies and 
social organizations of various kinds met and determined to 
attend the funeral. Thus in all directions, and by every means 
known to modern society, men gave expression to their pro- 
found sorrow, and to the respect and affection which they bore 
for the deceased. 

"There being a general desire ou the part of the public to 
view the remains of the departed statesman, they were placed 



in the main hall of the court-house at Indianapolis, where they 
lay in state during Sunday and part of Monday. During this 
time they were viewed by many thousands of persons who came 
from afar and near to take a last look at one who had filled so 
large a place in the history of the country. Special trains 
were run on several of the railroads, bringing a great number 
of persons to the city, and the solemn procession which passed 
through the court-house during those days had seemingly no 
end. 

" The funeral, which took place Monday, November 5th, was 
a grand and imposing pageant, — solemn, impressive, and mem- 
orable. A vast concourse of people was assembled from all 
parts of the country. Every branch of the federal government 
was represented. The President, being unable to attend, sent 
his son to represent him. Of the cabinet officers, Secretary 
Thompson, of the navy, and Attorney-General Devens were 
present. On the part of the Senate of the United States there 
were Senators McDonald, of Indiana, Davis, of Illinois, Bay- 
ard,, of Delaware, Cameron, of Pennsylvania, Burnside, of 
Rhode Island, and Booth, of California. On the part of the 
House of Representatives there were Representatives Hanna 
and Cobb, of Indiana, Banks, of Massachusetts, Townsend, of 
New York, Wilson, of West Virginia, Burchard, of Illinois, and 
Davidson, of Florida. The judiciary department was repre- 
sented by federal judges from several neighboring States, and 
the army by a number of officers. Besides these, there were 
a great number of distinguished citizens from all parts of Indi- 
ana, Governors, ex-Governors, and repi-esentative men from 
other States, numerous military companies and delegates from 
civil societies, and thousands of his neighbors who knew and 
loved him." 

It would not be proper or just to close this short 
sketch without referring, at least in a brief way, to 
the political services of Senator Morton other than 
those directly connected with his labors in the Sen- 
ate and as Grovernor of Indiana, and to touch upon 
the general characteristics of the man. 

Great as was his work in both of the high offices 
to which the people elevated him, his labors in the 
general field of politics were no less prodigious. 
From 1856, when he first entered politics, until 
death claimed him, his voice and pen were never 
idle. In every political contest he was foremost in 
the fight, and the downtrodden and oppressed were 
always his care. Not only did he engage in the po- 
litical battles in his own State, but in almost every 
State of the North he sent forth the bugle-call which 
rallied the forces of republicanism. Few men made 
more stump speeches than he, and none ever carried 
such weight. In Indiana, during each campaign, he 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



197 



spoke incessantly, and he always knew how to touch 
the popular chord of patriotism. He not only spoke, 
but hundreds of editorials from his pen found their 
way into the columns of the leading papers. His 
political speeches, if collected and published, would 
make a political history of the country in its great 
struggle uuequaled. He was always ready to answer 
the calls of his party. His devotion to his party was 
witnessed by his declining the English mission. 
President Grant was desirous of concluding a treaty 
with Great Britain on the subject of the depredations 
of the rebel cruisers, and urged Senator Morton to 
undertake the mission. He was inclined to accept it, 
but the Legislature of Indiana was controlled by the 
Democrats, and he declined. President Grant wrote 
to him as follows : 

" Executive Mansion, 
"Washington, D. C, October 21st. 
" Hon. 0. P. Morton, U. S. S. 

" Dear Sir, — Your letter of the 19th inst., declining the Eng- 
lish mission, with reasons therefor, is received. I fully concur 
with you in all the reasons which you give for the course you 
find it your duty to pursue in the matter, but regret that the 
country is not to have your valuable services at the English 
Court at this important juncture. Tour course, however, I 
deem wise, and it will be highly appreciated by your constitu- 
ents in Indiana and throughout the country. 

" With assurances of my highest regard, I remain, very 
truly, your obedient servant, 

" V. S. Grant." 

It is difficult to justly sum up the character of such 
a man. He was a born leader, and no sooner did he 
enter political life than he took the leadership of his 
party and maintained it until his death. He was a 
man of strong will, indomitable energy, and untiring 
industry, and was possessed of moral and physical 
courage which approached the sublime. As a party 
leader and organizer he has had no equal. The uni- 
versal testimony of those who were with him in the 
Senate is to the effect that America has never pro- 
duced a party leader who could even lay claim to 
rival him. He was strong because he was always in 
earnest ; because he never forgot a friend ; because 
Jie was ever ready to meet a foe. He always mastered 
his subject, and never undertook to discuss it until he 
had thoroughly studied every phase of it. It was 
this that gave him such great power with an audience. 



His mind was of an analytical order, and when he 
spoke his sentences were terse, logical, and oftentimes 
eloquent. There was little or no fancy about him, 
and he rather despised those fancy flights of oratory 
by which some men endeavor to capture their audi- 
ences. He dealt with facts, and he dealt with them 
as living things. While he was often severe and even 
terrible in his denunciation or arraignment of his op- 
ponents, he never was personal, but always calm, dig- 
nified, urbane. To illustrate this we cannot do better 
than quote a paragraph from a letter written by 
Senator Jones, of Florida, to the Morton Monument 
Association. He says, — 

" He was one of the few public men of eminence who was 
strong enough in all the resources of legitimate ai'gument so as 
never to feel the necessity or entertain the inclination of resort- 
ing to personal vituperation in the discussions of the Senate. 
He attacked communities, States, and parties at times with 
great vigor, but, in the language of Mr. Grattan, *he knew how 
to be severe without being unparliamentary.' " 

His patriotism was something sublime. He loved 
the country, the whole country, with a devotion that 
knew no shrinking, and to it he gave heart, soul, 
everything. He clung to the idea that we are a 
nation with a tenacity that forced conviction upon 
every mind he addressed. It was the burden of 
nearly all his speeches. He labored to impress this 
ruling idea upon the people, for to him it was the 
key of our whole political system. To his mind it 
embraced the true conception of our government, 
and the only one upon which the Union could safely 
rest. To him the idea that we were but a mere con- 
federation of States was abhorrent. In it he saw 
future disaster and ruin. In May, 1860, he wrote, — 

" It cannot be too strongly impressed upon the public mind 
that we are one people, a nation, and not a mere coalition of 
sovereign and independent States." 

In 1865 he said, — 

"The war has established upon imperishable foundations 
the great fundamental truth of the unity and indivisibility of 
the nation. We are many States, but one people; having an 
undivided sovereignty, one flag, one common destiny." 

In 1871, at Providence, R. I., he said, — 

" The idea that we are a nation, that we are one people, 
undivided and indivisible, should be a plank in the platform 



198 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of every party. It should be presented on the banner of every 
party. It should be taught in every school, academy, and 
college. It should be the political north star by which every 
political manager should steer his bark. It should be the 
central idea of American politics, and every child should, so to 
speak, be vaccinated with the idea that he may be protected 
against this political distemper which has brought such 
calamity upon our country." 

In Ohio, in 1873, he said, — 

" What the sun is in the heavens, diffusing light and life 
and warmth, and by its subtle influence holding the planets 
in their orbits, and preserving the harmony of the universe, 
such is the sentiment of nationality in a people diffusing life 
and protection in every direction, holding the faces of Ameri- 
cans always toward their home, protecting the States in the 
exercise of their just powers, and preserving the harmony of 
all. We must have a nation. It is a necessity of our political 
existence. We should cherish the idea that while the States 
have their rights, sacred and inviolable, which we should 
guard with untiring vigilance, never permitting an encroach- 
ment upon them, and remembering that such encroachment 
is as much a violation of the Constitution of the United States 
as to encroach upon the rights of the general government; 
still bearing in mind that the States are but subordinate parts 
of one great nation, — that the nation is over all, even as God 
is over the universe." 

We might multiply such quotations, for they crop 
out everywhere in his speeches and writings. 

He hated treason with all the power he had, and 
he would stamp it out as a poison that if left alone 
would kill the body and soul of the nation. He was 
unsparing in his denunciation of the foul crime, and 
was often accused of hating the South. His feelings 
in this matter are best expressed in his own language. 
On Decoration Day, 1877, in the last speech he ever 
made in his own State, he said, — 

"We will let by-gones be by-gones. We cannot forget the 
past; we ought not forget it. God has planted memory in our 
minds and we cannot blot it out. But while we cannot forget, 
yet we can forgive, and we will forgive all who accept the great 
doctrines of equal liberty and of equal rights to all, and equal 
protection to all, and will be reconciled to them. And while 
we cannot forget the past, we will treat them as if the past had 
never occurred, and that is all that can be asked ; and that is 
true reconciliation. True reconciliation does not require us to 
forget these dead; does not require us to forget the living sol- 
dier and to cease to do him justice. We must remember that 
there is an eternal dilference between right and wrong, and that 
we were on the right side and that they were on the wrong side ; 
and all that we ask of them is that hereafter they shall be on the 
right side. We should forever remember that we were in the 



right. We want to transmit that as a sacred inheritance to our 
remotest posterity. We know that in that great struggle we 
were in the right. We were grandly in the right and they 
were terribly in the wrong. The whole civilized world has now 
said that we were in the right, and we know if there is such a 
thing as right and wrong, we were in the right and they were 
in the wrong. We want that grand distinction to pass down 
through all time ; but that is entirely consistent with true recon- 
ciliation. We say to those who were on the other side of that 
great contest that cost so dearly in blood and treasure, that cost 
us so much suffering and sacrifice, that while we shall forever 
cherish the lessons that were taught us by that struggle, and 
while we shall forever stand by the principles that we main- 
tained in that contest, all we ask of them is that they shall 
hereafter stand upon those principles, and let us go forward 
hand in hand and as Americans and as brethren through all the 
future pages of our country's history." 

He was possessed of moral courage that few public 
men obtain to, and a physical courage which almost 
amounted to an insensibility to personal danger. The 
first was exhibited often by the stand he took upon 
great public questions, regardless of what clamor 
there might be from political friends or foes. Mak- 
ing up his mind that a thing was right, it mattered 
not what all the world might say or do, he stood 
like a rock. He was ambitious, and yet for popu- 
larity's sake he would not desert a right. One of 
the greatest acts of his life was when, as it appeared 
to his friends, he closed the doors against all hopes 
of reaching the Presidency by the stand he took in 
favor of the Chinese immigrants. He was an open 
candidate for that high office. To speak for the 
Mongolian was, seemingly, to espouse a cause so un- 
popular as to be political death. He did not hesitate 
a moment. He believed he was right, and >vith all 
his power he took up the cause of the Chinese. The 
fear of being called inconsistent often keeps public 
men from changing their ideas of public policy. It 
was not so with Mr. Morton. He had the courage 
of his convictions. His physical courage might be 
illustrated by numerous incidents, but one must 
suffice, and we tell it as it was narrated by Governor 
Porter, who was a witness to it. In his earlier years 
as an attorney Mr. Morton appeared in a case of 
some magnitude at Indianapolis. One of the oppos-, 
ing lawyers was of the fire-eating kind, and had a 
reputation as one who was ready to use his revolver. 
During the trial he was exceedingly ugly, and ap- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



199 



peared in court with his pistol ostentatiously dis- 
played, and had succeeded in cowing the other attor- 
neys. Finally, Mr. Morton administered to him a 
scathing rebuke. As he took his seat the subject of 
his rebuke arose and said to those near him that he 
intended to make Morton apologize then and there. 
All expected a tragedy. Few knew anything of Mr. 
Morton. He went to where Mr. Morton was sitting 
and said, in an insulting tone, " I have come to 
demand an apology from you." Quick as a flash 
Mr. Morton turned upon him, and looking him 
steadily in the eyes, said, in a tone sharp and clear, 
"I have no apology to make to you," and then de- 
liberately repeated the offensive remark. He had 
met a man that knew no fear, and was cowed com- 
pletely. 

Mr. Morton was simple in his tastes ; honest in 
the strictest sense of the word. No taint of corrup- 
tion ever lingered near him. He loved his home, 
his family, his friends, and they clung to him with a 
devotion equal to his love. His nature was kind and 
sympathetic. The cry of the sufi'ering or sorrowing 
always found an echo in his heart. The cares of 
state often absorbed him to such a degree that he 
forgot himself, his own physical weakness, his own 
wants, but never so that he forgot his home or family, 
and he always turned to them for rest. When in the 
bosom of his family he was as simple as a child. 

His children were especially dear to him, and amid 
all the cares of state he thought of them and en- 
deavored to guide their young minds into the paths 
of honor. Few men in the height of power would 
write to their children so simple, so loving, and yet so 
grand a letter as the following : 

" Washington, January 1, 1871. 
"My Dear Children, — This'is the first day of the New Year, 
and here it is bright and cheerful and warm, and everybody 
seems happy. Your mother is as well as usual, and sends her 
love to you, and her heartfelt wishes for your health and for 
your future happiness and success in life. You can never know 
the depth of a mother's love, — how constantly you are in her 
thoughts, her anxiety about you from day to day, and what 
sacrifices she would make for you. We have been talking about 
you, and wondering what you are doing, and hoping you will 
make great progress in your studies during the year which has 
just come in. One year is a great portion of one's lifetime. 
Much may. be done in one year in getting an education and 



fitting yourself for the duties of life. Lost time can never be 
recalled, and cannot be made up. Each year should show a 
great deal learned, and great improvement in the manners and 
characters of my dear children. 

" My great anxiety and desire are about my little boys. I 
am constantly wondering what they will be when they grow up 
to be men. Will they be learned, talented, good, prosperous, 
and an honor to their parents and country ? Such is my daily 
prayer. We hope you think of us, and love us, and think of 
your dear absent brother, who is so far away on a lonely island 
in the Northern Sea. You must constantly remember him in 
your prayers, that he may be preserved in health, and be pros- 
perous and be safely returned to us during the year. 

" Your mother will return to you in a few days, and in the 
mean time you must not neglect your books, and show to her 
that you can be dutiful and studious in her absence. 

" And now I wish you a happy New Year, and may God bless 
you and preserve you, is the prayer of your loving father, 

" 0. P. Morton." 

There was no love of pomp in his nature, and he 
was always accessible to the people, the poor equally 
with the rich. He gave to the country seventeen 
years of his life, and wore himself out and died a 
poor man, as he had lived. His last audible words 
expressed it all, " I am worn out." Yes, he had worn 
himself out. 

The people of Indiana have raised in the Circle 
Park of Indianapolis a bronze statue of the great war 
Governor and senator, but his greatest monument 
lives in the pages of the Constitution and laws of his 
country, and in the doctrines of patriotism he incul- 
cated and enforced. 

Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks was born Sept. 7, 
1819, on a farm near Zanesville, Muskingum Co., 
Ohio, his father, John Hendricks, having been a 
native of Western Pennsylvania. The family was 
one of the first to settle in Ligonier Valley, West- 
moreland Co., and took an active part in the admin- 
istration of public affairs, serving with honor in the 
Legislature and other places of trust. The mother, 
Jane Thomson Hendricks, was of Scotch descent. 
Her grandfather, John Thomson, emigrated to Penn- 
sylvania before the Revolution, and was conspicuous 
among the pioneers of that date for his intelligence, 
integrity, enterprise, love of country, and far-reaching 
good-will to men. As soon as assured of the wisdom 
of emigration, he addressed a letter to the Scotch 
people setting forth the advantages of American soil, 



200 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



climate, and institutions so forcibly that the section 
of the State where he lived was principally settled by 
his countrymen. Several of his sons were soldiers 
in the Revolutionary war, and many of his descend- 
ants have attained distinction in the different walks 
of life. Beside those bearing his name, may be men ■ 
tioned the Agnews, of New York, the Blacks and 
Watsons, of Pittsburgh, the Wylies, of Philadelphia, 
and the Hendrickses, of Indiana. The wife of John 
Hendricks and her niece are the only members of the 
Thomson family who emigrated West. In nearly 
every branch of the family the pioneer Calvinistic 
faith of the Thomsons is still maintained. When 
Thomas A. Hendricks was six months old his parents 
removed from Ohio to Madison, Ind. This was the 
home of William Hendricks, that uncle of Thomas A. 
who in indirect line preceded him in the enjoyment 
of his signal tokens of public confidence and respect. 
He was then a member of Congress, three years sub- 
sequently he was elected Governor, and at the end of 
the term was chosen to the United States Senate. 
All of these positions he filled acceptably. He was 
indeed the first representative in Congress who 
brought the State into favorable repute. John, the 
father of Thomas A., had some share of government 
patronage. He held the appointment of deputy sur- 
veyor of public land under Gen. Jackson, and in that 
capacity became generally known and respected. As 
early as 1822 he removed with his family to the 
interior of the State, and held the first title to the 
fine land upon a portion of which Shelbyville, the 
county-seat of Shelby County, is located. In the 
heart of the dense forest, upon a gentle eminence 
overlooking the beautiful valley, he built the sightly 
and commodious brick homestead which yet stands in 
good preservation in open view of the thriving city 
and richly cultivated country around. It soon be- 
came known as a centre of learning and social de- 
light, and was the favorite resort of men of distinc- 
tion and worth. It was in particular the seat of 
hospitality to the orthodox ministry, Mr. Hendricks 
being the principal founder and supporter of the 
Presbyterian Church in the community. The pre- 
siding genius of that home was the gentle wife and 
mother, who tempered the atmosphere of learning 



and zeal with the sweet influences of charity and 
love. Essentially clever and persistent, she was pos- 
sessed of a rare quality of patience, which stood her 
in better stead than a turbulent, aggressive spirit. A 
close analysis of the character of Thomas A. Hen- 
dricks is not necessary to show that this trait was 
preeminently his birthright. It is thus apparent 
that the childhood and youth of Mr. Hendricks were 
passed under the happiest auspices. Together with 
his brothers and sisters he attended the village school 
and derived the full benefit of very respectable and 
thorough instruction. His senior brother, Abram, 
pursued college studies at the University of Ohio, and 
at South Hanover, Ind., and subsequently became 
a minister of the Presbyterian Church. In turn 
Thomas A. attended college at South Hanover, and 
then began the study of law at home under the 
advice and instruction of Judge Major. In so doing 
he followed the bent of his early and most cherished 
inclinations. In boyhood he developed a fondness 
for legal discussions, and when but twelve years of 
age attended the hearing of important cases in the 
courts. The final period of law study he prosecuted 
under the tuition of his uncle, Judge Thomson, of 
Chambersburg, Pa., and was admitted to the bar at 
Shelbyville. His success was not rapid, but he grew 
in favor by careful attention to business, and acquired 
a leading practice. His professional career has since 
been so interwoven with official life that it is next to 
impossible to refer to one without speaking of the 
other, ^n 1848 he was elected to the Legislature, 
and declined a renomination. In 1850 he was chosen 
without opposition senatorial delegate to the conven- 
tion empowered to amend the State Constitution, and 
took an important part in the deliberative proceed- 
ings. In 1851 he was elected to Congress from the 
Indianapolis district, and re-elected in 1852, but 
defeated in 1854. He was in 1855 appointed com- 
missioner of the general land office by President 
Pierce. This mark of executive favor was expected, 
and the wisdom of the selection proved by the able 
and satisfactory manner in which the duties were 
discharged at a time when the sales, entries, and 
grants were larger than ever before in the history of 
the country. The term of four years in the land office 




J^4^ -^ - H-<^\^^ o^-w^ c/^V» 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



201 



was followed by an unsuccessful race for Governor in 
1860. In 1 862 he was chosen United States senator 
by the unanimous vote of his party, and during the 
period of his term in the Senate, the Democrats 
being in a small minority, he was compelled to take a 
prominent part in the proceedings of that body. He 
favored the earnest prosecution of the war, and 
voted for supplies to sustain the army. He was op- 
posed to conscription, and favored the enlistment of 
volunteers and payment of soldiers' bounties. At the 
close of the war he held that the States engaged in 
rebellion had at no time been out of the Union, and 
were therefore entitled to full representation in Con- 
gress. He maintained that the people of those States 
should have entire control of their respective State 
governments. These views placed him in opposition 
to the reconstruction policy which was adopted by 
the majority in Congress. He also opposed the con- 
stitutional amendments because the Southern States 
were not represented, and because, in his opinion, 
such amendments should not be made before sectional 
passions had time to subside. He held that amend- 
ments to the Con,stitution should be considered only 
when the public is in a cool, deliberative frame of 
mind. His term in the Senate expired March 4, 
1869, when he devoted himself exclusively to the 
profession of law, having in 1860 removed to Indian- 
apolis with that end in view. In 1862 he formed a 
partnership with Mr. Oscar B. Hord, which was 
extended in 1866 to a cousin. Col. A. W. Hendricks, 
under the firm-name of Hendricks, Hord & Hen- 
dricks. The business of the firm was large, impor- 
tant, and lucrative. In 1872, Thomas A. Hendricks 
was forced to relinquish the practice of his profession 
by an election to the office of chief executive of the 
State. He accepted the nomination against his earn- 
est protest, but made a vigorous contest, supporting 
the Greeley ticket. He was inaugurated Governor 
Jan. 13, 1873, and served the State in that office for 
four years. He gave his undivided attention to the 
interests of the State, his administration of public 
afikirs being above criticism. In the political contest 
of 1876 he was the Democratic candidate for the 
Vice-Presidency, and carried his own State by upward 
of five thousand majority. After the decision of the 



Electoral Commission Governor Hendricks, accom- 
panied by his wife, made a brief sojourn in Europe, 
spending the summer in a tour of Great Britain, 
Germany, and Prance. He resumed on his return 
the practice of law with his former partners, with 
the addition of ex-Governor Conrad Baker, who 
took Governor Hendricks' place in the firm when 
succeeded by him in the gubernatorial office, the 
firm-name being Baker, Hord & Hendricks. The 
personal mention of Thomas A. Hendricks may be 
given briefly : he was reared in the Presbyterian 
faith, but has for some years been a member of the 
Episcopal Church, and is senior warden of St. Paul's 
Cathedral, Indianapolis. He was married near Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio, Sept. 2^, 1845, to Miss Eliza C. Mor- 
gan, who is a granddaughter of Dr. Stephen Wood, 
a prominent citizen and early settler of Hamilton 
County, Ohio. Governor and Mrs. Hendricks have 
had but one child, a son born in 1848, who lived to 
be three years of age. The extent and character of 
Governor Hendricks' attainments can be well gauged 
by his public and professional record. The same 
may be said of his political views, although he has 
stronger convictions than are credited to him. Under 
a somewhat cautious, reserved manner he conceals 
great depth of sentiment and indomitable faith in the 
triumph of right over wrong, truth over envy, malice, 
and detraction. In social as in public relations he is 
steadfast in his friendships and generous to his foes. 
He has a happy equanimity of temper which recon- 
ciles him to the inevitable and nerves him to make 
the best of life. A certain amount of benignity is 
imparted to his voice, which in carrying a point 
before a jury is almost irresistible. In appearance 
Governor Hendricks is distinguished, possessing a 
fine figure and a dignified presence. As his methods 
of thought and forms of expression are peculiar to 
himself, so in the execution of his plans he departs 
so much from the beaten track that the end in view 
is often lost sight of by others. It is none the less 
plain to him, and it is a question if he ever sought 
an object, the accomplishment of which depended 
upon his own exertions, that he did not gain. 

Joseph Ewing McDonald was born in Butler 
County, Ohio, on the 29th of August, 1819. His 



202 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



father, John McDonald, was of Scotch extraction, a 
native of Pennsylvania, and by occupation a farmer. 
He was a man of sterling worth, determined and self- 
sacrificing. He died when Joseph E. was still in his 
infancy, thus depriving him of support and counsel, 
and casting upon him many burdens and responsi- 
bilities. His mother, Eleanor Piatt, was a Pennsyl- 
vanian, her ancestors being French Huguenots, who 
located first in New Jersey and afterwards perma- 
nently in Ohio. She was a woman of superior intel- 
lect, her standards all high, her influences always 
elevating. Her highest ambition — a mother's — was 
to educate her children and make them useful mem- 
bers of society. She and her husband were both 

i 
earnest members of the Presbyterian Church. She 

later married John Kerr, of Butler County, Ohio, a 
native of Ireland, and a frugal, industrious farmer. 
He with his family moved in the fall of 1826 to 
Montgomery County, Ind., Joseph E. then being 
seven years of age. While still a mere boy he de- 
termined to make the profession of law his life-work. 
At twelve years of age he was apprenticed to the 
saddler's trade at Lafayette. For nearly six years he 
served as an apprentice, being released from the last 
three months for fidelity to the interest of his em- 
ployers. These three months he spent in studying. 
During his apprenticeship he had access to the library 
of a government official, and what leisure he com- 
manded was devoted to the English branches. He 
entered Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Ind., in 
1838, supporting himself by plying his trade. Two 
years later he was a student al: Asbury University, 
Greenoastle. Mr. McDonald did not graduate. A 
diploma and degree were given him, however, while 
he was a member of the United States Senate. His 
first preceptor in law was Zebulon Baird, one of the 
first lawyers of the State, and a resident of Lafayette. 
In 1853 he was admitted to practice upon an exami- 
nation before the Supreme Court of the State. Four 
years later he began practicing in Crawfordsville, and 
in 1859 removed to Indianapolis. His first law part- 
ner at Indianapolis was ex-judge of the Supreme 
Court of Indiana, Addison L. Roache. His present 
partners are John M. Butler and A. L. Mason. 

Mr. McDonald, with the late Jud<re Black, was 



counsel for the defendants in the celebrated case of 
Bowles, Horsey, and Milligan, tried for treason and 
conspiracy by a military commission at Indianapolis, 
and sentenced to be hung. The case was taken to 
the Supreme Court of the United States, where a 
number of important constitutional questions arose as 
to the relations of the general government to the 
States, the war power of the government, and the 
rights of the citizen. The defendants were released 
by the Supreme Court. In the case of Beebe vs. the 
State, in which the Supreme Court decided that the 
enactment known as the Maine liquor law was un- 
constitutional, Mr. McDonald was of the counsel for 
the defendants. He was also one of the attorneys 
for the parties who assailed the constitutionality of 
the Baxter liquor law. He has taken an active part 
in many other important cases before the Supreme 
Court of the State and the Federal Court. 

The senator is most successful in his pleading be- 
fore a jury, and is a shrewd examiner. He is not an 
eloquent talker, but has the ability to influence those 
who listen to him by the fairness of his arguments. 

Before he had received his license to practice law, 
Mr. McDonald was nominated for the office of prose- 
cuting attorney, and elected the following fall over 
Robert Jones, Whig, and a prominent member of the 
Lafayette bar. This was the first election of that 
class of officers by the people, they having been for- 
merly chosen by the Legislature. As prosecuting at- 
torney he served four years. He was elected to the 
Thirty-first Congress from the district in which Craw- 
fordsville was then situated, having removed to that 
place during his official term as prosecutor at Lafay- 
ette. 

Returning to the State after his congressional term, 
he was elected attorney-general of Indiana five years 
later. He was the first choice of the people for this 
office, and held it two terms. With Oliver P. Mor- 
ton as an opponent, he made the race for Governor of 
Indiana in 1864. He ran ahead of his ticket, but 
Mr. Morton was elected by nearly twenty thousand 
votes. Eleven years later Mr. McDonald took hig 
seat in the United States Senate as a successor to 
Daniel D. Pratt. He was chairman of the Commit- 
tee on Public Lands and the second member of the 




'"^^^ ^ i-yn c^^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



203 



Judiciary Committee. He visited New Orleans to 
investigate the count of the vote of Louisiana in the 
contest of 1876, and made the principal argument 
for the objectors before the Electoral Commission. 
The senator was also a member of the Teller- Wallace 
committee to investigate the frauds in elections in 
Rhode Island and Massachusetts. At the expiration 
of his senatorial term he returned to Indianapolis, 
where he has since been engaged in the active prac- 
tice of his profession. He is and always has been a 
firm and consistent Democrat of the Jeffersonian 
school, as personified in the political life of Andrew 
Jackson. He believes the true idea of American 
democracy is to preserve unimpaired all the rights 
reserved to the States, respectively, and to the people, 
without infringing upon any of the powers delegated 
to the general government by the Constitution, and 
that constitutional government is of the first impor- 
tance and a necessity to the perpetuity of the Amer- 
ican Union. He believes in the virtue of the people, 
and in their ability and purpose to maintain their 
institutions inviolate against the assaults of designing 
men. As an orator, both at the bar and on the hust- 
ings, Mr. McDonald is cool, logical, and forcible ; as 
a citizen, he has the confidence and respect of all who 
know him, regardless of political creeds. He is re- 
garded by all parties as a statesman of acknowledged 
merit. His views are broad and comprehensive on 
all questions of public interest, — not a man of expe- 
dients, but stating his views clearly and boldly, leav- 
ing the result to the candid judgment of the people. 
The opinions of his' most bitter opponents are never 
treated with disdain. His steadfastness of purpose, 
his honest desire to accomplish what was best for the 
people have given him a home in their hearts and won 
for him high honors at their hands. Their confidence 
has never been betrayed or sacrificed for personal 
aggrandizement. Mr. McDonald is in religion an 
attendant and pew- holder, but not a member, of the 
Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis. He 
has been three times married. On the 25th of No- 
vember, 1844, he was united to Miss Nancy Ruth 
Buell, to whom were born children, — Ezekiel M., 
Malcolm A., Frank B., and Annie M. (Mrs. Cald- 
well). Mrs. McDonald died Sept. 7, 1872, and he 



was again married on the 15th of September, 1874, 
to Mrs. Araminta W. Vance, who died Feb. 2, 1875. 
On the 12th of January, 1881, he was married to 
his present wife, Mrs. Josephine F. Barnard, nee 
Farnsworth, of Indianapolis, daughter of Joseph 
Farnsworth, formerly of Madison, Ind. 

Governor David Wallace was born in Mifilin 
County, Pa., April 24, 1799. His parents removed 
to Ohio when he was a boy, and from that State, 
through the influence of Gen. Harrison, he received 
a cadetship in West Point Academy, where, after 
graduation, he was for some time a tutor in mathe- 
matics. He removed to Brookville while still a 
young man, and began the practice of the law there. 
He represented the county in the Legislature some 
years, and in 1834 was elected Lieutenant-Governor 
on the ticket with Governor Noble's re-election. 
In 1837 he was elected Governor and removed to 
the capital, which was thenceforward his home. 
He married, as his second wife, Zerelda, eldest 
daughter of the eminent physician. Dr. Sanders, and 
in 1839 the Legislature purchased for the official 
residence of the Executive the house then recently 
built by Dr. Sanders on the northwest corner of 
Illinois and Market Streets. In 1841, at a special 
election to meet the demand of President Harrison 
for an extra session of Congress, he was elected over 
Judge Wick, and served till March 4, 1843. In 
Congress it was his fortune to be the last man on the 
roll of the committee to which had been referred the 
petition of Professor Morse for forty thousand dol- 
lars to make an electric telegraph line from Washing- 
ton to Baltimore. The vote on recommending such 
an appropriation was a tie till Governor Wallace gave 
the casting vote for it. He saved that just appro- 
priation, -and it beat him in his contest for re-elec- 
tion. His opponent, the late William J. Brown, 
used the idleness and waste of spending money on 
such schemes with disastrous eifect. After the es- 
tablishment of the Court of Common Pleas he served 
a term as its judge. He was also prosecutor in the 
Circuit Court for some years. Both in intellect and 
personal appearance and bearing Governor Wallace 
seemed formed by nature for an orator, and when 
deeply moved, as he was sometimes at the bar, espe- 



204 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



cially iu prosecuting cruel crimes, he was the most 
eloquent man ever heard in Indianapolis. His na- 
ture was exceedingly social, genial, and generous, and 
he was a most delightful companion for young men, 
whose company he seemed to prefer. He died in 
September, 1859. His eldest son, William, is a dis- 
tinguished member of the bar, and even more distin- 
guished as an orator and leading member of the Odd- 
Fellows. His second, Lewis, is the well-known nov- 
elist and general, now minister to Constantinople. 

Less known as a politician, but not less favorably 
known professionally than the distinguished lawyers 
whose lives have just been briefly sketched, is John 
M. Butler. 

John Matnard Butler. — The parents of Mr. 
Butler were Calvin Butler and Malvina French But- 
ler, the latter of whom was a direct descendant of 
Governor Bradford, of Massachusetts, both natives of 
Vermont. The former learned the trade of a shoe- 
maker, which was followed until his thirtieth year, 
when, having a desire to acquire an education, he 
made his way through Middlebury College, and subse- 
quently entered the Theological Seminary at Andover, 
Mass. Having thus gained a thorough theological as 
well as classical training, he came West to preach, and 
settled in Bvansville, Ind. Subsequently he removed 
to Northern Illinois, where his death occurred in 1854. 
There being a large family of children in the house- 
hold, the subject of this sketch, who was born at 
Evansville, Ind., Sept. 17, 1834, was compelled to 
rely mainly upon his own exertions, and consequently 
at the age of twelve years engaged as clerk and in 
other employments. Having inherited a love of learn- 
ing and a determination to acquire a thorough educa- 
tion, he succeeded in entering Wabash College, at 
Crawfordsville, in 1851, and through his own efi'orts, 
with partial help, graduated in 1856. The same day 
he was elected president of the Female Seminary at 
Crawfordsville, which position he held for three suc- 
cessive years, after which he became principal of the 
High-School. During this period he pursued the 
study of the law with the intention of adopting it as 
a profession. In the fall of 1861 he made an ex- 
tended tour through the Northwestern States, in pur- 
suit of a location for the practice of law. Returning, 



he settled in Crawfordsville in November, 1861. From 
that day until the present he has been kept constantly 
busy, his first case being an important one that passed 
through the Circuit and Supreme Courts of Indiana, 
ending in the complete success of the young lawyer. 
This gave him an early prestige and greatly increased 
his practice in the town and surrounding counties. 
In 1871 he came to Indianapolis and succeeded Judge 
A. L. Roache as partner with Hon. Joseph E. Mc- 
Donald, their relations being continued to the present 
time. Mr. Greorge C. Butler was taken into the firm 
in 1875, and after his death Mr. A. L. Mason, the 
present firm being McDonald, Butler & Mason. 
Their practice has steadily increased, notwithstanding 
the protracted absence of Mr. McDonald when filling 
the office of United States senator at Washington. 
Mr. Butler's thorough mastery of the intricate prob- 
lems of the law, and ability in the conduct of important 
cases, have placed him in the foremost rank of suc- 
cessful lawyers in the State. Differing from his dis- 
tinguished partner politically, he has always affiliated 
ardently with the Republican cause, and has taken no 
inconsiderable part in forwarding the interests of that 
party. Aspiring to no office, and repeatedly declining 
nominations, he has been an active worker in political 
campaigns, speaking throughout this State and ex- 
tending his labors to other States. He is a popular 
political orator, his speeches having been extensively 
published and read. Mr. Butler is an active member 
of the Second Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, 
in which he is a ruling elder and member of the 
board of trustees. As a jurist he stands in the first 
rank in a bar that embraces in its list many of the 
ablest lawyers in the country, the practice of the 
firm being with cases of the weightiest importance. 
Wisely avoiding the paths that lead to military and 
civic distinction, he has a far more enviable record 
as a successful lawyer, a useful and respected citizen, 
and a thorough Christian gentleman. Mr. Butler 
was married in April, 1857, to Miss Sue AV. Jen- 
nison, of Crawfordsville, Ind. Their children are a 
son and a daughter. George Calvin Butler, a brother 
of Mr. Butler, was born May 3, 1851, in Marine, 111., 
and graduated at Wabash College in 1872. He 
adopted the law as a profession, became a partner in 






":> 







f^ V>/'^^'1 



CITY OF li^DIANAPOLIS. 



205 



a firm that was constantly dealing with difficult suits, 
involving the subtleties of the law and vast property 
interests. His talents commanded the confidence of 
his superiors and placed in his charge cases rarely 
intrusted to a young man. He invariably became 
master of his cases, and early won the high approba- 
tion of the judges of the highest courts at which he 
practiced. His brilliant career as a promising and 
successful lawyer and a sincere and earnest Christian 
was suddenly ended by death on the 10th of Novem- 
ber, 1882. 

From its central situation the capital has been the 
principal point of business for Eastern agencies ever 
since it was large enough to have any business to 
attend to. Claims of Eastern merchants have been 
largely sent here to collect in all parts of the State, 
and the business, though involving no great extent of 
law practice or erudition, has been very lucrative. 
The firm of Fletcher, Butler & Yandes did a very 
extensive collecting business, with a very large liti- 
gated business besides ; but probably the largest col- 
lecting business, combined with ordinary legal busi- 
ness, ever conducted in the city was that of William 
Henderson. 

William Henderson. — The ancestors of Mr. 
Henderson were of Scotch-Irish extraction, and 
resided in the north of Ireland. John Henderson, 
his father, was a native of Albemarle County, Va., 
where his parents settled before the Revolution. He 
was married to Miss Nancy Rucker and had children, 
— Thomas, Robert, Reuben, John, Polly, and Wil- 
liam. Mr. Henderson on reaching manhood re- 
moved to Alabama, and later to Mooresville, Morgan 
Co., where his death occurred. His son William 
was born Oct. 14, 1820, in Lawrence County, 
Ala., in the immediate vicinity of the town of Mol- 
ten, and at the age of nine years removed with his 
parents to Indiana. His early educational advan- 
tages were limited, both from want of opportunities 
adjacent to his home and lack of means to prosecute 
his studies abroad. At the age of seventeen years 
he engaged in active labor, and later acquired the 
trade of a saddler in Eaton, Preble Co., Ohio. Dur- 
ing an apprenticeship of four years, diligent atten- 
dance upon the sessions of a night school enabled 



him to become proficient in the various English 
branches, and fitted him for the calling of a teacher. 
He, during this interval, began the study of law 
with Messrs. J. S. & A. J. Hawkins, of Eaton, 
which was continued for two years, when he was 
admitted to practice in Indiana, his license having 
been signed by Judges J. T. Elliott and David Kil- 
gore, and in March, 1844, removed to Newcastle, 
Henry Co., Ind., where an office was opened in 
connection with the late Judge Samuel E. Perkins, 
of Richmond, Ind., and later of Indianapolis. This 
business connection was continued until the appoint- 
ment of the latter to the Supreme Court Bench, 
when the copartnership was dissolved. Mr. Hen- 
derson was admitted to the bar of the Supreme 
Court of Indiana by examination in November, 1849, 
and to the bar of the United States Supreme Court 
in 1857. He continued to be a resident of New- 
castle until 1851, when he located in Indianapolis. 
Here his abilities soon brought an extended and 
lucrative practice, which has been continued, with 
the exception of a brief interval devoted to other 
pursuits, until the present time, his business having 
pertained rather to commercial interests than to 
litigation of a general character. He has been since 
1852 attorney for the Berkshire Life Insurance 
Company, and for ten years their general financial 
agent for the investment of the company's funds. 
He was one of the incorporators and has been for 
several years a director of the Board of Water- Works 
of the city of Indianapolis. 

Mr. Henderson was in his political affiliations until 
1 854 a Whig. A ch ange of views at that time caused 
him to act with the Democratic party, of which he has 
since been one of the most active supporters, though 
not a candidate for preferment at its hands. Wil- 
liam Henderson was married in January, 1845, to 
Miss Martha A., daughter of Jonathan Paul, one 
of the earliest settlers of Decatur County, Ind. 
Their two children are William R., a clergyman of 
the Presbyterian Church, settled at Holden, Mo., 
and Sarah (Mrs. J. P. Wiggins), of Indianapolis. 
Mrs. Henderson's death occurred in May, 1854, and 
he was married in April, 1855, to Miss Rachel 
McHargh, of Greensburg, Ind. 



206 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Though the Indianapolis bar has been so largely 
recruited from local bars, it has not lacked a fine sup- 
ply of home-grown ability and attainment. Among 
those who have acquired a good position and repu- 
tation, after studying and entering the profession 
here, may be named Governor Albert G. Porter, Gen. 
John Coburn, William Wallace, Judge C. C. Hines, 
John Caven, the last better known as the mayor and 
executive officer of countless city duties during the 
greater part of the war, and the efficient promoter of 
the water supply and the Belt road and stock-yard 
enterprises, William W. Woollen, John S. Duncan, 
Gen. Fred. Knefler, Charles P. Jacobs, A. S. Wishard, 
and others. Governor Porter came here a young 
man or well-grown lad, and studied his profession 
with Hiram Brown, his father-in-law, and entered 
the bar here, as did Mr. Caven, who also came here a 
young man, and studied law with Smith & Yandes. 

Hon. Albert G. Portee was born at Lawrence- 
burg, Dearborn Co., Ind., April 20, 1824. His 
father was a native of Pennsylvania. At the age of 
eighteen the father became a volunteer soldier in the 
war of 1812. At the engagement of Mississinewa, 
in the then existing Territory of Indiana, he re- 
ceived a serious wound, which never left him free 
from pain, and which he carried through life as an 
evidence of the honorable part he bore in that mem- 
orable struggle. He was a man of courage and 
convictions, of pleasant anecdote and brimming 
humor. 

The mother came of a family of exceptional busi- 
ness tact and ability, and was accordingly a woman 
of extraordinary good sense and judgment. She 
believed in cheerfulness, thrift, and energy, sturdy 
honesty, and honest straightforwardness. These fell 
to her son as an inheritance, and under the inspira- 
tion of his young ambition, even in his youth, the 
lines of his character were carved clean and clear. 

His father, at the end of the war of 1812, settled 
in Indiana, at Lawrenceburg. The family remained 
there until the death of the grandfather of young 
Porter on his mother's side, when his father removed 
to Kentucky, having purchased the old homestead 
which belonged to his grandfather. Attached to that 
homestead there was a ferry across the Ohio River, 



nearly opposite Lawrenceburg. This ferry was on 
the regular route of travel from Indiana to Ken- 
tucky, and the father, who was then in moderate 
circumstances, left the entire management of that 
ferry, which consisted both of a horse-boat and a 
skiff, to his two sons. The responsibility which was 
thus early placed upon young Porter, and the neces- 
sity in a great measure of earning his own livelihood 
by labor, developed in him those traces of independ- 
ence of character for which he became noted in later 
life. Many notable people were rowed across the 
Ohio River in his skiff when the travel was not 
heavy enough for the horse-boat. 

At the age of fourteen he had saved money enough 
from the allowances he received for running the ferry 
to start for college. At the earliest opportunity he 
left the skiff and ferry-boat for Hanover College, 
Indiana, where he entered the preparatory depart- 
ment. There he remained until the scanty means 
which he had saved were exhausted. His father was 
unable to assist him, and there seemed to be no 
recourse for him except to go back to the horse ferry- 
boat and the skiff, or to seek some other means to 
secure the funds necessary for the education that he 
was determined to have. At this juncture an uncle, 
who was in good circumstances and with whom the 
nephew was a favorite, wrote to him, telling him that 
he had heard that his means were exhausted, that he 
understood that he was determined to have an edu- 
cation, and that he, the uncle, would help him to get 
it. In the language of the letter, he would " see 
him through." That was the happiest day in young 
Porter's life. He speedily and gratefully accepted 
his uncle's proposition, and from that time there were 
fewer obstacles in his youthful career. But the ac- 
ceptance of the offer made necessary a change of 
location. His uncle was a Methodist, and he desired 
that his young ward should enter upon his studies at 
Asbury University, at Greencastle, Ind. 

To this place Mr. Porter went, and he remained 
there until he was graduated in 1843. 

After graduation he returned to Lawrenceburg 
and studied law for about ten months, when his 
health began to fail. Thinking that a change of 
occupation, even for a short time, would be beneficial, 




^•^d^^ 



'^x 



CITY- OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



207 



he secured a position as clerk in the office of the 
auditor of State, Horatio J. Harris. Governor 
Whitcomb, who was at that time without a private 
secretary, noticed the neatness of the young clerk's 
writing and his habits of accuracy, and requested the 
auditor to allow Mr. Porter to act as his secretary. 
The request was granted. 

Governor Whitcomb was a man of studious habits 
and scholarly attainments, whose association would 
sensibly quicken and influence the efforts of any 
young man. Mr. Porter remained with the Gov- 
ernor for several months and then turned again to 
the study of law, locating permanently at Indianap- 
olis, where he entered upon the practice of his pro- 
fession, in which he has long held a front rank at the 
Indiana bar. He was appointed May 3, 1851, as 
city attorney for a term of two years, and subse- 
quently (May, 1857-59) served as a member of 
the Common Council. 

In 1853, Mr. Porter, who was then a Democrat, 
was appointed by Governor Wright reporter of the 
decisions of the Supreme Court of Indiana, to fill a 
vacancy that had occurred by the death of the former 
reporter. By this time Mr. Porter had attained a 
reputation for industry and ability, and he was unan- 
imously recommended by the Supreme Court judges 
to fill this vacancy. The following year he was 
elected to the same office on the general ticket by 
fourteen thousand majority. 

In lb56 he came into the newly-formed Republi- 
can party on the question of the exclusion of slavery 
from the Territories, and in 1858, altliough not a 
candidate for the nomination, Mr. Porter was nomi- 
nated by the Republican convention at Indianapolis 
as a candidate for Congress. Hon. Blartin M. Ray 
was his Democratic opponent. 

The district two years previously had gone 
Democratic by eight hundred majority, yet Mr. 
Porter was elected to Congress by a mnjority of 
more than one thousand, and two years afterwards, 
when he was a candidate against Robert L. Wajpole, 
he was elected by an increased majority. Before the 
meeting of the convention to nominate a candidate 
again, however, Mr. Porter published a card declining 
further service in Congi'ess. Gen. Dumont, then 



in the army, was nominated in his place, but Mr. 
Porter did most of the canvassing for him. 

While in Congress, BIr. Porter was a member of 
the Judiciary Committee for his entire term of ser- 
vice. In this capacity he developed great ability as 
a lawyer, and assisted in drawing the important law 
reports for that committee during his term of service. 

He made a report on the liability of railroads 
which had received land-grants to transport United 
States troops and war material free of charge. This 
report attracted a good deal of attention, and, upon 
motion of Elihu B. Washburne, was republished at 
the next session of Congress as a very important 
contribution to anti-monopoly literature. That re- 
port took the ground that the provision in the land- 
grant acts should be and ought to be enforced. Be- 
fore that time the monopolies had been having their 
own way, having seemed to control both Congress 
and the executive ; but after Mr. Porter's report 
they were compelled to transport troops and muni- 
tions of war free. The consequence was that the 
revenues of the government were largely increased 
from this source. Like most young members, he 
made a speech in favor of the abolition of the frank- 
ing privilege. He was always on the side of the 
people. In the notable contest relative to the Isth- 
mus of Chiriqui, Mr. Porter took sides against the 
scheme, and antagonized Gen. Dan Sickles, who was 
one of its noted advocates. Another of Mr. Porter's 
notable speeches was on the general subject of the 
war, and condemning all compromise schemes. Mr. 
Porter retired from congressional life because he had 
a young and growing family, and wisely thought 
that he ought not to sacrifice his future in political 
life, but should return to the profession of the law, 
and endeavor to build up his fortune. This he did, 
and in his professional career he was eminently suc- 
cessful. 

Mr. Porter was put in nomination before the con- 
vention of 1876 as a candidate for Governor of In- 
diana, but he caused a letter to be read declining to 
allow his name to be used. Notwithstandiog his 
declaration, however, he received many votes in the 
convention. From the time he left Congre.ss he 
devoted himself assiduously to his profession, although 



208 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



he nearly always took some part in State political 
campaigns. He continued his practice until he was 
very unexpectedly invited, in 1881, to accept the 
appointment of First Comptroller of the United 
States Treasury. This appointment was tendered 
him by Secretary Sherman, who knew his position 
as a lawyer in Indiana, and who desired a competent 
person to fill the place. The duties of First Comp- 
troller of the Treasury are not generally understood. 
They are very important, and are entirely judicial. 
It is the one office in the government from whose 
decisions there is no appeal. The Secretary of the 
Treasury cannot annul decisions of the First Comp- 
troller. The word of the First Comptroller of the 
Treasury is the final authority on all constructions 
of law and interpretations of statutes relating to the 
vast disbursements of the treasury. To this office 
Mr. Porter was summoned without notice by the 
Secretary of the Treasury, and he occupied it with 
distinguished ability. It is a position which requires 
great knowledge of the law and unimpeached in- 
tegrity. 

From this position he was called by the convention 
of June 17, 1880, to represent his party as the 
candidate for Governor of the State. As has been 
the case with every office which he has held, this 
honor has come to him unsought. The campaign 
was made in the spirit of his dispatch of acceptance, 
in which he said, — 

" The contest will be a strenuous one, but if there 
is not one Republican who feels that he is too humble 
to do something for the cause, and all will work 
earnestly and with good cheer, we shall win the 
field. Let us have very many township and school- 
house meetings and few great conventions, and let 
every man feel that what is greatly worth having is 
greatly worth working for." 

He was elected in October, 1880, over Franklin 
Landers, the Democratic nominee, by a majority of 
six thousand nine hundred and fifty-three, — about 
two thousand ahead of the ticket. 

The administration of Governor Porter thus far 
has been one of the most faithful, honest, and eco- 
nomical which has ever characterized the history of 
Indiana. There are few men in public life who are 



purer in private character. Possessing an almost 
unlimited fund of anecdote, it is always free from 
indelicate or vulgar utterance. 

Governor Porter is by nature of a conservative 
temperament, but it is a conservatism that comports 
well with all his other characteristics, and has in it 
nothing suggestive of timidity. It is that mental 
poise which causes him to thoroughly investigate 
all questions before taking action upon them. 

These qualities have been brought with efiect to 
the discharge of the duties of Governor, noticeably 
in the veto messages sent by him to the Assemblies 
of 1881 and 1883, which, had not a veto intercepted 
the passage of bills, would not only needlessly have 
caused the expenditure of large amounts of money, 
but, in at least one instance, would have invaded the 
constitutional guaranty of personal security. In no 
instance, except upon purely party questions, has a 
bill been reconsidered by the Legislature after his 
veto. The same care has been bestowed upon the 
consideration of public accounts, and in whatever 
degree authority to control public expenditures is 
vested in the Governor he has used it, though 
unostentatiously, in the interest of economy. 

Those in whom the pardoning power has been 
reposed unite in saying that no duty which devolves 
upon a Governor brings with it so great a burden of 
responsibility. Governor Porter has made it a rule 
to investigate each application for pardon through 
independent sources, and if he has issued pardons 
sparingly, it has been because the demands of justice 
outweighed the promptings of a warm sympathy. 
His agreeable manner would lead one to think that 
he could be easily influenced, but, though slow to 
express an opinion on a subject presented for his 
consideration, when once he makes use of his char- 
acteristic expression, " My mind is made up," his 
decision is irrevocable. His idea of right and his 
sense of responsibility are the measure of his firm- 
ness. His habit of thoroughness was never more 
felicitously rewarded than in the prompt and happy 
manner in which it has enabled him to respond to 
invitations of the various conventions, — agricultural, 
mechanical, industrial, educational, and religious, — 
which have all learned to expect a recognition from 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



209 



the head of the State. It reflects credit upon the 
choice of the people that some of these brief addresses 
have been widely copied. 

Among literary men the quality of equanimity is 
frequently attainable, but among men in public life it 
is as rare. It need not mean, as it does in the minds 
of some, the neutralization of one salient character- 
istic by another, but rather the thorough blending of 
all in one symmetrical personality. This quality, 
with an habitual cheerfulness, frankness, and courtesy, 
is Governor Porter's in a strong degree. 

He has brought to the discharge of the duties of 
Governor a fuller measure of resources than even his 
most zealous supporters had expected. 

Governor Porter was married in 1847 to Miss M. 
V. Brown, a lady of rare domestic virtues, a daughter 
of Hiram Brown, Esq., one of the early noted lawyers 
of Indianapolis. Five of their children are living. 
She died in November, 1875. In January, 1881, 
just before his inauguration as Governor, he was 
married to Miss Cornelia Stone, of Cuba, New York, 
a lady of fine education and attainments, whose 
kindly feelings and refinement have won for her the 
regard of all who know her. 

Few men in public life are more happily situated 
than Governor Porter. He has a sufficient com- 
petency to be independent of the vicissitudes of 
politics; he enjoys the influences of a beautiful home 
life and the thorough friendship of the people. 

Hon. John Caven. — In presenting to the readers 
of the History of Marion County this sketch of the 
life, character, and public acts of Hon. John Caven, 
of Indianapolis, we shall be required to introduce 
incidents connected with the peace and prosperity of 
the capital city of Indiana of the highest importance. 
The necessity for referring to such occurrences will at 
once be conceded when our readers are informed 
that the subject of this sketch held the important 
office of mayor for five terms, making in all ten years 
that he performed the duties of chief magistrate of 
the largest inland city on the continent. When a 
citizen is deemed worthy of great public trusts, and 
in their execution evinces qualities of head and heart 
which shed lustre upon his name and win the ap- 
proval of the people, it is not surprising that there 



is a popular demand for full knowledge of all the 
facts relating to his career, parentage, birth, early 
advantages and surroundings, employments and ambi- 
tions. The desire for such information is eminently 
praiseworthy. It enables society, and especially the 
students of forces and factors which operate in the 
line of success and eminence, to arrive at correct 
conclusions, and to establish theories of life, its ohli- 
gations and possibilities, of the highest advantage to 
reflecting people. The subject of this sketch is the 
descendant of Scotch-Irish and English-Scotch pa- 
rentage, and was born in the State of Pennsylvania, 
Alleghany County, April 12, 1824, and is therefore 
fifty-nine years of age. His father, William Caven, 
was of Scotch-Irish lineage, and his mother, Jane 
(Longhead) Caven, of English-Scotch descent. 
Young Caven did not inherit wealth, nor any of the 
advantages which wealth is supposed to confer; but 
he did inherit what was far better, a healthy body 
and a healthy mind. He inherited a reverence for 
the good, the beautiful, and the true, and upon that 
foundation has erected a character symmetrical in 
outline, embodying the grandeur of stern integrity, 
devotion to honest conviction, and fidelity to trusts 
which knows no wavering, no matter what may be 
the character of the influences and obstacles thrown 
in his way. Generous in judgments, cautious in 
opinion, indefatigable in purpose, John Caven is 
esteemed in the councils of good men- a chevalier 
sans peur et sans reproche. Such is the exalted 
position Mayor Caven occupies in Indianapolis. And 
if we are asked. What were his youthful surround- 
ings? the reply is that they were such as to develop 
the best traits of his intellectual and physical organ- 
ism, — he was required to work. His avocations 
brought him in direct contact with the hardy chil- 
dren of toil, and he has a right to be known as a 
" self-made man." His early educational advantages 
were limited. He had few books, and only inferior 
school-teachers, but what he learned was thoroughly 
learned, and as his years increased his thirst for 
knowledge became more intense, until at last the 
perfection, grace, and beauty of his public expres- 
sions, whether oral or documentary, naturally led to 
the conclusion that some renowned university was liis 



210 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



alrtia mater, when in fact his diplomas tell of studies 
in salt-works, in coal-mines, and at the oars of flat- 
boats. 

At school he mastered the old English Reader 
and Daboll's Arithmetic, and with such a foundation 
for an education young Caven went forth to master 
all the required branches of an English education to 
prepare him to enter the legal profession. He came 
to Indianapolis in 1845, and in 1847, at the age of 
twenty-three, entered the law-office of Smith & 
Yandes, where he mastered the intricacies of the law, 
and in due time took his rightful place in a bar dis- 
tinguished for learning and ability. Such an ex- 
ample of pluck and perseverance, if properly studied 
by the youth of Indiana, cannot fail to be productive 
of results of incalculable benefit to the State. With- 
out wealth or influential friends, with an education 
limited to the rudiments, we see a young man steadily 
progressing in the right direction, overcoming ob- 
stacles, growing in knowledge and the strength which 
knowledge confers, growing in the esteem and confi- 
dence of citizens capable of appreciating good char- 
acter and manly ambition, until he stands the recog- 
nized peer of the best. In 1863, at the age of thirty- 
nine, the subject of this sketch was elected mayor of 
Indianapolis without opposition. His administration 
was of a character to win universal approval, and in 
1865 he was again elected without opposition. Dur- 
ing the pewod embraced in these two terms — four 
years — Indianapolis was rapidly developing her com- 
manding advantages as a commercial and manufac- 
turing city, and Mayor Caven was contributing by 
Ms ability and influence to give impetus to her prog- 
ress. In 1868 the people of Indianapolis elected Mr. 
Caven to the State Senate for four years. In that 
body he maintained the high estimate his constitu- 
ents had placed upon his abilities, and his recorded 
votes and speeches attest his statesmanship and 
breadth of views upon all matters touching political, 
educational, and humanitarian subjects. He voted 
for the Fifteenth Amendment, and earnestly advo- 
cated the establishment of schools for colored chil- 
dren. In 1875, Mr. Caven was again elected mayor 
of Indianapolis, and the two terms following he suc- 
ceeded himself in occupying the office, having been 



re-elected in 1877 and 1879. Such facts of history 
are monumental. They bear the highest testimony 
possible to the ability and integrity of Mr. Caven, as 
also to the fidelity which distinguished his public 
career. It is in the fulfillment of the varied duties 
devolving upon him as chief magistrate of Indian- 
apolis that he has specially endeared himself to the 
people. We should prove entirely unworthy of the 
trust confided to us if, in writing a sketch of the 
public service and private virtues of John Caven, we 
should omit to bring into the boldest prominence his 
ceaseless labors, intelligent counsel, unflagging energy, 
and prudent zeal in advancing the growth of the city 
in population, wealth, and business enterprises. In 
the mere routine work of the office of mayor he met 
every requirement of a just and humane magistrate, 
and his efforts to reform the wayward who were 
brought before him will forever remain fadeless cre- 
dentials of his faith in human nature and moral 
suasion ; but in the discussion of economic prob- 
lems in connection with the business expansion of 
the city his views are eminently conclusive of his 
power to grasp questions of the greatest gravity. As 
a business enterprise Indianapolis has just cause for 
gratulation over the building of the Belt Railroad 
and the establishment of the Union Stock- Yards, 
and it is no disparagement of others to place the 
credit of originating those great enterprises where 
it rightfully belongs. They are commemorative of 
business forecast, and will increase in importance 
with the lapse of years. This credit is justly due to 
Hon. John Caven, the subject of this sketch. An 
account of the initial steps taken by Mayor Caven to 
inaugurate the Belt Road and stock-yard enterprise 
was published in a city paper May 18, 1881. It is 
historical, and well deserving a place in any sketch of 
his life and public services, and is as follows : 

" One day in September, 1875, I walked around 
the old abandoned embankment west of White River, 
and from the Vandalia Road to the river I walked 
all the way through weeds higher than my head, 
pushing them aside with my hands. I took off my 
boots and waded White River, not far from the pres- 
ent Belt Road bridge, and, as the water was deep, I 
got my clothes wet. Climbing over to the partially- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



211 



built abutment on the east bank to dry, I sat there 
for two hours considering the question of whether 
the great work of a road around this eity could be 
put in motion. It would combine all the benefits 
sought, not only furnish work for our laboring pop- 
ulation during the savage year of 1876, or at furthest 
1877, but also relieve our streets. It would also 
bring here an immense cattle business and lay down 
a great taxable property. As I looked over that 
almost desert-looking river bottom, the outlook for 
moving in the matter to furnish bread to hungry 
people a year or two anyway was gloomy, but I then 
and there determined that this was the only project 
that could accomplish the result, and resolved to 
make the effort and see what will and a good purpose 
could do. Having got somewhat tired out, I put on 
my boots and started home, and commenced an in- 
vestigation of the subject of bread-riots and what 
makes cities, — what had made great cities. I exam- 
ined a great deal of history on the subject of what 
had made other cities, — location, natural advantages, 
accidents, minerals, manufactures, and what enter- 
prise and capital had done, and then tried to apply 
these principles to the city of Indianapolis. What 
were our natural advantages, and how might capital 
and enterprise develop them, and what could be 
done to make Indianapolis a great city, and during 
the winter of 1875 I proposed the Belt Road mes- 
sage, and read it in Council on July 17, 1876. It 
was published in Tuesday's morning papers, and on 
Thursday morning I was holding court and noticed 
two men sitting back among the audience for some 
time. After a while they came forward and asked if 
they could speak with me a few minutes. I sus- 
pended hearing a cause to hear what they had to say. 
One of them said he was president of the stock- 
yards at Louisville, and had read the Belt Road mes- 
sage and at once started for Indianapolis, as he re- 
garded it the best location for stock-yards in the 
country, and he wished to come here and engage in 
the business. I told them we wanted the enterprise 
very much, and asked them if they had the means 
to build, and they said they had not, but thought 
perhaps the city would aid them. I told them the 
city would not aid in money, but suggested the idea 



of the exchange of bonds, the plan which was 
adopted and carried out. One of these men was 
Horace Scott and the other Mr. Downing, the pres- 
ent superintendent of the stock-yards. A company 
was formed and the necessary steps taken to carry 
out the enterprise, but met with great opposition." 
Such was the beginning of an enterprise which, 
while it is making its owners rich, is adding indefi- 
nitely to the welfare of the city. 

On Monday, July 17, 1876, Mr. Caven, then 
mayor of the city, presented to the Common Council 
of the city a masterly paper relating to the local ad- 
vantages of Indianapolis as a manufacturing centre. 
It is worthy of being known as a " State Paper." It 
discusses the question of fuel with a breadth of 
thought, argument, and illustration worthy of the 
most profound consideration. It is a paper entitled 
to the dignity of "standard authority," and should 
be so regarded by merchants, manufacturers, and 
business men generally. Indeed, we regard it of so 
much importance, as illustrative of the compact reas- 
oning powers of its author, that, if our space per- 
mitted, we should reproduce it entire. 

In what we have said Mr. Caven is given an 
advanced position as a political economist, as a stu- 
dent chiefly of utilitarian enterprises. To this posi- 
tion he is entitled by every consideration of simple 
justice to his eminent thought attainments. But the 
people of Indianapolis have found him to be remark- 
able in other regards than those which we have re- 
corded. We refer particularly to his masterly control 
over men in times of public peril. In the year 1877 a 
wave of extreme danger rolled over the land. Mayor 
Caven was not taken by surprise. He had not been 
unobservant of coming events, nor had he misinter- 
preted the dark shadows which betokened their com- 
ing, and his early and urgent advocacy of the Belt 
Road and stock-yard undertaking was in part, at least, 
the result of his prescience, as the building of the 
road would be the means of giving idle men work 
when other means of employment failed. It is not 
required to more than recall to mind the labor strike 
which occurred in 1877, and the terrible scenes 
enacted in certain localities. When the strike 
reached Indianapolis there was excitement, alarm, 



212 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAEION COUNTY. 



and danger. Fortunately Mayor Caven was equal 
to the occasion. He was calm, self-possessed, and 
vigilant. He understood human nature, and fortu- 
nately comprehended the human nature of working- 
men, — he had been a workingman himself. He 
believed in suasion rather than shot-guns ; he did 
not adopt the policy of intimidation ; he discarded 
rash measures. He made no compromises with riot- 
ers, but with lofty courage he pointed out the sad 
consequences which must follow violations of the law, 
and appealed to the strikers, as men and as citizens 
interested in the order and peace of the community, 
to refrain from acts of rapine. He sought work for 
the idle; he provided bread for the hungry. The 
strikers saw in Mayor Caven a stern, courageous 
magistrate, devoid of fear, determined to do his duty 
at all hazards ; but they also saw in Mayor Caven 
their friend and a wise counselor. When he spoke 
they listened, and a terrible calamity was therefore 
averted, and after a few days of excitement and 
unrest the peril vanished, not a life was sacrificed, 
not a person was injured, not a dollar's worth of 
property was destroyed, and the good name and fair 
fame of Indianapolis was maintained. Nor was this 
all: Indianapolis in June, 1877, was threatened with 
a bread-riot. Public meetings were held and arrange- 
ments made for a street demonstration. The riot 
spirit was abroad, and danger was imminent. A 
vast concourse of people had assembled in the State- 
House ground, — idle men and hungry men. There 
was excitement ; passion was getting the better of 
judgment. Here again the fact was demonstrated 
that Mayor Caven was the right man in the right 
place. His earnest words stilled the tempest. Men 
ready for acts of violence gave pledges to abandon 
plans which were likely to result in public calamities. 
But Mayor Caven did not abandon the hungry peo- 
ple when they had determined to bear their sufferings 
like law-abiding citizens. He at once proceeded to 
relieve their immediate necessities. The circum- 
stances surrounding that meeting on the 6th of 
June, 1877, are historic, and we should regard this 
sketch of Mayor Caven imperfect if his connection 
with it was omitted. There are circumstances which 
bring into bold relief certain elements of character of 



the greatest value. Again we quote the account as 
published at the time. The meeting having closed, 
Mayor Caven gave an account of further steps to 
restore quiet, as follows : 

" I requested those who were willing to pledge 
themselves to preserve the peace and obey my orders 
in putting down any disturbances to hold up the right 
hand, and every hand went up. There were men 
there who, together with their families, had not 
tasted food for two days, and I told them they 
should not go to bed hungry that night, and invited 
the crowd to go with me, and we first went over to 
Simpson's bakery, soutli from the State-House. He 
happened to have a large quantity of bread on hand. 
I commenced handing out six loaves to each one as 
the hungry crowd passed by, and the supply was soon 
all gone. We then went to Taggart's, on South 
Meridian Street, but could not obtain admission, 
and from there to Bryce's bakery, on South Street, 
the hungry crowd following. Mr. Bryce was in bed, 
but got up when I told him what I wanted, and I 
directed the crowd to pass the door. Mr. Bryce 
handed me the loaves, and I handed them to the 
men, giving six loaves to each ; but as the pile be- 
came smaller we reduced the number to five, and 
then to four and three, and then to two, and I in- 
vited those who only received two and three to wait, 
and if we could give them more we would ; and they 
came again, and we gave them all the bread in the 
bakery, and succeeded in supplying them all. As 
soon as I had paid Mr. Bryce his bill I went out in 
the street, and where a few minutes before was that 
hungry crowd was as still as the grave, not a human 
being in sight. They had left for home as quickly 
as supplied, and the only persons were Mr. Dannis 
Greene and myself. At the State-House I told the 
men to go to the Beatty farm in the morning and 
they would find work. About 2 p.m. next day I 
went there, and about three hundred men were at 
work, many of them the hungry men of the night 
before, and it seemed as if the Belt lload, for which 
we had so labored to furnish work to the hungry, 
had thus providentially come to the rescue to the 
very day, almost to the very hour, of our extreme 
necessity. A day later and doors would have been 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



213 



broken for food. As I looked at the men at work, 
the expression of despair of the night before lifted 
from their faces, vividly came to my memory the 
cool September afternoon twenty-one months before, 
when I sat drying myself on the partially-built aban- 
doned abutment on the east bank of White River, 
looking over into the cheerless river bottom, wonder- 
ing whether it could be converted into a scene of life 
and activity, and whether from it could be extracted 
work and food for hundreds of starving laborers 
within the next year or two, and almost with faint- 
ness at my heart looked with more of doubting than 
hoping, and now it seemed as if God was with His 
poor, and had not forgotten them." 

In the foregoing we have traced John Caven from 
his childhood, from poverty and obscurity, and, 
whether toiling in the salt-works, manning an oar 
on a flat-boat, or delving in a mine, always display- 
ing the same sturdy zeal to win his way to fortune. 
We have observed him utilizing every advantage, 
educating himself, and an earnest, uncompromising 
devotee of the best theories of life, and animated by 
ambitions which always lead to usefulness, eminence, 
and influence. We have seen him steadily advanc- 
ing in the confidence and esteem of men of wealth, 
education, and high character, and repeatedly chosen 
by them as the exponent of their political, business, 
and social theories, and in every instance responding 
to every prudent requirement, — dignifying ofiioe by 
making it subserve every interest of society, mapping 
out new enterprises, and finding new pathways to 
success. As a worker, in the costume of toil ; as a 
lawyer, mastering the philosophy of jurisprudence ; 
as a senator, advocating measures of far-reaching 
consequences ; as a chief magistrate of a growing 
city; as a man, a citizen, combining personal worth 
with ofiBcial authority, calming popular unrest and 
giving peace and security in times of peril, — in all 
of these varied situations of life John Caven has 
given proof of extraordinary intellectual power, and 
has won a place in history of commanding promi- 
nence. As a Mason, Mr. Caven is familiar with all 
the mysteries of the ancient order, from an entered 
apprentice to the supreme lights that blaze upon its 
highest elevations, and his oration, delivered on the 



occasion of laying the corner-stone of the Masonic 
Temple in Indianapolis in 1866, demonstrates the 
thoroughness of his knowledge of Masonic mysteries 
and his deep devotion to the principles of the order. 
Mr. Caven glories in seeing workingmen improving 
their condition by association, by giving aid to each 
other in times of need, and the Brotherhoods of 
Locomotive Engineers and Locomotive Firemen of 
the United States and Canada venerate him for the 
sympathy and encouragement he has given them on 
many occasions. 

Such is a brief and necessarily imperfect sketch 
of the life, character, and public acts of Hon. John 
Caven, of Indianapolis. Our privileges do not war- 
rant an entrance upon the domain of his private 
life. If it were otherwise, our task would be em- 
bellished by charming pictures of sympathy for the 
unfortunate and acts of benevolence indicative of a 
nobility of soul that, after all, is the true standard 
by which to measure men. Physically, Mayor Caven 
is a noble specimen of manhood, standing six feet 
and weighing two hundred and ten pounds. His 
complexion is florid, eyes blue and of that peculiar 
type that speaks the universal language of sympathy, 
benevolence, ititegrity, and moral courage. Mayor 
Caven is a bachelor, but not a recluse nor a cynic. 
He loves home and social enjoyments ; and, above 
all, he is a recognized Christian gentleman, and all 
of his acts, public and private, bear high testimony 
that he holds in the highest veneration all sacred 
things. Time has dealt kindly with Mayor Caven, 
and now, though on the verge of threescore years, 
he bids fair for many years to come to be the centre 
of an extended circle of appreciative citizens, whose 
confidence and esteem is the crowning glory of a life 
well spent. 

The county attorney, William Watson Woollen, is 
also a product of home study, and his success is a 
credit alike to him and his native city. 

William Watson Woollen. — The Woollen 
family are of English lineage. Leonard W^ooUen, 
the grandfather of William Watson, was born on the 
Eastern Shore of Maryland, but early removed to 
Kentucky, and thence, in 1828, to Indianapolis. 
The birth of his son Milton occurred in Kentucky, 



214 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



in 1806. After tlie removal to Indianapolis he was 
married to Miss Sarah, daughter of Joshua Black, a 
pioneer of 1826. By this marriage there were a 
number of children, the eldest of whom was Wil- 
liam Watson, the subject of this biographical sketch, 
born on the 28th of May, 1838, in Indianapolis. 
His youth, until the age of eighteen, was spent on a 
farm in Lawrence township. Being the eldest son. 
his services early became valuable to his father, and 
as a consequence very limited advantages of educa- 
tion were enjoyed until his removal, in 1856, to In- 
dianapolis, where he became a student of the North- 
western Christian University. Having determined 
upon the law as a profession, he entered the law 
department of that institution, and at the same time 
studied in the oflEce of Messrs. Gordon & Connor. 
He graduated from the law school, and was admitted 
to the bar in October, 1859. The following winter 
was spent in teaching,. and in April, 1860, his name 
was added to the roll of practitioners in the capital 
city of the State. On the 5th of February, 1863, 
Mr. Woollen married Miss Mary A. Evans, of Indi- 
anapolis. He was in October, 1864, elected district 
attorney of the Common Pleas Court for Marion, 
Hendricks, and Boone Counties, and re-elected in 
1866 without opposition. In December, 1881, he 
was chosen by the board of commissioners of Marion 
County attorney for the corporation, and reappointed 
in 1882 and 1883. Extravagant abuses which had 
crept into the public service Mr. Woollen attacked 
with courage and success. He was one of the organ- 
izers of the Indianapolis Bar Association, which, in 
its library and other advantages, has proved an inval- 
uable aid to the attorneys of the city. 

Mr. Woollen is a supporter of the principles of the 
Republican party, but not a strong political partisan. 
He was reared in the faith of the Baptist Church, 
and was formerly a member of the First Baptist 
Church of Indianapolis, from which, with others, he 
withdrew for the purpose of projecting and organizing 
the North Baptist Church, of which he is at present 
a member. 

Mr. Woollen early demonstrated that he was en- 
dowed with a capacity and force well fitted to his 
work. His thorough knowledge of the law and log- 



ical mind enabled him speedily to take his place 
among the successful lawyers of the metropolis. A 
manifest candor and scrupulous integrity mark all his 
professional relations. He never encourages useless 
litigation nor deceives a client who has no grounds 
upon which to rest his case. This conscientious 
dealing has won general confidence and gained for 
him a lucrative practice. 

Although there are three medical colleges in the 
city, and at one time or another have been two or 
three that lived a few years, there has never been 
but one law school here, and that seems to have gone 
out recently. In 1857 a law school was opened in 
connection with the Northwestern Christian Univer- 
sity, of which the late Judge Perkins was the chief 
teacher. In 1870-71 a law department was formed 
in the same institution, with Judge Byron K. Elliott, 
now of the Supreme Bench, Charles P. Jacobs, and 
Judge Charles H. Test as professors. When the 
university was removed to Irvington the law school 
was continued in the city. Professors Jacobs and 
Elliott continuing with it until within a year or so. 

There were two hundred and fifty-seven lawyers 
in the city in 1883. The profession, like merchan- 
dising, has separated itself into classes, not definitely, 
but with a much less miscellaneous association than 
once prevailed. In a few years we shall have dis- 
tinctively criminal lawyers, and patent lawyers, and 
real-estate lawyers, and claims lawyers, as we now 
have the germs with a pretty plain development here 
and there. It is the tendency of growth and im- 
provement to limit fields of labor and work with 
more elaborate care on fewer subjects, and the legal 
profession will some time obey the irresistible law, 
and make division of its labor as laborers do. A 
bar association manual has existed here for a number 
of years. 

The members of both the bench and bar of Indian- 
apolis and the State of Indiana have deservedly taken 
high rank in the legal profession of not only this 
State but of the whole country. In the chronological 
list of its members will be found men whose history 
is a part of the history of the United States, and 
whose names will be handed down to posterity as 
giants of the law in " Ye olden time." 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



214a 



William Quarles was accounted one of the first 
criminal lawyers of the State, and especially success- 
ful in the cross-examination and bewilderment of 
adverse witnesses. His death followed close on his 
exertions in defense of Merritt Young for killing 
Israel Phillips about 1852. Though a fluent speaker, 
he was not an orator, and succeeded by dint of in- 
cessant use, in every possible form and connection, of 
one or two strong points. He drove them into a 
jury by so much hammering that no amount of 
refutory logic or apppeal could displace them. His 
son John, at one time one of the best debaters of the 
old Union Literary Society, was the superior of his 
father, and if he had lived would have stood among 
the foremost lawyers of the nation unless thwarted by 
his own self-indulgence. He was killed two or three 
years after his father's death by falling down the 
stairway at College Hall and striking his head 
against either the raised stone sill of the stairway- 
door or the stone curb of the pavement, though 
there were rumors at the time of violence resulting 
from a quarrel. Mr. Quarles, the father, was brother- 
in-law of the late Thomas D. and Robert L. Walpole, 
both noted and successful lawyers both in civil and 
criminal business. They were Kentuckians, and 
sons of Luke Walpole, one of the first merchants of 
the city. Thomas was a prominent politician of the 
Clay school till 1844, when he went over to the 
Democracy. Robert was a Democratic candidate for 
Congress near the time of the breaking out of the 
war. 

Hugh O'Neal, who was both county prosecutor 
and United States attorney, and one of the first and 
ablest members of the Indianapolis bar of any 
period, was raised in Marion County, educated at 
Bloomington as one of the two students to which each 
county was entitled, studied law in this city, and 
was admitted to the bar about 1840. He soon made 
himself conspicuous as a Whig orator, and was one 
of the most efBcient of the party champions from the 
campaign of 1844 to that of 1852. After that till 
his death he concerned himself little with politics. 
He went to California soon after the gold discovery, 
and did well there, but not so well as to prevent his 
return in a couple of years or so. He resumed the 



practice of the law here, living in his office, — he was 
never married, — and died there, in the second-story 
room next to Fletcher's Bank, during the war. For 
some years he and the late Governor Abram A. Ham- 
mond were partners, and made the most formidable 
firm of the city of that time except Smith & Yandes 
and Barbour & Porter. 

LuciAN Barbour was a Connecticut man, born 
in 1811, graduated at Amherst, in 1837, and came 
West to Madison, in this State, where he studied 
law. He came to Indianapolis about 1840, or a little 
later, and soon formed a partnership with the late 
Judge Wick, in connection with whom he prepared 
a little treatise on business law and forms, known for 
years in the profession as " Wick & Barbour."^ 
Later he and Governor Porter formed a partnership 
which was maintained till Mr. Barbour went to Con- 
gress in 1855 or later. In 1851 he was one of the 
commissioners appointed by the Legislature to revise 
the statutes and simplify the pleadings and proceed- 
ings of court, as the new constitution required. The 
lawyers used to call this the " Carr code," from 
George W. Carr, one of the commissioners, who had 
been president of the Constitutional Convention, a 
sensible, good man, but no lawyer, and not a strik- 
ingly judicious selection for that service. Mr. Bar- 
bour, always a Democrat till the Kansas-Nebraska 
question came up to disrupt parties, shifted to the 
anti-slavery side in 1854 and was elected to Congress, 
where, after one term, he was succeeded by Mr. 
Gregg, a Democrat of Hendricks County, and then 
for two terms by his old law-partner, Governor Porter. 
While in partnership with Mr. Wick he married 
Mrs. Wick's sister, Alice, and thus became the 
brother-in-law of the late Lazarus B. Wilson as well 
as his law-partner. Mr. Barbour in the last years of 
his life had associated with him the versatile and 
widely-read Charles P. Jacobs. 

Horatio C. Newcomb is entitled to all respect 
as one of the best lawyers, ablest publicists, and 
truest men that ever honored Indianapolis with a 
residence. He was born in Tioga County, Pa., in 
1821, was removed by his parents when a child to 
Cortland County, N. Y., and thence to Jennings 
County, in this State, in 1836. He learned the sad- 



214b 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



dler's trade there, as did Judge Martindale and 
Senator McDonald in their outset of life, but in two 
or three years ill-health eonapelled him to quit it, 
and in 1841 he began the study of the law with Mr. 
Bullock, the first lawyer in Jennings County. He 
practiced there till 1846, when he came to Indian- 
apolis and formed a partnership with Mr. Ovid 
Butler. The impression made by his abilities may 
be judged by the fact that in 1849 he was elected 
the second mayor of the city in his twenty-eighth 
year. In 1854 he was elected to the Legislature, 
and in 1860 was elected to the Senate, which he left 
after one session to take the presidency of the Sink- 
ing Fund Board. He was superseded there in 1863 
by the late W. H. Talbott. In the summer of 1864, 
after the retirement of Mr. Sulgrove, he became po- 
litical editor of the Journal, and so continued till 
1868, serving two sessions in the Legislature in that 
time. He went back to the law practice in 1869, 
and continued till he was appointed one of the first 
three judges of the Superior Court in March, 1871. 
This term expired in 1874, when he was elected to 
the same place by a popular and unanimous vote, 
being put on both party tickets, as was Judge Per- 
kins, his associate, who had succeeded Judge Rand 
on the resignation of the latter. Soon after Presi- 
dent Grant tendered him the assistant Secretar3ship 
of the Interior, but he declined it. In 1876 he was 
nominated by the Republicans for the Supreme 
Bench, but beaten. Under the act authorizing com- 
missioners of the Supreme Court to assist the judges 
in dealing off the accumulations of the docket, he 
was made one, and died while in that duty. He was 
all his life here a constant and devoted member of 
the Presbyterian Church, and one of the ruling 
elders. As editor of the Journal he showed a ver- 
satility of power with which he had not been credited, 
as well as a sagacity and sound judgment in party 
management that were badly needed to supplement 
the efibrts of Governor Morton. He died in May, 
1882, at his residence on North Tennessee Street. 

John H. Bradley. — Although chiefly occupied 
with his business as banker and railroad operator after 
his removal to this city, the late John H. Bradley 
sometimes figured in the old court-house with such 



eifect of eloquence and legal erudition as was rarely 
equaled by any of his associates. He was a member 
of the Legislature from Laporte County in 1842, and 
formed one of the noted quartette of that year, — he 
and Joseph G. Marshall, of the Whigs, Edward A. 
Hannegan and Thomas J. Henley, of the Democrats. 
Mr. Bradley retired from active business for several 
years before his death, and wrote a small treatise on 
the evidences and philosophy of spiritualism. Dr. 
John M. Kitchen and Morris Defrees are sons-in-law 
of Mr. Bradley. 

William Wallace. — Among the living members 
of the bar are several who still hold foremost places 
in the profession, though some, as Simon Yandes, 
Esq., and Governor Porter, have retired, and are 
engaged in other pursuits. William Wallace, one 
of those who have been longest at the bar of the 
city and are still as active and conspicuous as ever, 
was born in Brookville, Oct. 16, 1825. He came 
to the capital when his father had to take up his 
official residence here as Governor in 1837, and 
has remained ever since. He went to school here 
first to Mr. (now Gen.) Gilman Marston, and later 
to Rev. James S. Kemper, at the old seminary. He 
oscillated for some time between schooling and clerk- 
ing, finally settling down to studying law and work- 
ing in the office of the county clerk, then Robert B. 
Duncan. When the latter left that office in 1850 
Mr. Wallace began the practice of the law, and has 
continued ever since, except during one term in the 
office of county clerk, from 1861 to 1865, beating 
Michael Fitzgibbon. His business has been of a 
quiet kind, not so well calculated to exhibit the 
striking oratorical talent which put him at the head 
of the old seminary boys, at the criminal and litigated 
civil business in which his father shone so brilliantly, 
but it has made him one of the foremost and most re- 
spected of the lawyers of the capital, and put him in 
many positions of responsibility in private affairs. 
His native eloquence has not been allowed to rust in 
probate business, however. He is one of tbe fore- 
most Odd-Fellows of the State, and has more than 
occupation enough in making addresses for the order 
on formal or conspicuous occasions. No man in the 
city stands higher or by a better title of native gen- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



214c 



erosity and manliness and unspotted honor than 
William Wallace. 

Gen. John Cobdrn, whose life, however, presents 
a striking contrast of variety and incessant activity 
to the unvarying smoothness of the other's, is an old 
schoolmate and life-long friend of William Wallace. 
He was born in this city, Oct. 27, 1825, very soon 
after the removal of his father, the late Henry P. 
Coburn, clerk of the Supreme Court from 1820 to 
1852, from Corydon to the new capital. His 
early education was chiefly acquired at the old 
seminary, whence he went to Wabash College in 
1842, graduating in 1846. He served as deputy to 
his father and studied law till 1849, when he was 
admitted to the bar, practicing for some years as the 
partner of Judge N. B. Taylor, and later of Governor 
Wallace. On the death of the latter while occupying 
the bench of the Common Pleas Court, Mr. Coburn 
was appointed to the vacancy, and elected the year 
following. On the 18th of September he was com- 
missioned colonel of the Thirty-third Regiment, hold- 
ing the command steadily till he was mustered out, 
Sept. 20, 1864. The next year he was brevetted 
brigadier-general. The first experience of his regi- 
ment was a rough one. It left this city on the 28th 
of September, 1861, and on the 21st of October was 
fighting Gen. Zollicoffer at Wild Cat, Ky., where 
that distinguished rebel was killed, and our Hoosier 
colonel exhibited the coolness and commanding force 
that were needed for a serviceable and honorable mil- 
itary career. After this it was stationed at Crab 
Orchard, Ky., until early in January, and full two- 
thirds of the men were down with the measles. After 
this Col. Coburn was in and about Cumberland Gap 
for a long time, but early in 1863 was sent to Nash- 
ville, and thence to Franklin, Tenn., where, during 
an engagement into which he was forced by the im- 
prudence of a temporary superior, some four hundred 
of his men and himself were taken prisoners. The 
men were paroled, but he was taken to Libby, and 
was there at the time a Union force gave the city 
of Richmond a considerable fright. His life there 
was that of hundreds of others with which the 
country is familiar. In the Atlanta campaign his 
regiment was one of the foremost, and he was the 



oflScer deputed by the commander to receive the 
surrender of the city. In October, 1865, he was 
elected to the Circuit Court Bench, but resigned to 
go to Congress in 1866. He served four terms in 
Congress with a record of as good service and hard 
work as any man in the body, and with as high 
consideration from his fellow-members. He was 
chairman of the Military Committee, one of the most 
important in the House at that time, and, besides the 
unknown work of legislation, illustrated his congres- 
sional career by speeches of unusual force of style 
and familiarity with his subjects. He never spoke 
for buncombe or to have a little exhibit of his services 
to frank to his constituents, but because he knew 
something on the subject that needed to be told and 
a good many needed to learn. So strong an impres- 
sion had he made that on the resignation of Secretary 
Belknap he was urged for the War Department. It 
is a pity he hadn't got it ; we have had no such man 
since. On the expiration of his congressional term 
Gen. Coburn accepted an appointment as one of the 
commissioners to settle the complicated disputes about 
the titles of land in Hot Springs, Ark. This work 
he completed but a year or two ago. Since then he 
has been constantly engaged in his profession. 

Napoleon B. Taylor was born October 18, 1820, 
in Campbell County, Ky., and came to this place a 
child with his father, the late Robert Taylor, one of 
the earliest of our brick-masons. He, like his old 
friends Wallace and Coburn, was an " old seminary 
boy," leaving the school to study law about 1842 or 
1843. For some time after his admission to the 
bar he mixed bricklaying with law to have some- 
thing to do and make something to live, but in 1849 
he formed a partnership with the late John L. Ketch- 
am, and since then has confined himself to the law. 
He worked his way up slowly, but he never got a 
foot ahead and slipped back two. What he made he 
held, and in a few years he came to be known over 
the State as peculiarly skillful and able in the prepa- 
ration of cases for the Supreme Court. That reputa- 
tion he has kept and increased ever since. In 1853 
he and Gen. Coburn formed a partnership for about 
three years. In 1872 he formed a partnership with 
his son Edwin and Judge Rand, one of the first 



214d 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



judges of the Superior Court, which was maintained 
till Judge Taylor's election to the Superior Bench in 
1882. In 1864 he was nominated for reporter of the 
Supreme Court against Gen. Ben. Harrison and beaten, 
and he was frequently talked of for the nomination for 
the Supreme Bench. He stands among the first law- 
yers of the State for erudition and sound judgment, 
and among the first citizens of Indianapolis for all 
the qualities of good citizenship. 

Btron K. Elliott, judge of the Supremo Court 
from the central district of the State, was born in 
Butler County, Ohio, Sept. 4, 1835, lived in Hamil- 
ton till 1849, then removed to Cincinnati, and on the 
21st of December, 1850, to this city. He studied law 
here, and was admitted to the bar in February, 1858, 
and in May, 1859, was elected city attorney, — a most 
creditable proof of ability and character to command 
such a place in the first year of professional life, 
and at the early age of twenty-four. He went into 
the hundred days' service in May, 1864, in Col. 
Vance's One Hundred. and Thirty-second Regiment, 
as captain, but was put upon Gen. Milroy's staflF in 
two or three weeks as assistant adjutant-general. 
On his return to the law he was elected city attorney 
again in May, 1865, and re-elected in 1867 and 
1869. His four terms in that office enabled him to 
make it a position of importance, worth a good law- 
yer's tenure and attention, and it had been a mere 
party makeweight previously. In October, 1870, 
he was elected judge of the Criminal Court, and 
resigned the office of city attorney. In November, 

1872, he resigned the judgeship to take the city 
solicitorship unanimously tendered him by the Coun- 
cil. He was elected city attorney again in May, 

1873, and in October, 1876, one of the judges of 
the Superior Court. He was again nominated for 
the place by acclamation in March, 1880, but re- 
ceiving the Republican nomination for Supreme 
judge in June of the same year, he accepted that 
and was elected in the following October. He was 
made chief justice at the November tei'm, 1881, and 
served through that term. In and out of the pro- 
fession he is regarded as one of the purest, fairest, 
and most clear-sighted judges that have occupied the 
appellate bench in this generation, and in no rulings 



is greater or more general confidence felt than in 
his. 

Fabius M. Finch was born in Western New York 
in 1811, and came to Ohio in 1816, with his father. 
Judge John Finch, and from Ohio came to this 
county in 1819, being the first family in the New 
Purchase, except possibly the Whotzels, at the 
Blufis. The settlement was made near Noblesville, 
which for some time was made a part of Marion 
County. Several families came with the Finches. 
In 1828 the future judge came to this place and 
studied law with Judge Wick, whose first wife was 
his sister. He was admitted to the bar in 1831, at 
the age of twenty, showing unusual maturity of in- 
tellect, and settled at Franklin, Johnson Co., where 
he remained till 1865, when he removed perma- 
nently to this city. He was elected judge of the 
Fifth Circuit in 1842 by the Legislature, and in 1859 
was elected to the judgeship of this circuit by the 
people, serving one term. For some years he and 
his son, John A., have confined their business largely 
to insurance cases, and have made a very high repu- 
tation in that branch of the profession. John A. 
was the State commissioner at a national meeting of 
insurance men in New York some years ago, and 
has published several elaborate articles on insurance 
organizations, methods, and law, which have attracted 
wide attention and commendation. 

Gen. Ben. Harrison was born in February, 1833, 
in Cincinnati, where he received his early education. 
He graduated at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and 
studied law with the celebrated Judge Bellamy Storer. 
He came to Indianapolis in 1854, and practiced law by 
himself for some years. About 1856 he made a more 
conspicuous place for himself by convicting a negro 
cook at the Ray House of poisoning some of the 
boarders. His management of that case was univer- 
sally commended by the profession, which before that 
had been a little disposed to regard the tow-headed 
youngster, who looked younger than he was, as pos- 
sessing his best claim to attention in the fact that 
he was the grandson of his grandfather. He soon 
showed, when the chance came, that he could build 
broadly and solidly enough on his own foundation, 
and he has done it most effectually. His first public 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



214e 



position was that of reporter of the Supreme Court in 
1861. In August, 1862, he accepted the comniaud 
of the Seventieth llegiment, and remained with it till 
it was mustered out at the close of the war in June, 
1865. A sketch of the history of that regiment 
will be found in the chapter on the City and County 
in the War. Gen. Harrison was associated with 
Governor Porter and William P. Fishback, as Por- 
ter, Harrison & Fishback, for several years. Mr. 
Fishback, who came here in 1856 from Ohio and 
soon established a good practice and reputation, left 
the firm in 1870 to take control of the Journal, and 
later of the St. Louis Democrat, and never rejoined his 
associates, first accepting the clerkship of the United 
States Court for a couple of years, and then resign- 
ing that and confining his work to the mastership in 
chancery of the same court. The firm then became 
Porter, Harrison & Hines, by the accession of Judge 
Hines, and remained so till Mr. Porter retired a few 
years later, when Mr. Miller, of Toledo, came here to 
take a place in the firm in 1874, which then became 
Harrison, Hines & Miller. This has only recently 
been changed by the accession of John B. Elam. 

In 1876 the Republicans deemed it best to rer 
move Godlove S. Orth, their nominee for Governor, 
and put Gen. Harrison in his place. It was a very 
embarrassing situation, but Mr. Harrison made as 
much of it as any man could, and so fixed his 
hold on the regard of his party that his nomination 
to the United States Senate, when the Republicans 
gained control of the Legislature in the election of 
1880, was a foregone conclusion. There was no 
serious contest made against him. Now his judicious 
course in the Senate has given him no inconspicuous 
chance for the Presidential nomination. 

Judge Hines, so long a partner of Gen. Harri- 
son, was born in Washington County, N. Y., Dec. 
10, 1836, whence his mother, who was left a widow 
with her young family , went to Lonsdale, Conn., whore 
Cyrus worked for several years in the cotton-mills. 
Then for a year or two he studied and taught in the 
Normal Institute at Lancaster, Mass., and thence he 
came to Indianapolis in 1854. He studied law with Si- 
mon Yandes, Esq., and became a partner in December, 
1855, continuing until the latter retired from the pro- 



fession in 1860. Mr. Hines went into the three 
months' service as sergeant of Company H, Eleventh 
Regiment, and when that was through went into the 
three years'serviee, attaining the position of colonel of 
the Fifty-seventh Regiment, in which he is described in 
the adjutant-general's official history of the regiment as 
" an officer of great and acknowledged ability, who had 
chiefiy formed the character of the regiment." He 
was so severely wounded at Stone River that he had 
to resign. In 1866 he succeeded Judge Coburn in 
the Circuit Court, and held the place till 1870, when 
he was succeeded by Judge Tarkington. Mr. Bliller, 
who entered the firm with Gen. Harrison and Col. 
Hines in 1874, was born in Oneida County, N. Y., 
September, 1840, studied law with Chief Justice 
Waite in Toledo, then practiced for eight years in 
Fort Wayne, and came here in 1874. John B. 
Elam served through the war as a private soldier 
in an Ohio regiment. When the war was over he 
studied and graduated at Oxford (Ohio) College, 
where Governor Morton and Senator Harrison were 
once students, then studied law in the law depart- 
ment of the Ann Arbor University, and came to this 
city in 1874. In 1878 he was made prosecuting 
attorney, and convicted the first three men ever hung 
in Marion County, William Merrick, John Aohey, 
and Louis Guetig. He is regarded as one of the 
foremost of the younger members of the bar, and 
as prominent politically as professionally. 

Gen. Fred. Knepler has long held an honorable 
position at the bar here, and was known for years as 
deputy clerk before he entered the bar. He is a 
Hungarian by birth, and when a mere boy serve'd in 
the revolutionary army of 1848 under Geu. Bern, 
one of Kossuth's best leaders, and was wounded. 
He came to this country with his father. Dr. Knefler, 
in 1849, and learned the carpenter's trade first. 
Then he got a place in the clerk's office, and so 
worked his way into the bar. In 1861 he served in 
the Eleventh Regiment of three months' men as 
lieutenant. .In the three years' service he was 
captain of Company H in the Eleventh, and in Au- 
gust, 1862, was appointed colonel of the Seventy- 
ninth, which led the way in the charge at Mission 
Ridse, Col. Knefler leading the regiment. He re- 



214f 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tired from the service at the close of the war witii 
the brevet of brigadier. He formed a law -partner- 
ship with the late John Hanna, which was only 
terminated by the death of the latter. He succeeded 
William H. H. Terrell as pension agent here, as 
noticed in the list of government officers resident 
here. 

The partners of ex-Senator and ex-Governor 
Thomas A. Hendricks have been among the fore- 
most members of the bar of the State and city for 
many years. Ex-Governor Baker went into the 
firm in 1873, when Mr. Hendricks became Governor. 
He had been one of the most prominent of the law- 
yers of the State for years in Evansville before he 
came to Indianapolis to act as Governor while Gov- 
ernor Morton was in Europe in 1865-66. He re- 
mained here thenceforward, and took as commanding 
a place at the bar here as at his old home. In 1864 
he was provost-marshal of the State on duty here, 
and arrested a mob of re-enlisted veterans of the 
Nineteenth Regiment who attacked and pi'oposed to 
demolish the Sentinel office for some allusion in the 
paper that they disliked. He met the angry men on 
the stairs, with their guns in their hands, and held 
them back till he brought them to reason. Two of 
the most conspicuous features of his administration 
were the payment of the State debt of 1836 and the 
official proclamation of the stoppage of interest in 
1870, and the recommendation of asylums for the 
incurable insane, now just put in the way of accom- 
plishment. 

Oscar B. Hord, attorney-general of the State 
frorii 1862 to 1864, and for twenty years a partner 
of Governor HenJricks, was born in Kentucky, 
near Maysville, where he was brought up. He 
studied law with his father, and came to Greens- 
burg, in this State, in 1849. In 1852 he was made 
prosecuting attorney, serving two terms. Some years 
later he and the late Col. Gavin, his partner, made a 
digest of the statutes of the State, which was greatly 
needed, and gave its authors a substantial professional 
reputation at once. In 1862, Mr. Hord was elected 
attorney-general and removed to Indianapolis, forming 
a professional connection with Mr. Hendricks which 
has never been sundered since, except during the 



latter's term as Governor (from 1873 to 1877). Mr. 
Hord is one of the hard-working men of the Indian- 
apolis bar, and stands second to none in the care he 
gives his cases and thoroughness of his investigation 
of the law. He is one of the steadiest of friends 
and most genial of companions, as well as one of the 
first lawyers of the State. He was born in 1829. 

Mr. Abram "W. Hendricks, a cousiiT of the ex- 
Governor, is well up towards sixty, but none the less 
a close student and indefatigable worker. He is held 
by the profession to be one of the most thoroughly- 
read lawyers in the country, and was so well esteemed 
twenty-six years ago that he was nominated by the 
Republican party for the Supreme Bench. He was 
born in Westmoreland County, Pa., and came to 
Madison, to his uncle, in 1839. He studied law 
with Governor William Hendricks, and graduated at 
the Lexington (Kentucky) Law School. For some 
years he was a partner of William McKee Dunn, late 
judge-advocate-general. He came to Indianapolis in 
1866, to join his cousin, Thomas A., and Mr. Hord, 
when the firm became Hendricks, Hord & Hendricks, 
now Baker, Hord & Hendricks. 

John C. New, though he never figured as a law- 
yer, was for a good many years clerk of the county, 
and as well known a figure of the court as the judge. 
He was born in Jennings County, in 1831. His 
father, the late John B. New, was a cabinet-maker 
by trade and a Christian preacher by preference, 
and removed to Greensburg when John was still a 
child. After a course of country town schooling he 
went to Bethany, Va., where he took a four years' 
course under the late Alexander Campbell, graduating 
fairly in 1851. His cousin, Jeptha D. New, member 
of Congress two terms from the Jennings County Dis- 
trict, was at the same college at the same time. Rev. 
John B. New removed to this city about the time his 
son graduated, and here the latter studied law with 
Governor Wallace, was admitted to the bar in 1852, 
and having a good memory, an aptitude for system, 
and a naturally good business disposition, with a neat, 
legible chirography. Clerk Stewart made him deputy 
soon afterwards ; and when Stewart died, leaving a 
year of his term vacant, the County Board put the 
deputy there, and at the next election the people 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



214g 



elected him over George McOuat by a slender ma- 
jority. Here he laid the foundation of his fortune, 
and left the oiEce a young man, but already a rich 
one. Governor Morton made him quartermaster early 
in the war ; then he served a term in the State Sen- 
ate ; then, in 1865, went as cashier into the First 
National Bank, and remained there ten years, till he 
was made treasurer of the United States in Spinner's 
place. A year here sufficed him, and he returned to 
the bank as vice-president. A little later he bought 



out William H. English, and became president. In 
1880 he was made chairman of the Republican State 
Central Committee, and bought the Journal. He 
was also the Indiana member of the National Repub- 
lican Committee. He has been the First Assistant 
Treasurer of the United States for several years, 
which position he has recently resigned. Mr. New 
has been twice married, — first to Melissa, daughter 
of the late Joseph Beeler, and next to Miss McRae, 
dausrhter of a son-in-law of Dr. J. H. Sanders. 



William P. Adkinson. 
Henry C. Allen. 
Fremont Alford. 
Ayres & Brown. 
Ayres & Cole. 
Bailey & Van Buren. 
John W, Baird. 
Baker, Herd & Hendricks. 
James P. Baker. 
Pliny W. Bartholomew. 
Will F. A. Bernhamer. 
Isaac L. Bloomer. 
William Bosson. 
John W. Bowlus. 
Daniel M. Bradbury. 
Cornelius D. Browder. 
Wilbur F. Browder. 
William T. Brown. 
Samuel M. Bruce. 
John C. Brush. 
James Buchanan. 
Salnjon A. Buell. 
H. Burns. 
Burns & Denny. 
Byfield & Howland. 
Bynum & Beck. 
Howard Cole. 
Canary & Medkirk. 
Nathaniel Carter. 
Vinson Carter. 
Carter & Binford. 
Charles E. Clark. 
Ross Clark. 



ROLL OF ATTORNEYS. 

John W. Claypool. 
Claypool & Ketcham. 
Coburn & Irvin. 
W. H. Corbaley. 
Cropsey & Cooper. 
Vincent G. Clifford. 
James B. Curtis. 
Dailey & Pickerell. 
Benjamin F. Davis. 
Guilford A. Deitch. 
Austin F. Denny. 
Robert Denny. 
Almon H. Dickey. 
Samuel R. Downey. 
Charles A. Dryer. 
Duncan, Smith & Duncan. 
Dye & Fishback. 
John B. Elam. 
William F. Elliott. 
Harmon J. Everett. 
Charles W. Fairbanks. 
Finch & Finch. 
Plorea & Wishard. 
Samuel W. Fogger. 
James E. Franklin. 
George W. Galvin. 
Jonathan W. Gordon. 
John C. Green. 
Otto Gresham. 
Griffiths & Potts. 
Orvin S. Hadley. 
Upton J. Hammond. 
Jesse D. Hamrick. 



Harding & Hovey. 
James W. Harper. 
Charles 0. Harris. 
Harris & Calkins. 
Harrison , Hines & Miller. 
Jonathan S. Harvey. 
Lawson M. Harvey. 
Charles R. Haseley. 
Roscoe 0. Hawkins. 
Charles C. Heckman. 
James E. Heller. 
Heinrichs & Kessler. 
William Henderson. 
George G. Hendrickson. 
John A. Henry. 
Maxwell B. Henry. 
Herod & Winter. 
Isaac Herr. 
James T. Hill. 
Hill & Martz. 
John A. Holman. 
Louis Howiand. 
William A. Hughes. 
Charles P. Jacobs. 
Ovid B. Jameson. 
Lewis Jordan. 
John M. Judah. 
Julian & Julian. 
Kealing & Clifford. 
Joseph M. Keatinge. 
Justin A. Kellogg. 
John Kidd. 
Israel Klina;ensmith. 



214h 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Knefler & Berryhill. 

Orlando Knowlton. 

Eugene Q. Kreider. 

Ira M. Kratz. 

William C. Lamb. 

Lamb & Mason. 

John T. Lecklider. 

Frank H. Levering. 

Frank P. Lindsay. 

Reuben D. Logan. 

William A. Lowe. 

Dow McClain. 

Z. T. McCormaok. 

McDonald & Butler. 

McMaster & Boice. 

Gilbert B. Manlove. 

E. B. & Charles Martindale. 

Francis J. Mattler. 

Harry J. Milligan. 

Jehu Milner. 

James L. Mitchell. 

John 0. Moore. 

Merrill Moores. 

John Morgan. 

Morris & Newberger. 

Frank W. Morrison. 

Wilson Morrow. 

Charles R. Myers. 

David A. Myers. 

Nichol & Buskirk. 

Lester L. Norton. 

Orlando B. Orton. 

Eben A. Parker. 

Parmlee & Holladay. 



David K. Paultow. 
William Patterson. 
William H. Payne. 
William A. Peelle, Jr. 
Peelle & Taylor. 
Samuel E. Perkins. 
George K. Perrin. 
Henry D. Pierce. 
George T. Porter. 
Wallace W. Pringle. 
James A. Pritchard. 
Rand & Winters. 
William A. Reading. 
Warwick H. Ripley. 
Ritter & Ritter. 
Roache & Lamme. 
Charles F. Robbins. 
Thaddeus S. Rollins. 
Rooker & Hatch. 
John N. Scott. 
Adolph & G. Seidensticker. 
Silas M. Shepard. 
Horace E. Smith. 
J. Hervey Smith. 
Robert B. Smith. 
Spaan & Heiner. 
George W. Spahr. 
Horace Speed. 
William W. Spencer. 
Roger A. Sprague. 
Charles S. Spritz. 
Stanton & Scott. 
Stevenson & Stevenson. 
George W. Stillwell. 



William F. Stilz. 
George W. Stubbs. 
Horace G. Study. 
James Sulgrove. 
William Sullivan. 
Sullivan & Jones. 
Lucius B. Swift. 
Talbott & Wheeler. 
John S. Tarkington. 
Taylor, Rand & Taylor. 
La Frank R. Teed. 
Harrison T. Tincker. 
Tobin & BIcCray. 
John W. Tomlinson. 
Thomas J. Trusler. 
Turpie & Pierce. 
Richard S. Turrell. 
Flavins J. Van Vorhis. 
Joseph W. Walker. 
William & Lewis Wallace. 
William B. Walls. 
John C.Wells. 
Williams & Johnson. 
Harry L. Wilson. 
Oliver M. Wilson. 
Wilson & Wilson. 
George W. Winpenny. 
Bennett F. Witt. 
William Watson Woollen. 
Frank M. Wright. 
George B. AVright. 
Granville S. Wright. 
Augustus B. Young. 
John Young. 



I 




— "-^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



215 



CHAPTER IX. 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS— (Con(m»erf.) 
BANKS, BANKERS, AND INSURANCE. 

For twenty-five years the old State Bank and its 
Indianapolis branch furnished the best and the only 
safe paper currency in the State. The hard times of 
1841 to 1845 were alleviated to some extent by the 
issue of " State scrip," and until the Free Banking 
Act of 1852 the only home currency we had was 
made up of State paper and State Bank paper. The 
beginning of this serious crisis in the condition of the 
State and Marion County occurred while Nathan B. 
Palmer was in the State Treasury, the end of it 
while Samuel Hannah was there, when the progress 
of the old Madison Railroad gave promise of a new 
era. 

Hon. Nathan B. Palmer was born at Stoning- 
ton, Conn., Aug. 27, 1790, and by the death of his 
father left an orphan at the early age of ten years. 
Subsequent to this event his mother removed to New 
York State, accompanied by her son. Here he grew 
to man's estate and married Miss Chloe Sacket, who 
aided not a little to her husband's success in life. 
The newly-married pair removed to Pennsylvania in 
1812, in which State Mr. Palmer was elected to more 
than one office of trust and honor before his thirtieth 
year, in each of which he acquitted himself with 
credit. More than two-thirds of a century ago Mr. 
Palmer came down the Ohio River and settled in 
Jefferson County, Ind., where he resided for four- 
teen years, and during this period was chosen to 
represent his county in the State Legislature. In 
1833 he was elected Speaker of the House, and dis- 
played marked ability as an eificient and just presiding 
officer. In 1835 he became a permanent resident of 
Indianapolis, having been chosen to fill the responsible 
office of State Treasurer. As a public servant, having 
large and important trusts in his hands, his career 
was marked by the most scrupulous integrity and 
exactness. While in charge of the State finances 
large amounts of scrip were issued and used as a 
circulating medium. He was in 1841 made ex- 
aminer of the State Bank and its brandies, and in 



this responsible position manifested the same ability 
and shrewdness that had characterized his previous 
official career. He was during his lifetime identified 
with more than one public enterprise of moment, and 
took a leading part in both local and State politics. 
Having the sagacity to discern that railways must 
eventually supplant canals, he was an energetic 
mover in the construction of railroads in various parts 
of the State, and by his example and efforts gave this 
class of improvements an impetus which was long 
after felt in Indiana. The construction of the old 
Madison and Indianapolis Railroad, the first in the 
State, was in no small degree the result of Mr. 
Palmer's exertions, and the company for a number of 
years had the benefit of his services as president and 
chief executive officer of the line. He was during 
his life a member of the Democratic party, though 
his integrity and ability were such as to command 
the political support of those not identified with his 
own party. The death of Mr. Palmer occurred April 
13, 1875, and that of Mrs. Palmer, June 10, 1871. 

Their children are Charles C, Aurelia E., William 
S., Jane C, Jerome W., Louisa S., Jane M., Minerva 
A., Trumbull G., Blackford M., Marshall E., Edward 
L., Nathan B., Jr., and Mary L. 

Samuel Hannah was born Deo. 1, 1789, in the 
State of Delaware. At six years of age he removed 
with his father's family to Brownsville, Pa., on the 
Monongahela River, thirty miles above Pittsburgh. 
He was married July 11, 1811, to Eleanor Bishop, 
who died Sept. 26, 1864. Their family numbered 
eleven children, four daughters and seven sons. 
Anna married Gen. Solomon Meredith, Eliza married 
Hon. John S. Newman, Sarah married Rev. Dr. F. 
C. Holliday, Ellen married Dr. John M. Ross, Alex- 
ander M. married Elizabeth N. Jackson, Henry R. 
married Jerusha Cain, William P. married Margaret 
A. Dunham. James, Israel, Thomas, and Septimus 
died in youth. In the spring of 1815, with his wife 
and two children, Mr. Hannah went in a fiat-boat to 
Cincinnati, and thence by wagons to Warren County, 
Ohio, where he taught school for two years, number- 
ing among his pupils some who were afterwards dis- 
tinguished in the learned professions and other vo- 
cations. 



216 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



He left Ohio in 1817, settling in what is now 
Washington township, Wayne Co., Ind., and resided 
on his farm until December, 1823. Having been 
elected sheriff of Wayne County, he removed to 
Centreville, the county-seat. Belonging to the So- 
ciety of Friends, and conscientiously opposed to the 
collection of fines for refusing to do military duty, 
he resigned his ofiSce in the spring of 1825. The 
following August he was elected as a representative 
to the Legislature. He declined a re-election, but 
was in 1826 elected a justice of the peace, which 
office he held about four years. The county business 
being then done by the board of justices, he was 
chosen and continued president of the board until 
1829, when the board of county commissioners was 
restored. He was appointed postmaster at Centre- 
ville under the administration of John Quincy Ad- 
ams, and held the office until removed under that of 
Andrew Jackson, in 1829. He was one of three 
commissioners appointed by the Legislature to locate 
the Michigan road from the Ohio River to the lake, 
and to select the lands secured to the State by a 
treaty with the Indians, held on the Upper Wabash 
in 1826. In 1830 he was elected clerk of Wayne 
County, and served seven years. In 1843 he was 
again elected to the Legislature. In December, 1846, 
he was elected by the Legislature, treasurer of State, 
and served three years. After his election to this 
office he removed to Indianapolis, where he resided 
until his death, with the exception of a residence of 
about two years at Centreville during the construction 
of the Indiana Central Railway. In March, 1851, 
he was chosen first president of the company, but 
resigned in July following. He was the same sum- 
mer elected treasurer of the Indianapolis and Belle- 
fontaine Railroad Company. In May, 1852, he 
accepted the office of treasurer of the Indiana Cen- 
tral Railway Company, and held the position until 
January, 1864, when he retired from active life. He 
died Sept. 8, 1869, aged nearly eighty years. 

Contemporaneously with Mr. Palmer in the treas- 
ury, Morris Morris, one of the pioneers of 1821, and 
one of the most esteemed citizens of any period, held 
the office of State auditor. During his administration 
pretty much all of the State scrip issued at all was 



put out and into the currency of the State. He con- 
tinued in the office fifteen years, from 1829 to 1844. 
Morris Morris was a grandson of James Morris, 
who with his brothers John and Morris came from 
Wales and early settled in Virginia. Morris, the 
grandson, was born in Monongahela County, Va., in 
1780, and removed in youth with his parents to 
Fleming County, Ky., where he remained until forty 
years of age. He received a thorough English edu- 
cation, chose the law as a profession, and practiced 
for many years. In 1803 he was married to Miss 
Rachel Morris, a descendant of John Morris above 
mentioned, and unwilling to rear his family amid the 
influences of slavery, he in 1821 removed to the 
free State of Indiana. Prior to this change of resi- 
dence he abandoned the practice of law, giving as a 
reason the fact that the pursuit of his profession in- 
terfered with the Christian life he desired to lead. 
He did not judge others by the same rule, but be- 
lieved it in his own case to be the only course in 
harmony with his convictions. This incident might 
be taken as a key to his character. He was consci- 
entious to a rare degree, and could not be swerved 
from his idea of right. At the same time he never 
arraigned others at the bar of his own judgment. 
His standard was for himself only. On his arrival 
in Indianapolis, which had just been fixed upon as 
the capital of the new State, he bought land largely 
within and without its limits, and was among the 
most active in advancing the growth of the new set- 
tlement. The history of the city shows for the first 
score of years few events of public concern in which he 
was not prominent. In 1828 he was elected auditor- 
of State, and for sixteen successive years re-elected to 
the same office. In 1832 he was one of the three 
commissioners who had in charge the building of the 
State-House. His son. Gen. T. A. Morris, laid out 
the grounds, and nearly half a century later is the 
commissioner in charge of the erection of the new 
State-House on the same spot where stood the old, 
and Morris M. Defrees, a grandson of Morris Morris, 
as civil engineer laid out the grounds. After his 
career as auditor of State had ended, Mr. Morris 
retired to private life and engaged in no business 
other than the care of his property, which had in the 




gri^^^ 



C/^;^'^ 




(^.'^t-i^y ^^ CS^vv^l^ (^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



217 



growth of the town become a large estate. In his 
mature years he became a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and until his later life was active 
in the advancement of its interests. Mr. Morris died 
in 1864, in his eighty-fourth year. The death of his 
wife the previous year, at the age of seventy-six, 
ended their married life of sixty years, eight children 
having been born to them. Mr. Morris was a man 
of commanding presence, and in his prime exceed- 
ingly robust and active. He was noted for clearness 
of judgment and the union of remarkable decision of 
character with rare gentleness. 

The State officers resident in the capital as citizens 
prior to their election and necessary official residence 
have not been many in recent years, the disposition 
of parties inclining to select candidates outside of the 
city for the advantages of local influence, but among 
those nominated from the city latterly is Mr. J. J. 
Cooper, the present State treasurer, whose character 
and services can be appropriately noticed, in this con- 
nection, with the State officers of the last generation. 

John James Cooper. — The subject of this sketch 
is the present treasurer of the State of Indiana, hav- 
ing been chosen to this important position at the 
November election of 1882 by over ten thousand 
majority. Mr. Cooper is a true type of the men 
selected in Indiana by the Democratic party for her 
standard-bearers, a man from the people, who from 
personal experience understands the needs of the 
masses to whose wants he has been called to 
administer. 

His life bears witness to the simplicity of Ameri- 
can character and the sovereignty of American citi- 
zenship, having been in his youth " a hewer of wood" 
in every sense of the term. He has always been 
equal to the emergency, and that emergency has 
never been sufficient to call into action the extrem- 
ity of his resources. He is the son of James Cooper, 
of old Virginia stock, whose father was Robert Cun- 
ningham Cooper, an officer in the Revolutionary war. 
His mother's name was Virginia Du Witt, who, as 
her name indicates, was of French origin, her parents 
coming to this country with a colony who accompa- 
nied Gen. Lafayette from France. James Cooper, 
the father of the subject of this sketch, was a promi- 



nent and successful farmer in Ripley County, Ind., 
and reared a large family of children, all the survivors 
being now active and useful members of society. 

Mr. Cooper's parents moved from Scioto County, 
Ohio, to Ripley County, Ind., in the year 1827, and 
encountered all the difficulties and privations of a 
pioneer life. Here their son John was born on the 
20th day of January, 1830. Here he was reared, 
and, as might be supposed, obtained only the meagre 
education which that period and the surrounding 
circumstances afforded. But such natures as his are 
difficult to discourage or suppress. His quick and 
accurate judgment, his clear mental faculties, and 
an indomitable energy eminently fitted him for a 
successful career. In the year 1852 Mr. Cooper 
married Sarah F. Myers, his present wife, who is 
the daughter of James Myers, Esq., of Jennings 
County, Ind., who afterwards moved to Kokomo, 
Howard Co., where he remained for six years, and in 
1864 made the city of Indianapolis his home. Mr. 
Cooper has three children living, — Charles M. Cooper, 
an attorney-at-law in Indianapolis, Virginia E., and 
Carrie M. 

To be a successful man means devotion to the 
work in hand. This devotion and untiring energy 
has made Mr. Cooper eminently successful in busi- 
ness affairs. He has always been a trader and 
farmer. After moving to Indianapolis he became 
engaged extensively in the stock business, and for 
several years bore an enviable reputation as one of 
the best judges of a horse in the State, possessing 
the rare faculty of " looking a horse over" in a 
minute. This gift contributed largely to his suc- 
cess in this business. Much of his time is given to 
farming, his greatest pleasure being derived from 
frequent visits to his large farm near the city, and 
the supervision of his fine stock thereon. 

In politics he has always- been a Democrat, and 
taken an active part in all the political campaigns 
of his party since his youth. In the contest of 1876 
he ran as the Democratic candidate for sheriff of Mar- 
ion County, but was defeated, as was the whole 
Democratic ticket. In 1882 he was nominated at 
the State Convention for Treasurer of State, was 
elected, and assumed the office Feb. 10, 1883. His 



!1S 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



acquaintance with prominent men in Indiana is 
very large, as also with the distinguished men of 
his party over the whole country. His frank man- 
ner and genial character have made him numerous 
friends. Coupled with these characteristics is a firm 
will and great steadfastness of purpose. He is a 
gentleman of fine physique, standing six feet two 
inches in height, and finely proportioned, a splendid 
type of physical manhood, and possessing the superior 
quality of heart as well. He also evinces marked 
decision of character, a quality which, while it has 
not detracted from his popularity, has aided him 
greatly during his active life. Mr. Cooper is a 
supporter of the Third Presbyterian Church of 
Indianapolis, of which Mrs. Cooper is a member. 

A short time before the first issue of " State 
scrip" a Mr. John Wood, who was concerned with 
Mr. Underbill in establishing an iron foundry here 
in 1835, put out a considerable amount of his own 
notes called " shinplasters," thinking probably that 
the storm in the East, which set in in 1837, would 
not be much of a shower here. He went down in 
the fall of 1841, after being in operation about three 
years, making about the heaviest financial smash that 
had then ever occurred here. The Free Banking 
Act brought out a good many suggestions and pro- 
jects of banking enterprises, some of which solidified 
into actual experiments and issue of bills, but none 
were very successful. 

The " Bank of the Capital," belonging to John 
Woolley & Co., was organized under the Free Bank 
Act, and began business on South Meridian Street, 
near Washington, in 1853, with Mr. Woolley as per- 
manent cashier and active business man, and Winslow 
S. Pierce and John H. Bradley as successive presi- 
dents. The nominal capital was four hundred 
thousand dollars. It went down September 15, 
1857. The "Traders' Bank," belonging to John 
Woolley and Andrew Wilson, began business on 
North Illinois Street, near Washington, in 1854, and 
suspended in a few months. The " Farmers' and 
Mechanics' Bank" was started by Col. Allen May, 
then recently State agent, and Mr. G. Lee, with the 
colonel's nephew, W. Frank May, as cashier, early in 
1854, on the ground-floor of the old Masonic Hall. 



Frank May embezzled ten thousand dollars and ran 
away. He was succeeded by 0. Williams, but the 
bank never recovered that lost money and never re- 
covered from the effect of it. The " Central Bank," 
owned chiefly by the late John D. Defrees and Ozias 
Bowen, its successive presidents, began business with 
a nominal capital of half a million dollars iu July, 
1855, in a room at No. 23 West Washington Street. 
It wound up in a year or so with no serious loss. The 
" Metropolitan Bank," started by Alexander F. 
Morrison and some associates, with John P. Dunn 
as president and Jerry Skeen as cashier, began 
business in 1855 in Blake's Block, corner of Wash- 
ington Street and Kentucky Avenue, but did little 
business beyond issuing its notes and getting them 
back. 

These are all the banks of issue except national 
banks that have been formed in Indianapolis, but 
there have been a number, some still existing, that 
were banks of deposit and loan only. The first of 
these was the " Indianapolis Insurance Company," 
chartered in 1836, with a nominal capital of two 
hundred thousand dollars, authorized to do both a bank- 
ing and insurance business. It did not do much, and 
suspended in 1840. In 1853 it was revived by the 
late J. D. Defrees, Gen. Morris, and others, and after 
six years of moderate operations suspended again. 
In 1865 it was again revived and reorganized, with a 
nominal capital of five hundred thousand dollars, by 
a new company, and has since done a large business 




BANK OF COMMERCE. 



in the old Branch Bank building, corner of Virginia 
Avenue and Pennsylvania Street. Its business is 
exclusively banking. The name was changed to the 
Bank of Commerce some five or six years ago. 




s ,a/^^=tx^^. 



Ll.^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



219 



About a year later than the shinplaster bank of 
John Wood a private bank was opened by Edward S. 
Alvord & Co. It continued in operation for about 
four years, from 1839 to 1843. At the same time, 
nearly, the late Stoughton A. Fletcher opened a bro- 
ker's office and private banking business on the north 
side of Washington Street, on the site of the present 
No. 8, subsequently removing to the opposite side of 
the street, and in 1852 to the site now occupied by 
the costly " stone front" of Fletcher & Churchman's 
bank. Timothy Richardson Fletcher was a partner 
from 1839 to 1858. On the 1st of June, 1864, 
Stoughton A. Fletcher, Jr., and Francis M. Church- 
man, who had long been employed in the bank, 
formed a partnership, and the elder Stoughton retired 
till Jan. 1, 1868, when he re-entered the bank, the 
younger Stoughton, his nephew, retiring. The heirs 
of the elder Stoughton, since his recent death, have 
taken his place in the bank, in connection with Mr. 
Churchman. 

Stoughton A. Fletcher, Sr. — The subject of 
this sketch was born in Ludlow, Vt., Aug. 22, 1808. 
He was the youngest of a family of fifteen children. 
His parents were among the hardy pioneers who 
settled the Black River Valley, on the east side of 
the Green Mountains, in the latter part of the last 
century. His father, Jesse Fletcher, and his mother, 
Lucy Keyes, were natives of Westford, Mass., and 
possessed the vigorous qualities of mind and body 
and the sturdy virtues characteristic of the New 
England fathers. The family trace their origin in 
this country to Robert Fletcher, who emigrated from 
England and settled in Concord, Mass., in 1630. 

The large family of Jesse Fletcher, most of whose 
children became prominent citizens in other States, 
were brought up in the rigorous climate, amid the 
hardships and privations of a farmer's life, in North- 
ern New England. Its cold, hard soil did not yield a 
subsistence without a degree of toil and economy 
rarely paralleled in the experience of modern pioneers 
on the Western frontier. 

Stoughton, as well as his elder brothers, was trained 
in the industrious, simple habits of those early times. 
The old farm bears to this day the marks of his hard 
labor in its substantial stone walls laid by his own 



hands. In this school he acquired a practical knowl- 
edge of agriculture which proved to be of the high- 
est value in his extensive land purchases and farming 
operations in subsequent life. His great delight in 
nature and rural -scenery is largely due, no doubt, to 
the influence of the charming landscapes amid which 
his childhood was passed. That Vermont home 
among the mountains was always the dearest spot to 
him on earth, and there, in the last years of his life, 
he spent much of his time. 

Mr. Fletcher came to Indianapolis in October, 
1831. The city at that time was not more than a 
flourishing Western village. He came without money, 
depending solely on his industry, his capacity for 
business, and the opportunity which the capital of a 
new State afibrded for advancing his fortunes. 

Before entering into business engagements he vol- 
unteered with other young men in a short campaign 
against the Miami Indians, who then occupied a por- 
tion of the State and harassed the frontier settlements. 

During the first few years of his residence in 
Indianapolis he engaged in mercantile pursuits. He 
began as an employee for others, but soon undertook 
business on his own account. Although successful 
as a merchant, his mind turned to another occupa- 
tion. Results proved that he was not mistaken in 
judging that banking was his calling. His experi- 
ence thus far was a good preparation for the real 
business of his life. He had established an acquaint- 
ance with the people among whom he was to live ; they 
had confidence in him ; he now understood thor- 
oughly the principles on which success is to be 
achieved in a new town, where hundreds were to be 
lured to ruin by the temptations of speculation. 

Mr. Fletcher began as a private banker, and con- 
tinued as such to the end of his life. He opened 
his first office in a small room on Washington Street 
in 1839. His capital in the start was small, being 
his own earnings in previous business. The rapid 
growth of the city, the great demand for money, the 
prevailing spirit of enterprise opened to him a field 
for business in which the possibilities of success were 
fully matched by the dangers of failure. But this 
was the field in which Mr. Fletcher's qualities were 
destined to shine. His business principles wore 



220 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



clearly defined and strictly adhered to. He trusted 
to the laws of legitimate banking for his success. 
Under his wise management " Fletcher's Bank" soon 
gained, and has ever maintained, the reputation of 
being one of the strongest and most conservative 
banking institutions in the country. Mr. Fletcher's 
business was by no means limited to his bank. He 
was one of the principal owners of the Indianapolis 
Gas- Light and Coke Company, of which he was one 
of the founders. He had also acquired a large 
amount of real estate, mostly in and near the city of 
Indianapolis, including many valuable farms, chiefly 
in the White River Valley, in Marion County. 

A striking quality of Mr. Fletcher's mind was his 
power to read character; he seldom erred in his judg- 
ment of men. He formed his judgments indepen- 
dently, and when he reached his conclusions he could 
not be shaken by the dissenting opinion of those who 
were about him. 

A notable trait of his business career was his 
careful attention to details. Nothing was small or 
unimportant in his estimation. He could not bear 
to see carelessness or unnecessary waste in the small- 
est things. His was an economy which despised 
nothing that had value in it, which could also coexist 
with generous living and liberal benefactions to ob- 
jects that seemed to him deserving. He was known 
in the community as an unostentatious man, simple 
in all his habits. He never sought or held public 
ofiBce. He avoided publicity, especially in his acts 
of beneficence. He was accustomed to make others 
almoners of his charities that he might not be known 
as the giver. He was broad and catholic in his 
sympathies. Churches and institutions of all faiths 
that he believed were doing good were aided by 
him. 

Even his nearest neighbors, seeing this plain, me- 
thodical man daily passing from his house to his 
place of business, might easily fail to understand 
him. He had a life outside of his business to which 
he seemed so devoted. He was a great lover of 
nature, and a close observer of her moods and habits. 
He knew the notes of birds, and had an intimate 
knowledge of their peculiarities. He used to say the 
trees and rocks around the old home of his youth 



knew him and welcomed his visits. He read with 
keen appreciation the poets of nature. 

Although he walked somewhat apart from general 
society, he discovered to his intimate friends the 
finest social qualities ; with them he was hearty and 
free and fascinating in the sparkle of his wit. He 
had a pleasant word for those engaged in his service, 
and always took an interest in improving their con- 
dition. 

Mr. Fletcher was thrice married, the first wife 
being Maria Kipp, of Western New York, by whom 
he had two daughters, Mrs. L. F. Hyde and Mrs. 
Maria F. Ritzinger. His second wife was Miss Julia 
BuUard, of Massachusetts. Two sons of the five 
children of this marriage survive, Stoughton J. 
Fletcher and Allen M. Fletcher. His third wife, 
Mrs. Julia A. Johnson, survives him. There were 
no children by this marriage. 

He died March 17, 1882, esteemed by all who 
knew him, and leaving a colossal fortune, which his 
careful business habits and unswerving integrity had 
vouchsafed to him. 

On the 1st day of January, 1857, two years before 
the expiration of the old State Bank charter, the 
president and cashier of the Indianapolis branch, Mr. 
Calvin Fletcher, Sr., — brother of Stoughton A., Sr., 
and father of Stoughton A., Jr., — and Mr. Thomas 
H. Sharpe established a bank of loan and deposit on 
the southwest corner of Washington and Pennsyl- 
vania Streets, now occupied by the fine four-story 
stone front of the firm of Fletcher & Sharpe, and 
there they carried on a very successful business till 
the death of Mr. Fletcher, in 1866, since which time 
Mr. Fletcher's sons, Ingram and Albert E., in asso- 
ciation with Mr. Sharpe, have maintained the bank 
in still more extended operations with equal success 
and security. 

Thomas H. Sharpe. — Ebenezer Sharpe, the 
father of Thomas H., was of Scotch-Irish ancestry, 
and resided in Kentucky. He was married to Miss 
Eliza Lake, of Scotch descent, and a native of Edin- 
burgh. Their children were Alexander W., Thomas 
H., Isabella M., Robina B., Eliza R., Amos H., James 
McC, and Hester A., all of whom, with the excep- 
tion of the latter, were born in Kentucky. The birth 



^^^'^S^ 




^uud/^ 



222 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of a receiver who paid all its liabilities fully. In the 
fall of 1862, Kilby Ferguson opened the " Merchants' 
Bank," at No. 2 North Pennsylvania Street, specu- 
lated in gold, and fell the next year in the summer. 
He absconded for a while, but after some years re- 
turned and settled with his creditors. In 1856, 
George S. Hamer opened an exchange and broker's 
oiBce in the basement of the American (now Sherman) 
House, put out a few " shinplasters," and found him- 
self strongly suspected and finally arrested for cir- 
culating counterfeit good paper as well as his own 
genuine good-for-nothing paper, and giving bail, dis- 
appeared finally. 

In the latter part of 1854 there came a panic in 
" free" bank business, and it disturbed all other busi- 
ness seriously. How and why it came has been related 
in the general history, but some incidents of it may 
be noted here that were omitted there. On the 7th 
of January, 1855, a convention of bankers met here 
to make such a classification of "free" bank issues, 
based on their securities deposited with the State 
officers, as would enable the public to receive and use 
them without apprehension, which was severely 
straining all forms of trade, and without any risk of 
loss. As heretofore stated, the best the convention 
could do was to designate several banks as undoubt- 
edly safe or " gilt-edged," but the more important 
question as to the safety of banks about which busi- 
ness men were uncertain, was left as unsatisfactory as 
it was found. Holders of " free" bank bills had to 
estimate them at the rate fixed by leading city 
brokers, and every man with uncertain bills in his 
hands hurried to spend them at their face or as near 
it as he could, or pay his debts with them. Those 
were the days, singular in all the annals of time, 
when a creditor was not always well pleased to see a 
debtor produce a roll of money to pay an old debt. 
A legal "tender" had to prove the value of the 
bills tendered. There was as much eagerness to get 
rid of the money of the period, from the fall of 1854 
till the summer of 1857, as there usually is to get it. 
Nobody wanted to hoard unless it was gold, and be- 
fore the war gold was a rare apparition in the ordi- 
nary business of Indianapolis. 

In April, 1856, a meeting of the business men of 



the State was held here in the hall of the House 
of Representatives to devise measures in defense of 
the community against the ungenerous, not to say 
rascally, operations of the business men of Cincinnati, 
who made it a point to run back here all the " free" 
bank bills they could get hold of and demand the 
gold for them. It made no difierence how sound 
the bank was, its bills were hurried back to it by 
these Cincinnati " horse-leech" speculators before 
they had been out a week. Of course no bank could 
stand that, and good banks began reducing or wind- 
ing up their business. The trade of the State was 
doubly embarrassed by the character of much of the 
" free" bank issues, and by the abuse of what was 
good by Cincinnati sharks. They used only their 
legal right, to be sure, but they knew it was damag- 
ing Indiana business and prostrating the chance of 
rivalry with their houses by Indiana houses. That 
was the motive of it, for there was no profit in run- 
ning home good bills forgold that was not worth more 
than a half per cent, premium. The expense was 
more than the gain. Naturally the business men of 
the city and State hated the " Hog City" — a name 
with a double significance then — as heartily as any 
one community ever did hate another without mak- 
ing a feud of it. The object of the convention was 
to change Indianapolis and Indiana trade generally 
from Cincinnati, which was universally stigmatized 
as the " Quean City," and " the meanest city on the 
face of the earth." David K. Cartter, of Cleveland, 
now chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court, 
and a number of leading business men from Toledo, 
Louisville, St. Louis, and Chicago, attended to work 
in the interest of their respective cities. The in- 
formation givere by them was not wasted. Cincinnati 
lost business that she never got again, and never 
will. 

In February, 1856, a banking-house, under the 
firm-name of Dunlevy, Haire & Co., was opened in the 
corner room of Blake's Block for the especial purpose 
of gathering up " free" bank bills and sending them 
home for gold. It was a creature of the Cincinnati 
" gougers," and did them effective service. It sent 
to Cincinnati §2,000,000 in the first three months 
after it began operations. This was one of the pro- 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



223 



Yoking causes of the convention. On the 1st of 
March, 1865, the " Indiana Banking Company" was 
formed with seven associates, F. A. W. Davis as 
president, and William W. Woollen as cashier. Its 
first location was the Vance corner, the next at No. 
28 East Washington Street, then on the completion 
of the Hubbard Block, it moved there and died. It 
had become largely the property of the late Wm. H. 
Morrison some years before his death, and he had 
later obtained a heavy interest in the First National 
Bank. After his death there seems to have been 
some imprudent management in both the connected 
banks, and rumors of weakness got abroad on the 9th 
of August, and a day or two before, causing a run on 
the 9th, and the closing of both banks. The " bank- 
ing company's" affairs were put into the hands of a 
receiver. The First National was taken hold of by 
some heavy capitalists who had previously held slighter 
interests, and made safe, with an enlargement of its 
capital. 

J. B. Kitzinger opened a savings-bank on the 
26th of March, 1868, at 38 East Washington Street, 
with A. W. Ritzinger as cashier, and has main- 
tained it in a good business ever since. In March, 
1870, Woollen, Webb & Co. opened a bank of loan 
and deposit on West Washington Street, which 
did well till the panic of 1873 caused its sus- 
pension for some months. Then it resumed, but a 
couple of years ago it became embarrassed, made an 
assignment, and closed finally. Isaiah Mansur opened 
a private bank on Bast Washington Street, corner 
of Alabama, some fifteen years ago. After his re- 
tirement from the presidency of the Citizens' Bank 
he continued there in business till his death. In 
1874 the " Central Bank" was organized by J. M. 
Ridenour and C. B. Cones, the former as president, 
the latter as cashier, with Israel Taylor as assistant. 
In 1875, B. Frank Kennedy and James A. Wildman 
purchased Mr. Ridenour's interest, and Mr. Kennedy 
became president. The original capital was $50,000, 
but was increased to $100,000 when the change was 
made in proprietorship. It failed in 1881, and went 
into the hands of a receiver. Its affairs are not 
wholly settled yet. In January, 1876, the old " In- 
diana Insurance Company" was reorganized by Wil- 



liam Henderson and others as a banking-house. In 
February, 1878, under a stress which caused some 
embarrassment, the capital was reduced, and in 1879 
the name was changed to the " Bank of Commerce," 
which it still retains, with a profitable and consider- 
able business. John W. Ray is cashier. 

In anticipation of the close of the old State Bank a 
combination of capitalists obtained a charter for a sort 
of successor, called the " Bank of the State," with sev- 
enteen branches and a capital of one million eight hun- 
dred and thirty-six thousand dollars. It began busi- 
ness Jan. 2, 1857, and continued, with fair success, till 
the establishment of the national banking system super- 
seded it. In January, 1865, after being in operation 
eight years, the Legislature authorized it to redeem 
its stock, distribute its surplus funds, and close up its 
business. It did so with convenient speed, and the 
branches became national banks in most cases, if not 
all. The first president of the Bank of the State 
was Hugh McCullooh, of Fort Wayne, afterwards 
Secretary of the Treasury. His successor was Gr. W. 
Rathbone, and James M. Ray followed last, after 
serving as cashier from the organization. Joseph M. 
Moore succeeded Mr. Ray as cashier. The branch 
in this city was organized July 25, 1855, with W. H. 
Talbott as president and one hundred thousand dol- 
lars capital (afterwards increased to two hundred 
thousand dollars). . It changed hands in about two 
years, when George Tousey became president, and C. 
S. Stevenson cashier, who left the place to become 
paymaster in the army in 1861, and was succeeded by 
David E. Snyder, and he by David M. Taylor in 
1866. Oliver Tousey succeeded George in the presi- 
dency in June, 1866, when the latter became presi- 
dent of the " Indiana National Bank," in which the 
remains of the branch bank were absorbed. It was 
wound up in 1867. The " Indiana National" suc- 
ceeded it in the corner room of Yohn's Block, north- 
east corner of Washington and Meridian Streets. 
V. T. Malott is now its president. 

VoLNEY T. Malott. — The parents of Volney T. 
Malott were William H. and Leah P. (McKown) 
Malott. The former was engaged in farming in Jef- 
ferson County, Ky., but in 1841 removed to Salem, 
Washington Co., Ind., where he embarked with his 



224 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



brother, Maj. Eli W. Malott, in mercantile ventures. 
The family settled in Kentucky soon after the close 
of the Revolutionary war, in which some of its mem- 
bers participated. The paternal grandfather of the 
subject of this sketch engaged in the war of 1812 in 
Canada, and his maternal grandfather in the Indian 
war in Indiana. William H. Malott died Nov. 5, 
1845, leaving a young widow with three small chil- 
dren,^ Volney T., Mary C, and Eli W. (an infant, 
who died one month after the death of his father). 
Mrs. Malott, in 1847, married John P. Ramsey, and 
removed with her two young children to Indianapo- 
lis. Volney T., who was born in Jefferson County, 
Ky., Sept. 9, 1838, attended first a school taught by 
John I. Morrison, and later completed a common- 
school education here, first under Rev. William A. 
Holliday, and afterwards with Professor B. F. Lang 
and at the Central High School. At the age of sixteen 
he entered the banking-house of John Woolley & Co. 
(Bank of the Capital), having previously been em- 
ployed as clerk during vacations and for a time as 
messenger in the Traders' Bank. This early apti- 
tude for business made his services in demand and 
secured a desirable position for the young man when 
he should desire to embark in the active pursuits of 
life. For a while he acted as teller of the bank he 
first entered, and in 1857 was chosen teller of the 
Indianapolis branch of the Bank of the State of In- 
diana, where he remained until August, 1862, re- 
signing to accept the position of secretary and treas- 
urer of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad, to which 
he had been elected. He was appointed State director 
of the branch bank in 1864. In 1865 he, with 
others, organized the Merchants' National Bank of 
Indianapolis, and was elected cashier, retaining the 
office of treasurer of the railroad. 

In the spring of 1870 he resigned the office of 
cashier of the bank to take charge of the construction 
of the Michigan City and Indianapolis Railroad. 
The road was completed early in 1871, and, with the 
Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville Railroad, passed 
under control of the Indianapolis, Peru and Chicago 
Railway Company (formerly Peru and Indianapolis 
Railroad Company), of which he was treasurer and a 
director. In 1875 he was elected general manager of 



the road, continuing until 1879, when he was elected 
vice-president, having charge of the road as acting 
president until 1884, when it was leased to the Wa- 
bash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad Company. In 
October, 1878, he was elected president of the Mer- 
chants' National Bank, and in 1882 sold his interest 
in the bank and resigned the presidency, purchasing 
shares in the Indiana National Bank, which was the 
successor of the branch of the Bank of the State of 
Indiana, where he was formerly teller ; he was elected 
president of the bank, which position he holds at this 
time. As an officer of the Brazil Block Coal Company, 
he has aided in the extension of the block coal trade 
to Northern Indiana, Michigan, and Illinois. He has 
taken a deep interest in the improvement of Michigan 
City harbor, and by his counsel and labor has ren- 
dered valuable aid to this important work. In July, 
1883, he was elected vice-president and manager of 
the Indianapolis Union Railway Company, lessees of 
the Belt Railroad. He is also a member of the firm 
of John Hilt & Co., wholesale ice dealers of Laporte, 
Ind., the earliest firm of exclusively wholesale ice 
dealers in the State. Mr. Malott, in 1862, married 
Miss Caroline, daughter of Hon. David Macy, of 
Indianapolis. Their children are a son and five 
daughters. The great success that has been obtained 
by Mr. Malott in his various business enterprises is 
due to his steady per.sistenoe, stern integrity, and ex- 
cellent judgment, qualities that rank him with the 
leading financiers of the State. The subject of this 
biographical sketch is in his religious predilections a 
Methodist and member of Meridian Street Methodist 
Episcopal Church, of which he is trustee and chair- 
man of the finance committee. 

The first national bank organized here was formed 
by William H. English and ten associates, on the 
11th of May, 1853, with a capital of one hundred 
and fifty thousand dollars, and the name of the 
" First National Bank," and located in Odd-Fellows' 
Hall. Its capital was increased to one million dol- 
lars in 1870, but reduced to about half some years 
later when business declined. W^illiam R. Nof- 
singer, treasurer of State in 1855, was the first 
cashier. He was succeeded by Lewis Jordan, and 
he by John C. New in 1865. The bank was re- 





^i^>^-<?< 



(^l^T^'^y^L-C^-l^T^' 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



225 



moved the following October to the Blackford Block, 
where it still is. Mr. New became president in 1877, 
purchasing Mr. English's interest, the latter retiring 
until August, 1883, when the bank became embar- 
rassed by its connection with the Indiana Banking 
Company and other co-operating troubles, and Mr. 
English, with Mr. De Pauw and Mr. Claypool, 
formed a combination to protect it and take the 
affair in their own hands. Satisfactory arrange- 
ments were made with the other stockholders, de- 
positors paid, the capital enlarged, and the bank set 
firmly on its feet again, with Mr. English as president. 

The " Citizens' National Bank" was the second of 
its class organized here. It was effected Nov. 28, 
1864, with two hundred thousand dollars capital. 
The prime mover in its organization and its first 
president was Isaiah Mansur, with Asa G. Petti- 
bone as cashier. In December, 1865, it coalesced 
with the " Fourth National Bank," organized the 
previous January by T. Richardson Fletcher, for 
many years previously a partner of Stoughton A. 
Fletcher, Sr., in the "Fletcher Bank," with Joseph 
R. Haugh as cashier, and doing business in the Yohn 
Block on North Meridian Street. A removal of the 
combined banks was then made to No. 2 East Wash- 
ington Street, and a few years later to the four-story 
stone-front building erected especially for it on the 
south side of East Washington Street, where it now 
is. Joseph R. Haugh was made cashier of the com- 
bination, which retained the name of "Citizens' 
National Bank." Mr. Mansur's health compelled 
his retirement from the presidency in 1868, but he 
subsequently opened a private bank on the corner of 
Alabama and Washington Streets, which he con- 
ducted till his death. He was succeeded by the late 
W. Canada Holmes. 

Isaiah Mansur. — The parents of Mr. Mansur 
were Jeremy Mansur, a native of New Hampshire, 
and Jane Carr, born in Virginia, who emigrated to 
Indiana in 1816, and settled in the county of Wayne, 
where their son Isaiah was born on the 14th of 
April, 1824. His father combined the occupation 
of an axe-maker with that of a farmer, in both of 
which he was known as a master of his craft. The 
family, in 1825, removed from their first location 
15 



to Richmond, Ind., when Mr. Mansur opened a retail 
dry-goods and grocery-store, and by industry and 
attention to the wants of his patrons succeeded in 
establishing a lucrative trade, whereby he gained a 
competency. He continued in business at Richmond 
until 1847, and then removed to Indianapolis, where 
he engaged in pork-packing, which, together with 
farming, was followed until his death in 1874. It 
will be readily seen that his son Isaiah, from early 
childhood, breathed an atmosphere of industry which 
left an impress upon his character, and largely 
moulded his subsequent career. His early educa- 
tion was obtained at the public schools and at the 
Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, where his studies 
were completed in 1845. While at college he was 
the room-mate of the late Senator 0. P. Morton, with 
whom a friendship was formed which lasted during 
the latter's lifetime. It was largely through his 
friend's assistance that Mr. Morton was enabled to 
finish his course, his means being exceedingly lim- 
ited. After leaving Oxford Mr. Mansur engaged 
with his father in the pork-packing business for one 
season, working as a day laborer for wages ; but con- 
cluding to make the law his profession, he entered 
the oflSce of Hon. John S. Newman, when he was 
again associated in his studies with the future Sena- 
tor Morton. After reading law for eighteen months 
his father's failing health compelled his return to 
the business, which had reached large proportions 
and required his presence. His entire attention was 
given to the pork-packing interests — -then, as now, 
one of the important industries of Indianapolis — 
until 1862, when he projected and established the 
Citizens' National Bank of Indianapolis, of which he 
became president. He continued in that capacity 
until 1868, when his connection with this bank 
ceased, and he immediately opened a private bank- 
ing-house. During the stirring times of the late 
war Mr. Mansur was appointed commissary-general 
of the State of Indiana by Governor Morton, and 
rendered valuable service to the cause of the Union, 
feeding the soldiers in camp at Indianapolis on his 
own credit when the State treasury was depleted. 
Mr. Mansur was always a consistent member of the 
Republican party, though not active as a politician. 



226 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



He was never desirous of official place, and gave his 
energies entirely to business, which aside from his 
banking enterprise included the management of a 
large amount of real estate, of which he was the 
owner. He was a man of strict business principles, 
of persistent energy, and of untiring application to 
the object in view. His industry was especially one 
of the important factors in his success. He was 
widely known as a shrewd, careful, enterprising man, 
whose integrity was unquestioned. These qualities 
rendered his career a prosperous one, and placed his 
name upon the roll of citizens who have shaped the 
business destinies of the capital of Indiana. His 
death occurred Dec. 3, 1880. A widow and two 
children survive him. 

William Canada Holmes. — William Holmes, 
the father of William Canada, was a native of West- 
moreland County, Pa., but removed at an early age 
to Ohio, and in 1821 settled in Marion County, Ind., 
where he became an influential citizen and resided 
until his death in 1858. He married Elizabeth 
Lyons and had twelve children, of whom the third 
son, the subject of this sketch, was born on the 
homestead May 23, 1826. He received a fair Eng- 
lish education, and at the age of seventeen assumed 
the management of his father's saw-mill, which he 
continued to run until he had attained his twentieth 
year. He had, besides materially assisting his father, 
acquired a small capital, and finding the business 
profitable, continued it for a period of sixteen years. 
He was married, Dec. 15, 1849, to Miss Catharine, 
second daughter of James Johnson, to whom were 
born children, — Sarah Alice (Mrs. George W. John- 
son), M. Ellen, Martha Ann (Mrs. Frank L. Fergu- 
son), Johnson Canada, Catharine Snively, Rose Han- 
nah, and two who died in childhood. In 1857, Mr. 
Holmes purchased the property known as the Isaac 
Pugh farm and built upon it an elegant residence, 
which was for many years the home of the family. 
By the purchase of an interest in the Fourth 
National Bank of Indianapolis, in 1865, Mr. Holmes 
became its president. This bank was later consoli- 
dated with the Citizens' National Bank, of which he 
also acted as president. He then formed a copart- 
nership with Messrs. Coffin & Landers, for the pur- 



pose of purchasing and packing pork, under the firm- 
name of Coffin, Holmes & Landers, which continued 
for one year, after which he became a member of the 
firm of Holmes, Pettit & Bradshaw. This firm 
conducted an extensive business in pork-packing, 
the building and grounds alone costing over one 
hundred thousand dollars. In 1880 he established, 
with his partner, the firm of Holmes & Claypool, 
proprietors of the Indianapolis Hominy Mills, having 
prior to that date been largely engaged in the manu- 
facture of staves near Cairo, 111. He was one of the 
promoters of the Union Railway Transfer and Stock- 
Yard Company, of which he was a director. Mr. 
Holmes evinced much public spirit, and in various 
ways promoted the material growth of Indianapolis. 
He donated both land and large sums of money to 
aid in the erection of manufacturing establishments. 
He was a man of great executive ability, immense 
industry, and of strict integrity. These qualities as 
a rule rendered his business ventures successful. 
He was a Republican in his political affiliations, but 
not actively interested in party differences nor a 
seeker for official honors. He was a member of the 
Central Christian Church of Indianapolis, as also his 
wife and two daughters. The death of Mr. Holmes 
occurred Nov. 27, 1883, in his fifty-eighth year. 

The " Indianapolis National Bank" was organized 
Dec. 15, 1864, with Theodore P. Haughey as presi- 
dent, and Ingram Fletcher as cashier. Mr. Fletcher 
was succeeded in 1866 by Mr. A. F. Williams. The 
capital of the bank is five hundred thousand dollars, 
its location the corner room of Odd-Fellows' Hall. 
Mr. Haughey is still president; Henry Latham is 
cashier. 

Theodore P. Haughey. — The birth of Theodore 
P. Haughey occurred in Smyrna, Del., on the 26th 
of November, 1826. Here he remained until early 
manhood and enjoyed such advantages of education 
as the neighboring schools afforded, when Baltimore, 
Md., became his home. In the spring of 1848, 
having acquired a thorough business education, he 
removed to Indianapolis, where, since that date, he 
has been actively engaged in many of its most im- 
portant interests. He at first obtained employment 
as an accountant and book-keeper, and gradually rose 





/^VV^W^^^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



227 



to more lucrative and responsible positions. In the 
year 1854 he was connected with Hon. John D. De- 
frees in the publication of the Indianapolis Journal. 
For a number of years Mr. Haughey was secretary 
and treasurer of one of the leading railroads centre- 
ing in Indianapolis. During the civil war he was 
appointed by President Lincoln collector of internal 
revenue for the Indianapolis district. This office, 
which was the only one of a political nature he was 
prevailed upon to accept, was resigned in 1864, to 



represented the Second Ward in the City Council 
of Indianapolis, and, in deference to his ability as a 
financier, was made chairman of the finance commit- 
tee. Just prior to the late war he had the pleasure 
of reporting the city free of debt. He ha.s been for 
thirty years treasurer of the Grand Lodge of Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd-Fellows of Indiana, and 
wielded no little influence in shaping the prosperous 
condition of its treasury. This is said to be one of 
the most flourishing and wealthy lodges in the Union. 




^. y 




enter upon his duties as president of the Indianapolis 
National Bank, which position he still holds, being 
the oldest national bank president in the city. He 
enjoys the reputation of being a shrewd, careful, and 
conscientious financier, living up to every obligation, 
while free from the narrow-minded prejudices of the 
mere seeker after wealth. He has ever manifested a 
deep interest in the progress of education, and for a 
number of years has been a trustee of the Asbury Uni- 
versity at Grreenoastle, and one of the supervisory loan 
committee of its fund. Mr. Haughey for six years 



Mr. Haughey is a liberal supporter of all worthy en- 
terprises, and for years has been a prominent member 
of the Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church 
of the city of his residence. He represented the 
Indiana Conference as a lay delegate in the General 
Conference held at Baltimore in 1876, and has been 
otherwise active in church and Sunday-school work. 

Personally Mr. Haughey is a gentleman of genial 
character and uniformly courteous in his demeanor. 
He is close in his attention to business, devoid of 
pretence in his manner, and considerate of the opin- 



228 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ions of others. On the 8th of November, 1853, he 
was married to Miss Hannah, daughter of C. G. 
Moore, of Newark, Ohio. Their children are two 
sons and a daughter, the latter of whom died at the 
age of six years. The elder son, Louis Chauncey, is 
engaged in manufacturing, and married to Miss Zelda, 
daughter of William Wallace, Esq. The younger 
son, Schuyler C., was named after Schuyler Colfax, a 
lifelong friend of his father. 

The " Merchants' National Bank" was organized 
Jan. 17, 1865, with one hundred thousand dollars 
capital, and Henry Schnull as president, and V. T. 
Malott as cashier. It was at first located at 23 North 
Meridian Street, and then removed to 48 East Wash- 
ington, and in the fall of 1883 to the rooms of the 
" Indiana Banking Company," in Hubbard's Block. 
In January, 1882, John P. Frenzel was elected pres- 
ident, and his brother Otto cashier. Mr. Frenzel, the 
president, has been connected with the bank sixteen 
years. He is a member of the school board and one 
of the three metropolitan police commissioners. John 
S. Newman succeeded Mr. Schnull in the presidency 
in 1866. Dr. Harvey G. Carey was for some years 
one of the leading men in the ownership and man- 
agement of this bank, but retired recently. 

Harvey Gatch Caret, M.D., an account of 
whose ancestry will be found in the sketch of his 
brother, Simeon B., was born in Shelby County, Ohio, 
on the 18th of August, 1826. He remaiijcd upon 
the farm of his father until sixteen years of age, em- 
ployed in such active labor as is incident to an agri- 
cultural life. At the age of sixteen, feeling the want 
of better educational advantages than were oifered by 
the winter terms of country schools, he left home and 
entered the academy of Harrison Maltley, in Sidney, 
Ohio, where he remained two years, and acquired a 
fair English education and enough knowledge of the 
ancient languages as to enable him successfully to 
prosecute the study of the profession upon which he 
was about to enter. Here also he formed the habits 
of systematic study and thought that moulded and 
characterized his professional life. At the termina- 
tion of his academic course he commenced the study 
of medicine with Dr. Henry S. Conklin, an eminent 
physician in that part of Ohio, where he remained 



for three years, and in the mean while attended lec- 
tures in the Medical College of Ohio, at Cincinnati, 
which embraced in its faculty some of the most distin- 
guished teachers in the country. Though qualified to 
pass a successful examination at the end of the second 
course, he was too young to be admitted to a degree, 
and at the termination of the third term of lectures, 
in a competitive examination of one hundred and 
fifty students, he was elected physician to the Com- 
mercial Hospital of Cincinnati, where he served the 
usual term of one year. The large clinical experi- 
ence thus acquired fitted him at once to take a high 
rank in his profession. 

In April, 1849, he located in Dayton, Ohio, and 
continued in the practice of his profession until 1863, 
the date of his removal to Indianapolis. Epidemic 
cholera made its appearance in Dayton soon after he 
opened his office, and, having had some experience 
with this formidable disease in the hospital, it served 
as a means of securing an early professional recogni- 
tion and practice, which came to him promptly, and 
increased until it became the most desirable and 
lucrative iu the city. The doctor found ample time 
during the early years of his professional life to culti- 
vate the literature of his profession, and was an active, 
working member of the local. State, and national 
medical societies, and was also a regular contributor 
to the medical journals of that time. Finding his 
health suffering, the doctor, notwithstanding his suc- 
cess as a practitioner, determined to divest himself of 
its exactions and devote himself to new business in- 
terests that then offered, and identified himself with 
the management of the Indiana Central Railroad as 
its superintendent. In 1863 and 1864, as contractor, 
he built the Richmond and Covington Railroad, which 
forms the present continuous line from Columbus to 
Indianapolis. Having sold his interest in the Co- 
lumbus and Indianapolis Railroad, he became a leading 
stockholder in the Blerchants' National Bank of Indi- 
anapolis, and continued his relations with this bank, as 
director, vice-president, or president, until 1879, when 
ho retired from active business. He is now a member 
of the firm of Layman, Carey & Co., where he has 
held an interest since his retirement from the bank. 
Dr. Carey was married, Nov. 25, 1851, to Mary 




Aj^ ^=c.c^ i/' ..^^^c^ 



i:::-^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



229 



Ellen, daughter of Judge John S. Newman, of Cen- 
treville, Wayne Co., Ind. Their children are Ger- 
trude N., married to Dr. Henry Jameson ; John N., 
married to Mary Stewart ; Sidney H., infant (de- 
ceased) ; and Jacob Lowe. The doctor manifests a 
deep interest in the public schools of Indianapolis. 
Professor A. C. Shortridge, Austin H. Brown, and 
the subject of this sketch drafted and secured the 
enactment of the present law under which the public 
schools of the city of Indianapolis are so successfully 
managed. He has been, with the exception of one 
term, continuously a member of the board of com- 
missioners since the passage of the law in 1871, 
and most of this period its treasurer. By patient 
perseverance and application he laid the foundation 
for a career of exceptional success in his profession, 
while a thorough scholastic training emioently quali- 
fied _him for his connection with the educational 
interests of the city. The doctor is in politics a 
Republican, having identified himself with that party 
on its formation. He has been since his twenty-first 
year a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and held official relations with the Meridian Street 
Methodist Episcopal Church, which he aided in 
building, since his residence in Indianapolis. 

David Macy has been a prominent man in several 
lines of enterprise that have contributed to the up- 
building of Indianapolis. He was one of the leading 
pork-packers before the war ; was subsequently one 
of the most prominent and efficient of our railroad 
managers as president of the Peru road, and is 
equally prominent and respected as a bank manager. 
He is now president of the Meridian National Bank, 
which was organized in 1871, with the late John H. 
Farquhar as president, and Charles F. Hogate as 
cashier. The present capital is two hundred thou- 
sand dollars. F. P. Woollen is the cashier. 

Hon. David Mact. — The Macy family are of 
English descent, the earliest representative in America 
having been Thomas Macy, who resided in the parish 
of Chilmark, near Salisbury, in the county of Wilt- 
shire, England. He embarked for America about the 
year 1635, and settled near Newbury, Mass., in 
the year 1659. Owing to the persecutions he and 
others sufl'ered from the Puritans, the island of Nan- 



tucket was purchased by them from the Indians. He 
with his family embarked the same year, and located 
where the village of Nantucket now stands. In the 
direct line of descent was Joseph Macy, who resided 
on the same spot until thirty years of age, when he 
removed to Guilford, N. C, and engaged in milling 
and other enterprises. He married a Miss Mary 
Starbuck, of Massachusetts, and had among his chil- 
dren Albert Macy, born in 1774, at Nantucket, who, 
when a child, emigrated with his parents to North 
Carolina, where he was reared. He married Nancy 
Wall, of Virginia, and had children, — Joseph, Eliza- 
beth, Hiram, David, Phoebe, William, Mahala, and 
Lydia. David, of this number, was born Dec. 25, 
1810. He removed with his parents, when but ten 
years of age, to Indiana, and settled in Randolph 
County, then very thinly settled. He labored on the 
farm of his father iintil eighteen years of age, assist- 
ing in clearing the ground, rolling and burning logs, 
making rails, and doing other work incident to the 
life of a pioneer. During the winter months a 
common-school education was acquired at the country 
school of the neighborhood. He then began work 
with Hiram Blacy, his brother, as a millwright, and 
continued thus employed for nearly three years. He 
then abandoned his trade and began the study of 
law at Centreville, Wayne Co., in the same State. 
Having applied himself with diligence for two years, 
he was admitted to the bar March 3, 1832, his 
license having been granted by Hon. Charles H. 
Test and Hon. M. C. Eggleston, the circuit judges. 
The same year he began practice at New Castle, 
Henry Co., and in 1833 he was licensed to practice 
in the Supreme Court of the State, and in 1835 be- 
came a candidate for representative in the State Leg- 
islature, to which office he was elected for that and 
the two succeeding terms. During his official career 
he was one of the most earnest advocates of the sys- 
tem of internal improvements, and supported meas- 
ures for the appropriation of funds to aid in the 
construction of railroads, canals, turnpikes, and high- 
ways in various portions of the State. No little 
credit for the achievements of Indiana in this matter 
is due to his energetic and whole-souled advocacy. 
BIr. Macy was, in 1838, elected by the Legislature 



230 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



prosecuting attorney for the Sixth Judicial District of 
the State for the term of two years. In 1840 he 
removed to Lawrenceburg, Dearborn Co., and resided 
there until 1852, practicing his profession, serving as 
mayor of the city for two years, and representing the 
county in the State Legislature for the years 1845-46. 
In 1852 he removed to Indianapolis, his present place 
of residence. Mr. Macy was, in 1855, elected presi- 
dent of the Peru and Indianapolis Railroad (I., P. 
and C. Railway Company), and, with the exception 
of a short interval, held its control and management 
until Jan. 1, 1880, when his resignation as president 
of the company took effect. In January, 1876, he 
was elected president of the Meridian National Bank, 
of Indianapolis, and continues to fill the duties of 
that oflBice. Mr. Macy is a man of unostentatious 
demeanor, frank and candid in his bearing, with the 
suavity and simplicity of the old-school gentleman. 
He is in business relations a man of untiring energy 
and unimpeachable integrity, in the State a public- 
spirited citizen, and in the church an active and 
zealous member, with liberality towards all deserving 
objects. Mr. Macy was married Jan. 17, 18.37, to 
Miss Mary Ann Patterson, of Indianapolis. Their 
only daughter, Carrie, is the wife of V. T. Malott, 
general manager of the Indianapolis, Peru and 
Chicago Railroad, which, under Mr. Macy's super- 
vision, has become one of the most popular roads in 
the State. 

In the fall of 1872 two savings-banks were es- 
tablished here, the organization of both being com- 
pleted within a few weeks of each other. One was 
the "State Savings-Bank," of which James M. Ray, 
the veteran banker, was cashier and manager ; the 
other the " Indianapolis Savings-Bank," of which 
John W. Ray — no relation of James M., but a son 
of the eloquent pioneer Methodist preacher, Edwin 
Ray — was cashier. The former was for some years 
conducted in the room of the Meridian National Bank, 
on South Meridian Street, in the " Condit Block," 
but its business increasing, it required more room 
and removed to North Pennsylvania Street. There 
it became embarrassed and was placed in a receiver's 
hands January, 1878. The " Indianapolis Savings- 
Bank," on Market Street, became embarrassed about 



a year later, and was put in the hands of a receiver 
in December, 1878. The former is about closed out 
with little loss to any one. The latter has paid a 
considerable portion of its indebtedness, but is not 
expected to pay in full. 

In this connection may be properly noticed the 
organizations and agencies for the conduct of insur- 
ance business that have been put in operation here. 
The first of these as noticed in the genera! history 
was the " Indiana Insurance Company," formed in 
1836 by the citizens of the town, with Douglass 
Maguire as president, and Caleb Scudder secretary, 
a nominal capital of two hundred thousand dollars, 
and never any business to correspond. After two or 
three suspensions and revivals, as already stated, it 
was solidly reorganized in 1865, with Wm. Hender- 
son as president, and Alex. C. Jameson as secretary, 
and made exclusively a banking institution in the 
old branch bank building. The " Indiana Mutual 
Insurance Company" was chartered Jan. 30, 1837, 
and organized in February following, with James 
Blake as president, and Charles W. Cady as secretary. 
It did well for a few years, but finally failed in 1853. 
The " Indiana Fire Insurance Company" was formed 
in February, 1851, with a nominal capital of three 
hundred thousand dollars. It did little and sus- 
pended in a few years. The " German Mutual Fire 
Insurance Company" was organized in 1854, January 
21, and has continued successfully ever since. The 
presidents have been Henry Buscher, Julius Boet- 
ticher, and Adolph Seidensticker ; the secretaries, 
Adolph Seidensticker, Valentine Butsch, Charles 
Volmer, Charles Balke, Adolph Miller, and F. 
Ritzinger. Mr. Ritzinger has long stood among 
the most respected of the business men and com- 
mercial men of the city. 

Frederick Ritzinger.- — Prominent among the 
German citizens who assisted in transforming ^Indian- 
apolis from a small town to a large city of metropol- 
itan aspirations was Frederick Ritzinger, born June 
8, 1819, at Woerrstadt, near Mayence, Germany. 

His parents had destined and educated him for the 
priesthood, but the spirit of liberalism prevailing 
among the rising generation, and the conviction that 
nature had intended him for a more active life, caused 





'"^^^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



281 



him to change his vocation over the protests of his 
parents when the time arrived. 

He devoted himself during early manhood to agri- 
culture and wine-growing. On the 15th of May, 1841, 
he was married to Miss Marianne Kamp, who still 
survives him. When the German-Catholic move- 
ment was inaugurated by Ronge in 184-t he sup- 
ported it, and also identified himself with all progres- 
sive political aspirations. From 1848 to 1850 he 
ivas one of the active and efficient supporters of the 
movement to liberalize the German Confederation, 
and consequently was imprisoned in the Castle of 
Mayence when the reactionary party triumphed. 
After his liberation he emigrated to the United 
States, and arrived at Indianapolis March 4, 1853. 

He engaged in farming in the suburbs until 1859, 
when he moved to the city and established an agency 
for the collection of claims and estates in Germany 
and the sale of foreign exchange. 

His obliging disposition, active habits, strong intel- 
lect, and wonderful sociability soon caused him to be 
sought for in public and private enterprises. He 
interested himself greatly for the independent German 
and English school, and helped to develop this enter- 
prise to a condition of great usefulness. A very 
large proportion of the children of German citizens 
were educated in this institution. At the beginning 
of the civil war he was prominently engaged in the 
organization of the Thirty-second (German) Indiana 
Regiment, and induced Col., afterward Gen., Willich 
to drill and assume its command. From 1862 to 
1873 he acted as secretary and manager of the Ger- 
man Mutual Fire Insurance Company, of Indiana, 
which during his management became well known 
and prospered by increase of business and resources. 

His house served as a social centre, not only for 
the prominent German citizens of Indianapolis, but 
for nearly all distinguished German visitors of the 
city. His own social talents, assisted by those of his 
daughter, Miss Mary Ritzinger, made the hours spent 
thei'e memorable as occasions of pleasure. 

His oldest son, J. B. Ritzinger, became the founder 
of the still flourishing Ritzinger's Bank, which after 
his premature death was continued by his two re- 
maining sons, F. L. and A. W. Ritzinser. About 



one year subsequent to the death of his son, and 
after a long and trying illness, Mr. Frederick Ritz- 
inger died on the 10th of November, 1879, sincerely 
mourned by his family and a large circle of friends. 

The "Indiana Fire Insurance Company" — the 
second one with that name — ^was organized May 9, 
1862, with Jonathan S. Harvey as president, and W. 
T. Gibson as secretary. It was located in Odd-Fel- 
lows' Hall. The " Sinnisippi Mutual Insurance Com- 
pany" was organized Nov. 18, 1863, with Elijah 
Goodwin as president, and John R. Barry as secretary. 
It kept in business till 1866, when it capsized from 
carrying too much sail, and went into a receiver's 
hands. The " Equitable Fire Insurance Company" 
was formed on the mutual plan in September, 1863, 
by William A. Peelle, then recently secretary of 
State, as president, and E. D. Olin as secretary, with 
an office in Odd-Fellows' Hall. It suspended and 
went into a receiver's hands in 1868. The " Home 
Mutual Insurance Company" was organized April, 
1864, with J. C. Geisendorff as president, and J. B. 
Follett as secretary. It suspended voluntarily in 
June, 1868, and was put into the hands of a receiver. 
The office was at 64 East Washington Street. The 
"Farmers' and Merchants' Insurance Company" was 
organized on the 1st of April, 1864, with Dr. Ryland 
T. Brown as president, and A. J. Davis as secretary. 
The office was in Blackford's Block. It stopped 
business in the summer of 1867, and closed up its 
accounts. The " Union Insurance Company" was 
organized as a stock company in 1865, with a capital 
nominally of two hundred thousand dollars, and 
James M. Ray as president, and D. W. Grubbs as 
secretary. It was opened on North Pennsylvania 
Street, but removed to Dunlop's building in 1867, 
when Elijah B. Martindale became president, and 
George W. Dunn secretary. It did not .succeed, and 
in April, 1868, it voluntarily wound up its affairs 
and dissolved. The " Home" Company, of New 
York, took its risks. The " American Horse Insur- 
ance Company" was formed in August, 1865, with 
Thomas B. McCarty, then recently State auditor, as 
president, and J. P. Payne as secretary. Its object 
was the insurance against loss from the death of val- 
uable domestic animals-. Its nominal capital was one 



232 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



hundred thousand dollars. The " Franklin Mutual 
Life Insurance Company" was formed in July, 1866, 
with James M. Ray as president, and D. W. Grubbs 
as secretary. The office was first opened at No. 19 
North Meridian Street, but in April, 1868, the old 
State Bank building, corner of Kentucky Avenue 
and Illinois Street, was purchased, and business has 
been largely and successfully carried on there ever 
since. 

The Etna Company, of Hartford, Conn., may be 
noticed here as maintaining the oldest agency in 
the city, and having erected here on North Penn- 
sylvania Street a handsome four-story building for its 
own uses and for rent. The first agent here was 
Simon Yandes, law partner of ex-Senator Oliver H. 
Smith. William Sullivan was also an early agent, 
but William Henderson held the agency longest and 
raised the business to its present level, which Mr. 
A. Abromet, his successor, has fully sustained. In 
1851 the " Franklin Fire Insurance Company," of 
Franklin, Johnson Co., was chartered, and business 
carried on there in an indifi'erent way till 1871, when 
the company was reorganized and removed to the 
city. In 1874 the present handsome building was 
erected by it for its own use and for rent. The full- 
size statue of Franklin which occupies a niche in the 
second story of the Circle Street front was made by 
a stone-cutter of the city, named Mahoney, whose 
artistic talent might make him noted in that direc- 
tion if cultivated. The capital of the " Franklin Fire 
Insurance Company" is two hundred and fifty thou- 
sand dollars. J. E. Robertson is president, William 
Wesley Woollen, vice-president, and Gabriel Schmuck, 
secretary. 



CHAPTER X. 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS— (CoiUini(e(«.) 
THE PRESS. 

On the 28th of January, 1822, Indianapolis saw 
her first newspaper. It was the most precocious 
development of the American instinct for newspapers 
ever seen in that day, and only paralleled among the 



mushroom mining towns of the last twenty years. 
The settlement was less than two years old. The 
town had been laid out but six months, and no man 
had owned a lot longer than four. It was not even 
a " yearling" village. There was no road to it, no 
way out of it, no business in it. Everybody had 
been down with the chills the summer before. No- 
body had been well enough to raise crops of any kind, 
at home or in the " big field." Starvation was held 
off only by supplies brought on horseback from White 
Water or down the river in Indian canoes. There 
was no mail and no post-office. In fact, the first 
steps towards the establishment of a mail route ap- 
pear to have been the suggestion of the first appear- 
ance of the paper. On the 30th of January, two 
days after the first publication, a meeting of citizens 
was held to provide a private mail line to the parent 
settlements in White Water Valley. The county had 
been organized but a month, and it had held no elec- 
tion and had no officers. There were not more than 
four hundred souls in the place, young and old, and 
not a hundred in the adjoining portions of the county. 
The land office had been making sales in the New 
Purchase but a single year. There could be little 
advertising patronage and no local news where every- 
body knew all about everybody else, and general news 
could not be much better with no mails. It was 
about as unpromising a situation as a new paper ever 
appeared in, but nevertheless the Indianapolis Gazette 
appeared, and kept appearing irregularly till steady 
mails and supplies made it regular, and it has ap- 
peared regularly ever since. Of its early history a 
sketch is given in the general history of the city. 
The partners, George Smith and Nathaniel Bolton, 
separated in 1823, but reunited in 1824, and contin- 
ued together till 182!), Mr. Bolton taking the paper 
alone till its sale, in the fall of 1830, to the late 
Alexander F. Morrison, who had come from Charles- 
ton that year as the representative of Clark County, 
and in the spring, after the adjournment of the 
Legislature, had remained and started the Indiana 
Democrat here. The consolidated paper took the 
name of the latest, the Democrat. It was owned 
successively by A. F. Morrison, Morrison & Bolton, 
Bolton & Livingston, and John Livingston. 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



233 



A change came upon it in 1841. Mr. Livingston 
sold it to George A. and Jacob Page Chapman, then 
recently proprietors and editors of a paper in Terre 
Haute, and they moved it to a one-story frame just 
east of the present site of Masonic Hall, from a little 
one-story brick where the News building is now, in 
July, 1841, and changed the name to the Indiana 
Sentinel. During Mr. Morrison's control of the 
Democrat, and his later connection with the Senti- 
nel m 1856, he acquired a high reputation as a writer 
of vigorous and perspicuous English, with a tendency 
to invective and personal bitterness that made his 
antagonists cautious of dealing roughly with him. 
He was one of the four delegates from this county to 
the Constitutional Convention of 1850. He died in 
1857. The Chapmans changed the character of the 
paper a good deal. They made it more a newspaper 
than it had been before, while they maintained its 
spirited attitude and action as the State organ of its 
party. On Dec. 6, 1841, when the Legislature met, 
they issued a daily edition during the session, and 
kept it up till the close of the session of 1843-44, 
carrying a semi-weekly then, as had been done by 
their predecessors of the Democrat, till the perma- 
nent establishment of the daily, April 28, 1851. In 
1846, Mr. John S. Spann became a member of the 
firm, and Chapman & Spann published the Sentinel 
till the last of May, 1850. In June of that year the 
late William J. Brown bought it, and the Chapmans 
retired from a position in which J. Page Chapman 
had achieved a national reputation. The campaign 
cry, " Crow, Chapman," " Tell Chapman to crow," was 
as frequent in Democratic meetings and in papers as 
any of the " Polk and Clay" period. ' It originated 
in the imitation of cock -crowing practiced by a prom- 
inent local Democrat of Bfiincock County by the name 
of Chapman — Joseph probably — and the mistaken 
ascription of the feat to the editors of the Sentinel. 
It helped the paper a little to its remarkable success, 
and was the suggestion of the jubilant rooster which 
now mounts the column of dispatches announcing 
Democratic victories in most of the papers of that 
party in Indiana, if not throughout the West. In 
the spring of 1853, J. P. Chapman started a weekly 
paper called the Chanticleer, — the name derived from 



the same suggestion, — with B. R. Sulgrove as asso- 
.ciate editor, and the late Gen. George H. Chapman, 
son of Jacob Page, as city editor. Mr. Sulgrove left 
it the following winter to take charge of the Journal, 
and it closed with the end of the first volume. Mr. 
George A. Chapman died soon after the sale of the 
Sentinel, and J. P. Chapman's mind became so much 
disordered that he was sent to the insane asylum in 
1855, and kept there several years till he died. It 
should be noted here that the first building erected 
especially for a paper was the Sentinel building of 
1844, on the east side of North Illinois Street, near 
the site of the Young Men's Christian Association 
Hall. 

With the retirement of the Chapmans, in 1850, 
the Sentinel establishment was divided, Mr. Brown 
taking the paper to a building on West Washington 
Street, near Meridian, and E. W. H. Ellis, State 
auditor, with Mr. John S. Spann, taking the job- 
ofSce, and going on with that business at the old 
stand. In August, 1852, the paper was removed 
to the " Tomlinson Block," opposite the "Wright 
House" now "Glenn's Block," Mr. Austin H. Brown 
having become publisher a short time before, and his 
father leading editor. On the 2d of March, 1855, 
the late Dr. John C. Walker and Charles W. Cottom 
bought out Mr. A. H. Brown, and the editorial control 
passed to Mr. Walker and Mr. Holcombe. On the 
4th of December, 1855, Mr. John S. Spann and 
John B. Norman, then of the New Albany Ledger, 
bought the paper, Mr. Norman becoming editor. He 
retained the position but six weeks, and returned to 
New Albany, when the proprietorship passed to the 
hands of Professor William C. Larrabee, then recently 
a member of the faculty of Asbury University, and 
Charles W. Cottom. Jan. 24, 1856, Alexander F. 
Morrison was associated with Professor Larrabee in 
the conduct of the paper. Mr. Cottom was city 
editor. The following August, 1856, Joseph J. 
Bingham, of Lafayette, purchased an interest, and 
the proprietorship became Larrabee, Bingham & 
Co. till Jan. 13, 1857, when John Doughty 
joined Mr. Bingham, and Mr. Larrabee retired. Be- 
tween this change and the 7th of April the old 
" Capital House" had been fitted up for the reception 



234 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of the Sentinel establishment, and made the largest and 
best newspaper building in the State. The cases and. 
other furniture were moved in, and steam started in 
the press-engine early in the evening of that day. 
The boiler was new, and through some carelessness 
' or mistake it was exploded, tearing the building into 
a chaotic mass that seemed incapable of restoration. 
A press hand by the name of Homan was killed, and 
several others injured. The publication of the paper 
was necessarily suspended, but was resumed on the 
21st, — a two weeks' suspension only, — and has never 
made a break since. Appeals for help were made 
through the Journal, and supported by other papers 
in the State, and some substantial assistance was 
obtained in this way ; but the establishment was 
weighted and embarrassed by the effects of the 
calamity for a long time. 

A company called the " Sentinel Company" took it 
after this time and retained it till 1861, when John 
R. Elder and John Harkness, publishers of the 
weekly Locomotive, joined with Mr. Bingham and 
bought it, and removed it to the old Locomotive office, 
in the building that preceded the present " Hubbard 
Block." In 1863 a three-story brick building was 
erected for it on the east side of Meridian Street, on 
the corner of the alley south of Washington, and it 
remained here in the same hands till 1865. Then 
Charles W. Hall bought it, took it back to the 
Capital House, and called it the Herald. Hall & 
Hutchinson were owners and Judge Samuel E. Per- 
kins, then recently on the Supreme Bench, was editor. 
In October, 1866, it went into the hands of a receiver, 
and was purchased in January, 1867, by Mr. Lafe 
Develin, of Cambridge City. In April, 1868, he was 
bought out by Richard J. Bright, late sergeant-at- 
arms of the national Senate, who changed the name 
back to the Sentinel, and put in Mr. Bingham as 
chief editor, a position he had held with but little 
interruption, except during Judge Perkins' admin- 
istration, since 1856. He was longer the editor 
than any man who has ever held the position, except 
Mr. Bolton, and did more than any one before him to 
give the paper the character of enterprise as a news- 
collector and ability as a partisan champion and 
organ, which it still fully maintains. Mr. Bright re- 



moved the office, in December, 1869, to the building 
he had enlarged from Wesley Chapel. In 1872, 
Mr. Bright sold to John Fishback and others form- 
ing the " Sentinel Company," and these in two or 
three years sold to a second company, partly formed 
of the first ; and in 1878, Mr. John C. Shoemaker, 
State auditor, 1871-73, became the sole owner, and 
has remained so. In his hands the Sentinel has flour- 
ished as it never did before. It is the leading Demo- 
cratic paper of the State in all respects, — of ability, 
enterprise, circulation, and influence. It has always 
been ably conducted, but never more so than in the 
hands of Col. James B. Maynard, the political editor, 
and Mr. Charles G. Stewart, the managing editor. 
The former has held his position some half-dozen 
years, and his vigorous and effective advocacy of his 
party seems likely to retain him at his own pleasure. 
Whatever objections the critical or hypercritical may 
make to his work, nobody will say that he is ever 
dull or commonplace. He writes with a vigor, earn- 
estness, and frequent picturesqueness of style by no 
means common in the columns of partisan organs. 
Mr. Stewart, the manager, was for many years con- 
nected with the extensive book-house of Bowen, 
Stewart & Co., but for the past three years or more 
has been on the Sentinel, mainly as manager, but 
nevertheless writing a good deal, with the advantage 
of wide and careful reading, cultivated literary taste, 
and a clear, easy, and graceful style, when the subject 
allows it, — not frequently the case, however, with an 
" editorial paragrapher." He has done much to place 
the Sentinel in its present popular and efficient posi- 
tion. Preceding him and Col. Maynard were Henry 
F. Keenan, Ml-. O'Connor, and Rev. Robert Mat- 
thews, under the proprietorship of the different com- 
panies. Early in the fall of 1883 the establishment 
was removed from the Circle and Meridian Street 
building to a large and commodious building on 
West Market specially fitted up for it, where it is 
better situated than ever before. This removal was 
signalized by the purchase of a six-cylinder press. 

On the 7th of March, 1823, a litttle more than a 
year after the first appearance of the forerunner of 
the Sentinel, appeared the forerunner of the Journal, 
the Western Censor and Emigra.nt's Guide, published 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



235 



and edited by Harvey Gregg and Douglass Maguire, 
two young Kentucky lawyers of recent arrival. Its 
early history is related in the general history of the 
city. Its course and success since will be briefly 
presented here. Mr. Gregg sold out on the 29th of 
October, 1824, and on the 16th of November was 
succeeded by Mr. John Douglass, State printer, who 
had come up from Corydon with the State govern- 
ment in State Treasurer Merrill's caravan but a few 
days before he made a connection which was to 
become a memorable one in the history of the 
State press. 

John Douglass was bom on a farm in Chester 
County, Pa., Nov. 12, 1787, and died in Indian- 




apolis in 1851. His mother, by the early death 
of her husband, was left in limited circumstances 
to battle alone with the pioneer life of a new and 
sparsely settled district. Like her husband, she was 
of Scotch descent, and was well, trained in princi- 
ples of right and habits of industry. In these prin- 
ciples and habits she trained her son. Her house 
was distant some four miles from- the county school, 



yet when the school was in session, which was only a 
part of the year, she sent her boy. He daily walked 
the four miles, acquiring, with the rudiments of a 
good education, firmness in purpose and energy in 
action. As he grew to manhood his mother, second- 
ing his own desire for wider knowledge than the little 
irregular school could afford, advised him to go to 
Lancaster and learn the printing business ; he could 
thus educate and at the same time support himself. 
He obtained in Lancaster what he desired, but after 
a year or two went to Philadelphia, where he readily 
found employment. In 1814 he married Maria 
Green. Six years later he emigrated with her to 
Vevay, Ind., encountering on the way such difficulties 
as only pioneers can describe. But they were young; 
he was sturdy and determined, and she was one of 
the most active and light-hearted women that ever 
left a city to find a home in the backwoods. 

The prospects of Vevay were not at this time 
encouraging. A terrible fever prevailed. Mr. 
Douglass was not established in business before he 
became a victim of the disease. His wife, watching 
with him night after night for weeks, could count 
the cabins of their neighbors on the hillsides and in 
the valleys by the lights of other watchers by the sick 
and the dead. Nearly every family in the place 
mourned the death of one of its number. 

The superstitious called the unhappy visitation a 
judgment of the Almighty on the vain though impres- 
sive ceremonies of the preceding year in honor of 
Commodore Perry. For the empty coffin that was 
carried in imposing procession then, with funeral 
dirges and orations, scores of coffins were now laid in 
silence in the graveyard. 

On his recovery Mr. Douglass removed to Madi- 
son, where, in connection with Mr. William Carpen- 
ter, he published a paper. The capital of the State, " 
however, oflTered him greater inducements, and he 
settled in Corydon. He was elected State printer, 
and with the change of the seat of government re- 
moved to Indianapolis. This last removal was 
effected in the fall of 1824, in connection with the 
State treasurer, Samuel ftlerrill. 

Mr. Douglass connected himself with Douglass 
Magiiire by buying Mr. Gregg's interest in the 



236 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Western Censor and Emigranf s Guide. The paper 
was shortly after called The Indiana Journal. Mr. 
Douglass remaioed connected with it until February, 
1843, much of the time sole editor or sole publisher. 
Under his care the Journal was modest and pure in 
tone, firm in principle, supporting good enterprises, 
and disseminating valuable information. Mr. Doug- 
lass united himself with the Second Presbyterian 
Church, under the ministry of the Rev. Henry W. 
Beecher, and in life and in death was a trusting 
and earnest believer in Christ. 

The Presidential campaign of 1840, through care- 
lessness and neglect of pecuniary obligations on the 
part of its managers in Indiana, involved Mr. Doug- 
lass in painful embarrassment. Industrious as he 
was, and upright to a scrupulous degree, he could 
not tolerate the thought of an unpaid debt with 
which his name, though by no fault of his own, 
was connected. 

The loss of a promising son at the age of sixteen, 
and of a beloved and beautiful daughter at the age of 
twenty-two, broke irrecoverably both his health and 
his spirits. During the last two years of his life he 
was the object of the deepest and tenderest solicitude 
on the part of his friends. 

Mrs. Douglass survived her husband twenty years, 
retaining to the last sprightliness of youth joined to 
the calm sedateness of age. 

" The sweet remembrance of the just 
Shall flourish when they sleep in dust." 

The children that survived their parents are Lydia 
(Mrs. Alfred Harrison), Ellen B., Samuel M. (who 
died some years ago), James G., and George W. 
Mrs. William Barkley is a grandchild, the daughter 
of the eldest son, William, who died in California. 

Closely associated with BIr. Douglass before his 
removal to Indianapolis was the late David V. CuUey, 
who worked with him on State work in Corydon, 
subsequently removed to Laurenceburg and pub- 
lished the Indiana Palladium, and removed to 
Indianapolis in 1836 permanently, on receiving from 
Gen. Jackson, whom he had always ardently sup- 
ported, the oflSce of register of the land office of the 
Indianapolis district. He lived to be one of the 



most honored and trusted of the citizens of the 
capital. 

D. V. CuLLET. — Among the men who cast their 
lot in Indianapolis while it was a struggling village 
and faintly foreshadowed its present population and 
commercial importance, the name of Hon. David V. 
Culley stands pre-eminent as one whose work has done 
much to create the history of the city. He was a true- 
hearted Christian gentleman of more than ordinary 
stability of character, sound judgment, and prudence, 
and therefore a good business man, as was evinced by 
the accumulation of a good property from no begin- 
ning other than industry and economy. His careful 
management of his own affairs, and his solid acquaint- 
ance with administration, with policy, with finance, 
recommended him to positions of trust and confi- 
dence in connection with public matters, and for 
many years previous to his last illness, which was 
protracted through several months, those duties oc- 
cupied much of his time. In his death, which oc- 
curred on Friday, June 4, 1869, Indianapolis lost 
one of her very best and foremost men, a man of 
whom it is easy to run around the circle of his vir- 
tues and difficult to find a point where the line is not 
continuous. 

David V. Culley was born in Venango County, 
Pa., near the town of Franklin. His father, John 
Culley, was of Scotch extraction, a New Yorker by 
birth and a carpenter and millwright by trade. His 
mother, Anne Sleeper, was a woman of liberal edu- 
cation. Her parents were Philadelphia Quakers, 
and she held her birthright in the church up to the 
time of her death. Here in Venango County David 
V. Culley was reared, receiving from his mother the 
greater part of all his education. He also acquired 
at least the rudiments of his trade, type-setting, 
while still a boy at home. In the year 1818 he 
with an elder brother came West, and for a time 
made a home with relatives in Elizabethtown, Ky., 
where they were subsequently joined by their father's 
family. While at this place D. V. Culley completed 
his trade, and in 1823 removed to Corydon, Ind., 
where he was employed by the late John Douglass, 
Esq., then State printer, at Corydon, the capital not 
then having been removed to Indianapolis. Even 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



237 



then, at so early an age, his integrity was conspicu- 
ous. A friend who knew him at that time relates 
that Samuel Merrill, then treasurer of State, being 
on a certain occasion compelled to leave home for a 
few days, needed a guard for the gold and silver of 
the commonwealth lying exposed in the treasurer's 
private residence. Mr. Culley, though at the time 
scarcely more than a boy and had hardly been a year 
in the State, was selected, with the friend who nar- 
rates the incident, to sleep in the treasurer's house 
and make the public money safe. About 1824 he 
removed to Lawrenceburg, Ind., which continued to 
be his residence for twelve years. 

In -the year 1825 he was married, and the same 
year was elected to his first ofiice. His wife. Miss 
Mary A. Brown, was a woman of rare strength and 
charm of character. She died, full of years and 
usefulness, on the 11th day of October, 1863, leav- 
ing three children, one son and two daughters. His 
first office was that of State senator, which he filled 
with such marked ability and fidelity that he was 
nominated by his party in 1831 for Lieutenant-Gover- 
nor on the unsuccessful ticket when Governor Noble 
was elected. He continued his work in a political 
way on the Indiana Palladium, which he and the 
late Hon. Milton Gregg established. Under their 
management it was one of the most effective papers 
in the State, Mr. Culley proving himself at once 
a writer and an editor of marked ability. About 
the year 1834 political differences finally separated 
them, Mr. Culley retaining the Palladium as a Dem- 
ocratic advocate. During this time he also served 
two or three sessions in the lower house of the Legis- 
lature. 

It is not unworthy of note in this connection, as 
an illustration of Mr. Culley's enterprise as a printer, 
that in the year 1834 he first introduced in this State 
the use of composition rollers in press-work. A year 
after this, having a good offer for his paper and 
printing-office, he disposed of them, and for nearly a 
year devoted his entire time to the study of the law, 
which he then proposed to make his profession. At 
this period, so intense was his application and industry, 
that he frequently passed the whole night in study. 

In 1836, when Martin Van Buren was elected 



President, he appointed Mr. Culley register of the 
land office, and that, together with the frequent floods 
in Lawrenceburg, decided him to remove his family 
to Indianapolis for a permanent home. Soon after 
this he connected himself with the then newly or- 
ganized Second Presbyterian Church, of which he 
became and remained a most active, consistent, and 
efficient member and elder. For twenty years he was 
clerk of the church, and for a term of years trustee. 

The city of Indianapolis was incorporated in 1838, 
and in 1841, upon the resignation of William Sulli- 
van, David V. Culley was elected president of the 
Council, though he had been but five years a resi- 
dent, — ample proof of the regard in which he was 
held, as well as of the merit that could so speedily 
command it. He was re-elected the next year, and 
the next, and was connected with the city govern- 
ment from that time until the increased infirmity of 
health compelled him to decline further service. 

On the 20th of Blarch, 1851, he was made the 
first president of the Indianapolis Gas and Coke 
Company, and it may well be said that it was through 
Mr. Culley's untiring energy and perseverance that 
gas was manufactured in the city at so early a date. 
Another example of his enterprise was in bringing 
stone from Vevay, Ind., over the Madison road, then 
the only railroad entering Indianapolis, for the pur- 
pose of putting a stone foundation under his new 
residence, the first foundation of that kind in the 
city. But his labors were mainly thrown in the di- 
rection not of his own so much as the public inter- 
ests. It was natural that such a man should be a 
patron of schools. He had a steady belief in the 
advantages of an education, and in the value and 
importance of a thorough classical training. For 
many years he was connected with the Indianapolis 
public schools as a trustee and as managing superin- 
tendent. His persistent labors in that direction will 
not soon be forgotten, now that the schools have a 
history and can look back to pioneer days. 

A leading paper, referring to his death, says, 
" His integrity and sincerity of character, as well as 
his kindness of heart, were so mai'ked, so well known, 
that he was often during the period of his active 
life selected as the guardian for minors, and though 



238 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



no duties are more irksome, more easily abused, or 
more generally thankless, he was never tainted with 
a breath of suspicion, and never failed to earn the 
heartiest affection of those he served." 

In 185-i, Mr. Culley joined what was afterwards 
known as the Republican party. During tlie opening 
horrors of the great civil war he used his pen and 
gave freely of his means in support of the govern- 
ment. An ardent lover of his country and a true 
American, he watched his country's progress with a 
warm and intelligent sympathy. One of the desires of 
his heart was to see the completion of the first Pacific 
Railroad, a work that seemed feasible to him years 
before its construction was undertaken. 

While Mr. Culley seemed habitually logical and 
serious, and had a dignity of manner that peculiarly 
fitted him to perform the duties of a presiding officer, 
no man had a keener sense or heartier appreciation 
of genuine humor. In his later years a well-thumbed 
volume of Don Quixote lay on his table along with 
a copy of Shakespeare and Milton, and many hours 
were passed in the enjoyment of its quaint drollery. 
His kindly human sympathy was remarkable, too, 
in old age. He was often found on the ice among 
the young skaters, as cheerful as any in the com- 
pany, and in the summer much time of recrea- 
tion was passed in rowing, in company with his 
friends. A day's hunting was often enjoyed ; indeed, 
the pioneer force and energy never seemed to desert 
him. But, after all, the strength and beauty of his 
life was to be found in his obedience to the Divine 
law, in his just estimate of his fellow-men, and his 
kindly feeling toward them. From the distant stand- 
point in which we measure his character in its full 
proportions, David V. Culley seems to have had that 
perfectness, that uprightness of which the Scriptures 
speak, for the end was peace. He died as he lived, 
without fear and without reproach. 

On the 11th of January, 1825, the TFes/erw Censor 
and Emigrant's Guide wa.s enlarged to a super- 
royal sheet, and the name changed to the Indiana 
Journal, which it still retains fur the weekly edition, 
while the daily is the Indianapolis Journal. Mr. 
Maguire was editor a year or so after the change, 
and was succeeded in 1826 by Samuel Merrill, State 



treasurer, who kept editorial direction till 1829. 
Mr. Douglass neither then or at any time meddled 
much with editorial work. He was the business 
man, and the backbone of the paper, and contented 
himself with doing only what he knew he could do 
better than anybody else. In the fall of 1829, Mr. 
Maguire resumed his connection with the paper, and 
continued as editor till 1835, when he sold his in- 
terest to the late S. Vance B. Noel, who took his 
place as editor. Mr. Noel had then but recently 
returned from Fort Wayne, where he had assisted 
Thomas Tigar in establishing the Fort Wayne Senti- 
nel, though he had previously worked as a printer 
on the Journal. It may be noted in passing that 
Gen. Thomas A. Morris, the real victor in the first 
West Virginia campaign, served an apprenticeship 
at the case in the Journal office with Mr. Douglass 
before his appointment as cadet at West Point 
Academy. Mr. Noel sold out to Mr. Douglass in 
1842, and the latter took Theodore J. Barnett as 
editor, a man of unusual ability, and quite as effective 
a speaker as he was a writer. He figured as promi- 
nently on the stump in the Presidential contest of 
184ri as any Whig orator in the State, and he was 
incessantly busy with his pen when he gave his 
tongue a rest. His partisan zeal readily took an 
aspect of personal enmity, and he and the Chap- 
mans quarreled through their respective papers in 
a way that ill became the standing of either, and 
once Barnett drew a pistol on Page Chapmam in the 
post-office, where Bowen & Stuart's bookstore is now. 
This personal malice magnified a little innocent affair 
into a felony by Mr. Barnett, and harassed him 
seriously at times. One Saturday evening he could 
not find Mr. Noel, and wanted a pound of butter to 
take home. He wrote an order for it on the grocer 
in Mr. Noel's name, as he was authorized to do in 
such a strait, and got the butter. The Sentinel 
learned that he had signed Mr. -Noel's name to the 
order and charged him with forgery. There was no 
semblance of forgery or imitation of handwriting to 
create a deception, but a mere formal note or memo- 
randum for the grocer to make up his account from, 
duly authorized by Mr. Noel. For two years that 
" pound of butter" and " forged order" made as 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



239 



prominent a feature of local polities as the tarifif did 
of national polities. There has been a decided im- 
provement in the tone of the city press since then, 
at least in the matter of personal controversies. 

Mr. Noel bought Mr. Douglass out entirely in 1843, 
still retaining Mr. Barnett, and held the establishment 
till February, 1846. Mr. Douglass never entered into 
business again after the sale in 1843. Mr. Kent suc- 
ceeded Mr. Barnett as editor under Mr. Noel's owner- 
ship, but remained only a few months, when the late 
John D. Defrees became editor in March, 1845. In 
February, 1846, he purchased the establishment of 
Mr. Noel, and was the proprietor and editor till Oct. 
20, 1854. His long connection with the Journal, 
extending from March, 1845, to October, 1854, has 
identified him more closely with it than with any 
other enterprise in. which he was concerned, at least 
among the people of Indianapolis. 

Hon. John D. Deprees was born at Sparta, 
Tenn., Nov. 8, 1810, and was eight years old when 
his father moved to Piqua, Ohio. In his fourteenth 
year he was apprenticed to the printer's trade. After 
serving his time he studied law in the office of Tom. 
Corwin, at Lebanon, Ohio, and in 1831 removed to 
South Bend, where with his younger brother he 
began the publication of a newspaper. He became 
prominent in politics as a Whig, and was several 
times elected to the Legislature. In 1844 he sold his 
South Bend newspaper to Schuyler Colfax, whom he 
had given a start in life, and removing to Indian- 
apolis, the next year bought the Indiana State Jour- 
nal, which he for ten years edited. In 1861 he was 
appointed by President Lincoln government printer, 
and held the office until President Johnson, angered 
at some criticism of his, removed him. Congress 
made it a Senate office, and he was reappointed in 
thirty days. He held it until 1869, when his oppo- 
sition to Gen. Grant and enmity to the late Senator 
Morton afforded them an occasion which they im- 
proved by turning him out. At the coming in of 
President Hayes he was appointed again to the same 
place, which he held until declining health compelled 
his resignation. This framework of a life seems 
plain enough, but as every one's skeleton is the same, 
the difference in appearance being the filling in of 



the flesh, so in this life there was a side which to 
those who knew him best and saw most of it became 
an inspiration. He was a natural political student 
and had the gift of political management, and the 
associates of his early days speak of his rare sagacity 
and his untiring energy. He was chairman of the 
State committee, and always the adviser and general 
conductor of affairs. He could unite two or three 
antagonisms into a common purpose, and when there 
were factional or personal differences Mr. Defrees 
was called on to restore good feeling. He had the 
keenest sense of humor, which his pluck and ceaseless 
activity were ever ready to carry into anecdote or 
practical joke. His energy from his earliest to his 
latest days was remarkable. His newspaper at South 
Bend was the first one in northern Indiana, and at 
every turn of affairs he was seeking some new im- 
provement. " Progress" seemed to be his watchword. 
He was the first man in the State to use steam to 
drive a printing-press, the first to' use a caloric engine 
for the same purpose, the first to see the value of the 
Bullock printing-press and encourage the inventor, 
the first to use the metallic stretching machine for 
binding, and the first to use the Edison electric light, 
except the inventor. At every step he looked still 
ahead, and never seemed to doubt the ability or 
genius of man. This faith, stronger than one 
meets in a lifetime almost, and utterly free from 
sordid motives, often made him the victim of design- 
ing or deluded men. This faith in progress and 
faith in human kind, and this restless energy which 
halted at nothing, permeated and colored his whole 
life. It supplied for himself the deficiencies of early 
systematic training. What the experience of the 
printer's trade and the acquisitions of a young law 
student might give in the way of knowledge were, it 
may be imagined, of themselves barren enough. But 
to him these were the keys with which he might 
unlock learning's storehouse. Books were his delight. 
He overcame the lack of a classical education by a 
thorough study of translations, and the lore of Greece 
and Ronje were his familiar acquaintance. He was 
especially fond of history, and there were few classical 
works in this line, ancient or modern, he did not 
know. He was a deep political student, and particu- 



240 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



larly knew the political history of his own country 
as few know it. He was an unwearied student, and 
thus as the years went on he became equipped with 
all the mental outfit of a gentleman. He had a cor- 
rect literary taste, and was as quick to discern genius 
or special talent here as in other things. He wrote 
with a perspicuity and with a terse Saxon force rare 
in these days. Those who were near to him or came 
in contact with him in the direction of affairs he 
acted upon with the characteristic qualities of his 
nature. He left his impress. He was an influence, 
and many there are who can rise up and call him 
blessed, in the memory of the chaste and elevating 
force that influence was. He was a man of the rarest 
courage — a courage that seemed to have no weak 
side, mental, moral, or physical. The farthest pos- 
sible remove from a brawler in his nature, an ac- 
quaintance with him never failed to make it plain 
that he would fight on call. This, coupled with the 
knowledge that he was a " dead-shot" with a rifle, 
perhaps conspired to make a career among the tur- 
bulent scenes of politics singularly free from personal 
disturbances. His mental courage, his never-failing 
faith in the power of attainment, have already been 
spoken of. His moral courage, as is shown forth in a 
life free from dross as few lives are, was rare indeed. 
He had the loftiest sense of honor, and the hottest 
anger and bitterest contempt for a dishonorable, dis- 
honest, or mean thing, and condemnation of such 
leaped to his lips in a moment, for he had all the 
quickness of the nervous temperament. But so pa- 
tiently did he work for its control that in his later 
life few knew from the calm exterior the rage that 
took hold of him at the sight of a wrong or meanness. 
His integrity was flawless. He had not merely 
the heart to mean rightly, but the head to do rightly, 
and in his daily walk and conversation he was truth 
and honesty incarnate. This is the testimony of those 
who knew him as he lived among them. All his 
life Mr. Defrees had not been a professor of religion, 
but if religion is a life he was one of its noblest 
exemplars. He was twice married, having by his 
first wife a daughter, Harriet (Mrs. Cyril Oakley, of 
New Orleans). His second wife was Miss Elizabeth 
Morris, daughter of Morris Morris, of Indianapolis, 



to whom were born children, — Morris M.,Lulie, John 
D. and Anthony C., twins, and Thomas M. The 
death of Mr. Defrees occurred at Berkeley Springs, 
W. Va., on the 19th of October, 1882. 

Early in the year 1854, Mr. B. R. Sulgrove joined 
Mr. Defrees in the editorial conduct of the Journal, 
and in a few days was given the entire direction, 
Mr. Defrees confining his labors to the business de- 
partment. Mr. Sulgrove had been a contributor to 
the Journal frequently during the preceding three 
or four years, had written a series of sketches of the 
Constitutional Convention of 1850 for the Loco- 
motive under the name of " Timothy Tugmutton," 
had written the leading articles for the Hoosier 
City, a little paper published by the apprentices in 
the Jbwrraa/ office in 1852, and had been associated 
with J. P. Chapman in the Chanticleer. At that 
time no press dispatches were received here, the tele- 
graph reports being cut from the evening papers of 
Cincinnati when received the same night. No attempt 
had ever been made to report the next morning the 
occurrences of the night before. When tlie Eagle 
Machine- Works were first burned in 1852, Mr. J. H. 
McNeeley, then city editor of the Journal, while re- 
turning home from the fire, which was early one sum- 
mer night, stopped at the ofiice, took the forms from 
the press, removed some indifferent paragraph of news, 
and set up and inserted a brief notice of the firi\ Its 
appearance next morning was a phenomenon in Indian- 
apolis journalism. This was reformed under the new 
administration of the Journal. City Council proceed- 
ings were reported the same night and published next 
morning. So were occasional lectures and other enter- 
tainments. In 1855 the " Old Settlers' Meeting" held 
on the lawn of Calvin Fletcher's residence, on Virginia 
Avenue, was reported verbatim — the speeches getting 
the due allowance of " laughter" and " applause" — to 
the extent of five columns. It was the first attempt 
of the kind, and the revolution in the old-fashioned 
ways of the local press was an accomplished fact. 
Thenceforward the morning had to see the night's 
doings duly reported. During the earlier part of the 
Crimean war telegraphic press dispatches were re- 
ceived, but in no such convenient form or attractive 
abundance as now. John F. Wallick, the present 




/^/.-T'^iar-^Z^e^^^^-C.^^ 



CtTy OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



241 



Buperintendent of the Western Union, received the 
reports on a long ribbon of paper that he had to haul 
out of a big box after it had passed along under the 
Morse marker, and read to a copyist from each of the 
papers, usually Mr. Eugene Culley for the Sentinel, 
and Mr. Sulgrove for the Journal. The latter was 
then alone and had all the work to do, from writing 
leaders to making up mail items, book reviews, city 
reports, and copying telegraph. The dispatches were 
often greatly confused. The yacht of the New York 
Associated Press would board a steamer off Cape Race, 
and receive a news summary ready made up to be 
telegraphed by the land line to New York and 
over the West ; and it was no unusual thing for a 
home report to split a foreign one, and leave the frag- 
ments an hour apart, with a tired editor at midnight 
to pick up the pieces and patch up an intelligible dis- 
patch from them. It was not till about 1856 or 1857 
that Coleman Wilson received the first reports by 
sound, and made life a little less burdensome to the 
overworked editor by supplying manifold copies. In 
1856, Mr. Barton D. Jones obtained a portion of the 
stock and became city editor, a position he held with 
decided service to the paper and his own reputation 
till he gave it up to enter the army in 1861. Austin 
H. Brown was for a time city editor during the war, 
also Daniel L. Paine, now of the News. 

In October, 1854, Mr. Defrees sold the Journal, 
both the paper and the job-office, to the " Journal 
Company," consisting of the late Ovid Butler, Joseph 
M. Tilford, James M. Mathes, and Rawson Vaile. 
Mr. Mathes had been for some years publishing a 
religious monthly called the Christian Record in 
Bloomington, and Mr. Vaile had been publishing a 
free-soil paper in Wayne County. Mr. Sulgrove 
retained the editorial control. Mr. Vaile gave his 
time to the counting-room chiefly. In 1858, Mr. 
Sulgrove purchased Mr. Butler's interest, and subse- 
quently a majority of the stock, which he sold, in 
anticipation of going to Europe, in 1863. But he 
retained editorial direction till the summer of 1864, 
having been the chief editor then for more than ten 
years. On his return from Europe in 1867 — he had 
gone there with Governor Morton in the fall of 1865 
— he again took charge of the Journal for some 
16 



months, and on several subsequent occasions, when 
the proprietors were at a loss for a temporary man- 
ager, he gave them such assistance as he could, and 
till 1880 was more or less constantly connected with 
the paper as editorial writer. In 1858-59 the Jour- 
nal paid Mr. Devens, of Massachusetts, for a weekly 
summary of the features of valuable patents and im- 
provements of machinery, and this was, probably, the 
first " outside" work that an Indianapolis paper had 
ever paid for at that time. Contributions and corre- 
spondence were gratuitous wholly for many a year 
after 1858, except where special value secured a 
special remunerative arrangement. Till 1860 the 
office was on Pennsylvania Street, where the 
" Fletcher & Sharpe Block" stands, having been 
removed there from No. 8 West Washington Street, 
the "Sanders Block," in 1849 or 1850. During Mr. 
Noel's time and a portion of that of Mr. Douglass it 
was on the south side of Washington Street, where 
the " Iron Block" is, in a two-story frame. It was 
first published in a frame on the north side of Wash- 
ington, opposite the " Washington Hall." In 1860 . 
the four-story brick on the southeast corner of Circle 
and Meridian Streets was built for it by the company. 
In digging the cellar a son of Mr. William 0. Rock- 
wood was killed by the accidental caving in of the 
sandy wall. The house was occupied directly after 
the Presidential election of 1860. In 1864 the 
company sold to William R. Holloway & Co., and 
Mr. Holloway became editor, with the late Judge 
Horatio C. Newcomb as political editor. He had 
held the same position for some weeks previously 
after the retirement of Mr. Sulgrove. In February, 
1865, James G. Douglass, a son of the old proprietor, 
and Alexander H. Conner, associated themselves 
with Mr. Holloway under the name of " Holloway, 
Douglass & Co." In the winter of 1866 the late 
Samuel M. Douglass joined his brother James and 
Mr. Conner and bought out Mr. Holloway, retaining 
possession, as "Douglass & Conner," till 1870. In 
1866 they purchased the old First Presbyterian 
Church, — Dr. P. D. Gurley's, — northeast corner of 
Market and Circle Streets, and built the eastern half 
of the present Journal building, — the western half 
was built by Col. Ruckle about ten years later, — and 



242 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS ANT) MARION COUNTY. 



moved into it early in 1867. Lewis W. Hasselman 
and William P. Fishback bought the establishment, 
and Mr. Fishback became editor in June, 1870. Mr. 
Holloway, then postmaster, purchased a sixth inter- 
est. Mr. Hasselman gave his son Otto a sixth inter- 
est, and Mr. Thomas D. Fitch purchased a sixth, and 
this combination held possession till January, 1872, 
when a second " Journal Company," consisting chiefly 
of Jonathan M. Ridenour and Gen. Nathan Kimball, 
late State treasurer, bought out Hasselman, Fishback 
& Co., and carried on the business for over two years. 
They procured a " Bullock Perfecting Press," the 
first ever brought to the State. In 1874-75, Nicho- 
las Ruckle, recently sheriff of the county, obtained a 
' controlling interest in the company, and Mr. Ride- 
nour left it. Mr. Ruckle retained the business man-, 
agement till 1876, when he sold the paper — retaining 
the job establishment — to E. B. Martindale and 
William R. Holloway. He subsequently sold the 
job department to Hasselman & Co., who still keep 
it in the same place. Elijah B. Martindale and Mr. 
Holloway removed the paper soon after their pur- 
chase to the corner room of the Journal building, 
then recently erected, but afterwards removed it to 
the " Martindale Block," on Market Street, where it 
is yet. In 1880 it was purchased by John C. New, 
assistant United States treasurer, and his son Harry, 
who still hold it. 

The editor of the Journal now, and for the last 
two or three years, is Elijah W. Halford. His first 
connection with it was in the latter part of the war, 
as city editor. During a portion of Mr. A. H. Con- 
ner's tenure of the tripod Mr. Halford was the work- 
ing and thinking man, and demonstrated an unusual 
capability for hard work and close attention, with a 
liberal share of literary ability, and the instinct for 
news that makes the editor, who is as much " born" 
and as little "made" as the poet. When John Young 
Scammon started the Inter-Ocean, of Chicago, he 
made Mr. Halford the managing editor, a position he 
retained in the midst of much embarrassment till 
after Mr. Ridenour became business manager of the 
Journal ; then he returned here, and succeeded John 
D. Nicholas in his old position. After some years 
he left it, and took a position on the Evening News, 



which he retained for a year or two, and returned to 
the Journal after its purchase by Mr. New. For 
some time he was associated with James Paxton Luse, 
the political editor or editor-in-chief, but when that 
gentleman retired, some two years ago, Mr. Halford 
took the whole control, under Mr. New's direction, 
and has the editorial writing done wherever he can 
get it done best. The plan works well, for the Jour- 
nal has never been so uniformly well written as now, 
and never better supported, better managed, or better 
esteemed, if so well, in all its sixty years of life. Mr. 
New, though not a professional or even an amateur 
writer, occasionally does some of the most vigorous and 
striking editorial writing. Mr. Halford has been con- 
nected with the Journal more or less for ten years, — 
the longest connection any one has had with it, except 
Mr. Maguire, who was editor or proprietor twelve 
years ; Mr. Douglass, who was a proprietor for about 
eighteen years ; Mr. Noel, who was a proprietor about 
eleven years ; Mr. Sulgrove, who, as editor, proprietor, 
and editorial contributor, had a connection with it more 
or less constantly from 1851 to 1880, nearly thirty 
years ; and Col. Holloway, whose connection was 
pretty nearly continuous for about twelve years. Mr. 
Defrees' connection lasted only about nine years, and 
that of Charles M. Walker, as political editor, about 
as long. 

The Sentinel began publishing a daily on the 6th 
of December, 1841. The Journal published its 
first daily on the 12th of December, 1842, and con- 
tinued thereafter during the sessions of the Legisla- 
ture till the meeting of the Constitutional Convention 
in 1850. Then it published by contract daily ver- 
batim reports, from the official reporter, of the pro- 
ceedings of the convention, and since then (Oct. 7, 
1850) it has been continued uninterruptedly as a 
daily. It was a folio till January, 1866, when it 
appeared as a quarto, and has continued so ever since. 
The Sentinel made the same change a little later. 
The first semi-weekly edition of the Journal was pub- 
lished Dec. 10, 1828; the first tri-weekly, Dec. 12, 
1838. Two attempts have been made to publish an 
evening edition, — -one by Hasselman & Fishback, with 
the late accomplished journalist, George C. Harding, 
as editor, in 1871, and again by Judge Martindale, — 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



243 



but neither prospered and was soon abandoned. The 
Sentinel has never tried that form of embarrassment. 
In 1840, Mr. Noel and Mr. Douglass, of the Journal, 
published a campaign paper called the Spirit of '76, 
edited by Joseph M. Moore, a young Whig of distin- 
guished literary ability. In 1844 he edited a second 
campaign paper called the Whig Rifle, named from a 
well-known anecdote of Mr. Clay. In 1854 a third cam- 
paign sheet was published by Mr. Defrees, and mainly 
written by Mr. Sulgrove, called We, the People. In 
that contest was the germ of the Republican party of 
the State. In 1850, September 4th, E. W. H. Ellis, 
who, with Mr. John S. Spann, had purchased the 
Sentinel job-office, started the Indiana Statesman,- a 
weekly of the best character, — superior to any weekly 
we had then had, — and maintained it for two years, 
when they sold it to the Sentinel. 

In 1847, April 3d, three apprentices in the Journal 
office, then in the hands of Mr. Defrees, and located 
in the " Sanders Block," one of the first three-story 
brick buildings in the city, on the north side of 
Washington Street, a little west of Meridian, began 
the publication of a little weekly, as a sort of school- 
boy diversion, called the Locomotive. They were 
Daniel B. Culley, John H. Ohr, and David R. Elder. 
It died " in the fullness of time" in three months. It 
was revived the next January by Douglass & Elder, 
enlarged a little, and filled chiefly with the sort of 
matter that goes to the composition of the " society" 
column of the Sunday papers of to-day. It was all 
local, and covered so well a field completely neglected 
by the grave political organs that it soon began 
to pay. It was the first paper that the women and 
girls wanted to read regularly, and the paper that 
makes itself a household favorite is settled for life, if 
it chooses to be. In 1850, early, John R. Elder and 
John Harkness bought it, took it to their establish- 
ment on the site of the Hubbard Block, and speedily 
ran its circulation in the county far above any other 
paper, and for several years it thus got the publica- 
tion of the " Letter List." Besides its sketches of 
the Constitutional Convention and its exposure of the 
drunken orgies of the expiring Legislature of 1851, — 
the first description that had ever appeared of an 
annual disgrace for a dozen years, — it published a 



great deal of local correspondence on social and city 
and religious affairs, and probably commanded a 
stronger influence in its range than any other paper 
in the city. It was entirely neutral — not independent 
— in politics. In 1861 the proprietors bought the 
Sentinel and united the Locomotive with it. In the 
summer of 1845 the Locomotive appeared as a little 
sheet about as big as a sheet of note paper, and con- 
tinued three months. Its appearance in 1847, as above 
related, by the same 'prentice publishers, was a revival 
of the first one. 

In 1845 or 1846 a Mr. Depuy began the publica- 
tion here of an anti-slavery paper called the Indiana 
Freeman. It was a good paper. Its editor was a fine 
scholar, a man of unusual literary attainments, and 
was assisted by a few accomplished residents of his 
faith, but in those days "abolitionism" was but a 
little less odious or ruinous stigma than pauperism 
or brigandism. Mr. Depuy's office, on the south 
side of Washington, on the site of the Iron Block, 
was occasionally threatened with violence, and on 
several occasions he and his friends watched all night 
to protect it, but nothing worse was ever done than 
such puerile pranks as smearing his office with tar 
and mud and taking his sign away and putting it on 
some out-house. The publication was stopped in a 
year or two. 

In September, 1848, Julius Boetticher began the 
publication of the Volkshlatt, the first German paper 
in the city, possibly the first in the State, when the 
German immigration was not large, and very few Ger- 
mans had done much to create the national reputation 
for industry, integrity, and thrift which is now so 
well established. It was a bold enterprise, not to 
say an audacious one, and it barely escaped a disas- 
trous failure. Mr. Boetticher did his own work, with 
the help of his little daughter on the "case" and his 
little son for miscellaneous service ; but as little outlay 
as he made his income was not equal to it, and some 
years afterwards he told the editor of the Journal 
that he should have abandoned the enterprise in 
despair if it had not been for the late Professor 
Samuel K. Hoshour's class in German. The profes- 
sor desired his pupils to learn living and colloquial as 
well as classic German, and recommended them to sub- 



244 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



scribe for a German paper. The Volksblatt was in 
its tenth or twelfth week, and growing more weakly 
all the time. The class — of some thirty pupils — sub- 
scribed for three months at half a dollar each, and 
this lift put the paper's head above water long enough 
to give it a good vitalizing breath. It was main- 
tained for nearly twenty years by Mr. Boetticher. 
At his death it was taken by the " Gutenberg Com- 
pany," who still hold it. 

Besides these five early weeklies — Chanticleer, Lo- 
comotive, Statesman, Freeman, and Volksblatt — that 
have appeared and disappeared after a length and 
energy of life enough to make some mark on the 
community, there are several others to be noted in 
the history of the city press chiefly for an evanescence 
that has left hardly a name that anybody can recall. 
In 1848 a weekly called the Fi'ee Soil Banner was 
published by William Greer and Lew Wallace, — the 
general, — and another. The late Ovid Butler probably 
furnished the money. The Family Visitor, a temper- 
ance paper, was started by Rev. B. T. Kavanagh in 
1851. About the year 1853 it was changed to the 
Temperance Chart, and conducted by Jonathan W. 
Gordon, the eminent advocate. The JSbosier City, a 
little local weekly started by the Journal office boys, 
lived three months. In 1852 the Free Soil Democrat, 
by Rawson Vaile, merged in the Journal in 1854. In 
1853, September 3d, Theodore Hielscher established 
the Freie Presse as a German supporter of free-soil 
principles against the Volksblatt, which was decidedly 
Democratic. It was continued till after the outbreak 
of the civil war, but with less influence than it might 
have had if Mr. Hielscher had possessed more practi- 
cal sense and less unreasoning enthusiasm. He was 
a man of scholarship and ability, but he was incapable 
of viewing any political question practically and 
impartially. He could see nothing but the logical 
tendency or result of a principle, and there he would 
go if it went to the bottomless pit. In 1855, Mr. 
Charles Hand started the Railroad City, and made 
a very eiFective hit by a caricature showing a couple 
of prominent Democrats stealing a view of the secret 
Know-Nothing State Convention in Masonic Hall 
from the top of the Masonic out-house in the rear. 
It died in a few months. About the same time Dr. 



Jordan and Mr. Manford began the publication of 
the Western Universalist, the character of which is 
sufficiently indicated by its name. It was maintained 
for a couple of years or so. Dr. M. G. Clark about 
the same time started the Witness, a Baptist weekly, 
printed in the Journal office. It lived but two or 
three years. In January, 1857, Andrew and Solo- 
mon Bidwell began with a radical weekly, which they 
called the Western Presage, admirable in mechanical 
execution, but frothy in mental quality, and ran it 
out in less than a year. In 1857, Rev. T. A. Good- 
win removed to the capital the Indiana American, 
an anti-slavery, anti-liquor weekly, that had been 
established many years in Brookville, and ranked 
among the best in the State. He kept it fully up 
to its reputation here, but in a few years sold it to 
Downey & Co., who made a daily evening paper of 
it, and sold it to Jordan & Burnett, who called it the 
Evening Gazette, made it a very creditable paper, but 
could not make it profitable, and sold it in 1868 to 
Smith & Co., who sold it to Shurtlefi', Macauley & 
Co., who sold to Mr. C. P. Wilder, who sold it to the 
Journal, under the Douglass & Conner administra- 
tion, to be sold and known no more. The American 
as a weekly was resumed in 1869 by Mr. Goodwin, 
but was suspended in a few years finally. 

The war was not an encouraging time for newspaper 
projectors. The demand for news was never half so 
eager or so profitable to publishers, but it seemed fully 
satisfied with the enterprise and efforts of the papers 
already established. Soon after the first battle of 
Bull Run, when every loyal soul was sore with dis- 
appointment, and expectation was hungry for com- 
pensating good news, the Journal began publishing 
its telegraphic dispatches, reporting battles and mili- 
tary movements first in slips, and later in a little 
sheet with other matter to make a sort of little 
evening edition, and sold them to newsboys who 
made the streets vocal with yells, " Journal, extra, 
'nother battle," till far into the night often, when 
additional news would warrant a second or third 
edition of the telegraphic slips. The invariable cry 
was " 'nother battle," whether there had been a fight 
or night. It sold the slips and sold them well. No 
man cared for change for a dime, as long as we had 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



245 



any silver money, for news of a successful Union 
fight, and the boys many a time got ten cents and a 
quarter for what cost them but a cent. It was a 
harvest time for them and for the papers that had 
enterprise to use it well. But no paper was begun 
in the city in that time. 

On Dee. 22, 1867, the late George C. Harding, with 
Mr. M. G. Henry, began the publication of the 
Saturday Evening Mirror, on West Maryland Street, 
near Meridian. In a year or so John R. Morton took 
Mr. Henry's place in the publishing department, and 
the late William B. Vickers, a grandson of Nathan 
B. Palmer, joined Mr. Harding in the editoral work. 
Mr. Harding was already distinguished in his profes- 
sion as a master of the paragraphic art, and a skillful 
delineator of character, as well as a clear-headed and 
solid-reasoning debater of such public questions as he 
chose to discuss ; while Mr. Vickers was fast earning 
he reputation with which he died before his prime, 
of a graceful fancy and refined taste, with no little of 
the pungency in paragraphic work of his more noted 
associate. In the winter of 1869, during the session 
of the Legislature, the Mirror was published as an 
evening daily, and continued till it was bought by Mr. 
Holliday, of the News, and consolidated with that 
rapidly-growing evening paper. The weekly was not 
attempted to be continued after the sale of the daily, 
and Mr. Vickers began a weekly in its place called 
Tovm Talk. In a few weeks, however, Mr. Harding 
revived the Mirror, made a second union with Mr. 
Vickers, and in the latter part of May, 1870, sold out 
to the latter, who carried on the paper with moderate 
success till he took a position as managing editor of 
the Journal about 1871, when he sold it to B. 0. 
Mulliken, who killed it in a few weeks. At this time 
Mr. Harding was in charge of the first evening edition 
of the Journal, which his ability maintained for a 
time against the better management of the News, but 
it " cost more than it came to," in the old backwoods 
phrase, and was abandoned. Mr. Harding then formed 
a connection with a Cincinnati paper, and later with a 
Louisville paper, and returned to Indianapolis in a 
year or two and began the publication of the Saturday 
Herald in 1873, in connection with Mr. A. C. Grooms, 
for many years cashier of the Journal counting-room. 



The latter gave place to Mr. Samuel N. Bannister the 
same year, and he, with some money and a great deal 
of energy, soon made it a profitable enterprise. In 
1876, Mrs. Gertrude Garrison became editorially con- 
nected with it and materially assisted it by her ability. 
A couple of years or so after her accession to the 
Herald Mr. Harding's difficulty with Mr. Light oc- 
curred, and his mental condition put him in an asylum 
near Cincinnati for some weeks. After his trial and 
acquittal in court he sold out his interest in the Herald 
to Mr. Bannister, and went to Iowa, where he bought 
a weekly and ran it for the better part of a year. In 
the fall of 1 880 he returned here, and in connection 
with Charles Dennis, a versatile and accomplished 
writer, aided by Mrs. Garrison, established the Satur- 
day Review. An accidental injury to one of his legs 
in May, 1881, terminated in a fatal attack of erysip- 
elas, and then Mr. Dennis and A. C. Jameson took 
the Review for a few months, when Mr. Jameson gave 
way to Mr. Bert. Metcalf In 1883, Mr. John 0. 
Hardesty, a veteran and well-known editor, bought 
the paper and still holds it successfully. The Herald 
was kept up by Mr. Bannister alone for some months 
after Mr. Harding had retired. Then he sold an in- 
terest to Mr. A. H. Dooley, formerly of Terre Haute, 
who had successfully established the Ai-go in Quincy, 
111. It has been editorially controlled by Mr. Dooley 
since 1880, with the effect of making it one of the 
cleanest and best family papers ever published in any 
State. Mr. Hardesty does the same for the Review, 
following the course of Mr. Dennis. 

A few days after the suspension of the Mirror by 
Mr. Harding, his partner, John R. Morton, started 
the Journal of Commerce, a weekly devoted to trade 
and finance. It was at first- edited by Enos B. Read, 
the founder of the People, and then by Dr. W. S. 
Pierce, a distinguished business man and politician, 
and brother-in-law of Governor Thomas A. Hen- 
dricks. It was kept up with indifferent success for 
about two years. Soon after leaving the Journal of 
Commerce, Mr. E. B. Read, in connection with 
Harry Shellman and George J. Schley, began the 
publication of the People as a Sunday paper, with 
occasional illustrations and a special devotion to local 
news and interests. It was speedily successful, and 



246 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



continues with no apparent decline. It has been 
published for some years in the old Journal building, 
on the corner of Circle and Meridian Streets. Mr. 
Eead has good assistance, but when his health allows 
him to attend to his own work he makes as interesting 
and valuable a weekly as one could wish for Sunday 
reading, though the Peojjle is now, and has been 
for a half-dozen years, published as a Saturday 
paper. Contemporaneously with these weeklies two 
children's or Sunday-school papers were published by 
Rev. W. W. Dowling, The Little Sower and The 
Little Watchman, both dead or removed now. 
During the financial discussions that arose in the 
general embarrassments following the panic of 1873, 
the Sun was established, as the organ of the " Green- 
back" or "Fiat" party, by James Buchanan, and 
maintained here by him and Edward S. Pope and 
others with ability and influence till a year or so ago, 
when it was removed to Richmond, in this State. 
Very recently it returned here. The Glohe, an 
ephemeral publication, was merged in the Sun. 
The Tribune is a German daily of liberal opinions, 
edited by Mr. Philip Rappaport, a lawyer and a 
gentleman of fine attainments ; office, 62 South Dela- 
ware Street. The Telegraph is a German Demo- 
cratic daily established about the year 1867, pub- 
lished by the " Gutenberg Company," at 27 South 
Delaware Street. The same company publishes the 
Weekly Telegraph and the Spoltvogel, or Mocldng 
Bird, a Sunday paper, and the Volkshlatt. The 
Telegraph is one of the best newspapers in the city, 
and has a patronage equal to its merit. The other 
dailies in full life are the News and Times. 

The News was established by Mr. John H. Holli- 
day, in December, 1869,' the first number appearing 
on the 7th of that month. Mr. Holliday had the 
newspaper experience of some years of service on the 
Sentinel and other city papers to enable him to judge 
shrewdly of his means and opportunities, and he saw 
a good place to put a cheap evening paper with all 
the news of a costly morning one, condensed when 
practicable, in full when desirable, and vary it with 
editorial matter dictated solely by his own judgment, 
with no reference to party interests or purposes. He 
would do no " puffing," and have no reciprocity of 



favors that always leaves a paper a large creditor in 
the end. He really " filled a long-felt want," and the 
News was a definite success almost from the start, but 
it had some serious difficulties to overcome. Patience, 
energy, and fair dealing have worked out their usual 
result, and the News has the largest daily circulation 
of any paper in the State. With Mr. Holliday has 
been associated, almost from the start, Daniel L. 
Paine, a poet who is subject to the unusual failing of 
writing too little, the author of several beautiful ope- 
rettas which he has never had set to music or put on 
the stage ; the author also of " Elberon," the best 
poem on the death of President Garfield that was 
published in any newspaper in the country at the 
time. For some eight years or so Mr. Morris Ross 
has done the editorial writing and contributed largely 
to the establishment of the paper's reputation for wide 
and accurate information and literary ability. Gideon 
B. Thompson has been, at one time or another, still 
longer connected with the city department, and made 
a reputation in its conduct both for himself and the 
paper. 

The Times was begun in July, 1881, by William 
R. Holloway, who had then recently left the post- 
office after a twelve years' term. He had been con- 
nected with the press from childhood almost. His 
father, at one time commissioner of patents, was 
for years editor and publisher of the Richmond 
(Wayne County) Palladium, and while still in his 
nonage William became a printer and compositor on 
a Cincinnati paper. He served Governor Morton, 
his brother-in-law, as private secretary till his pur- 
chase of the Journal, in 1864, but thenceforward he 
was almost always connected with a newspaper, even 
when attending to the multifarious duties of post- 
master of a large office like that of Indianapolis. He 
had the knowledge of the business, the enterprise, 
and energy for the projector of a large morning 
daily, and he used them with admirable judgment 
and complete success in establishing the Times. 
Charles M. Walker, then recently editor-in-chief of 
the Journal, became editor of the Times, and since 
his acceptance of the chief clerkship of the post- 
office department under Judge Gresham, at Wash- 
ington, Mr. Smith has done the editorial writing 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



247 



mainly, and has done it well, so that no change is 
perceptible. The city department is admirably con- 
ducted by Mr. Joseph E. Cobb. 

The Sunday Times, now usually a double quarto, 
is one of the most attractive publications in the coun- 
try. The weekly of the Times is the Industrial 
Times, and is made an entirely non-partisan paper. 
It is an excellent publication for working men and 
families of all classes. The Journal, it may be 
noticed here, publishes a folio supplement on Satur- 
day, the Sentinel a quarto supplement sometimes, 
sometimes a folio on Sunday. Both the Sunday 
papers are admirable publications, and have a very 
large circulation. The News usually publishes an 
eight-column page on Saturday evening, instead of 
the ordinary seven-column page. The German Spott- 
vogel is a Sunday paper. About the 1st of Novem- 
ber, 1883, the " Indiana Publishing Company" began 
the publication of a humorous weekly, with cartoons, 
in the fashion of Punch and Puch and all the comic 
papers of the past and present. The illustrations as 
well as the reading-matter promise to make the 
enterprise as successful as it is entertaining. It should 
be noted here that both the Simday Times and >S^!(ji- 
day Sentinel have a department devoted exclusively 
to the interests, social and political, of women, called 
the Women's Department. That of the Sentinel is 
edited by Mrs. Florence Atkinson, and that of the 
Times by Mrs. Mary Wright Sewall. Both are well 
written and carefully made up. 

The list of little dailies and weeklies and month- 
lies that have come up and flourished a few months 
or years and died, and left no sign of their existence 
but a name that few remember, is a long one, and 
probably impossible to make complete, but as nearly 
as it can be done it is done in the following state- 
ment : Of dead dailies there is, first, the Dispatch, 
published by W. Thompson Hatch about the year 
1850, mainly to provide a place for eulogistic notices 
of members of the Legislature. It died in a few 
months, and has been wholly forgotten ever since. 
In 1857, Cameron & McNeeley began the publication 
of the Citizen, and kept it in pretty brisk existence 
for about two years, when John D. Defrees bought it 
and merged it in his Atlas, which he started, in 1859, 



on South Meridian Street, printing it with an Erics- 
son hot-air engine, the first one ever brought here, 
and the only one, probably. Mr. Defrees kept his 
paper going till after the election of 1860. In 1861 
he sold it to the Journal, which thus absorbed the 
Citizen and Atlas. It may be as well noted here 
that the Journal subsequently bought the Evening 
Gazette (about 1867), the Times in 1870, and in 
1871 the Evening Commercial. In June, 1870, the 
Daily Times was started by Dynes & Cheney nom- 
inally, but really by James H. Woodard, the well- 
known correspondent " Jayhawker." It died in a 
week, and was bought as just stated. The Evening 
Commercial was first published by Dynes & Co. in 
1867, and then sold to M. G. Lee, who conducted it 
till 1871, when it was sold to the Journal and made 
the Evening Journal. 

The weeklies established recently and still living, 
besides those already referred to, are The Inde- 
pendent, by Sol. Hathaway, a non-partisan, but not 
" neutral" paper, of decided opinions and a large local 
circulation, maintained by Mr. Hathaway's well- 
known humor and ability to treat commonplace 
things entertainingly ; the Indiana Baptist, pub- 
lished by Elgin & Chaille ; Indiana Farmer, 34 
East Market Street ; The Indianapyolis Leader, 
organ of colored citizens, by Bagby Brothers ; The 
Indianapolis World, also an organ and champion 
of colored rights; The Educational Weekly; The 
Live Stock Review, 476 South Illinois Street ; The 
Repuhlican, 42 North Delaware Street ; The Moni- 
tor Journal, published by M. E. Shiel, old Sentinel 
building on Market and Circle Streets ; Southside 
and Country, after some years of existence and in- 
fluence, has been suspended and succeeded by the Ga- 
zette ; llonroe's Ironclad Age is the quaint title of 
a " free-thinking" paper, conducted on North Illinois 
Street by Dr. J. R. Monroe, for many years one of 
the foremost and best-known writers of the State, 
and a poet of great fertility of fancy, and vigor not 
to say vehemence of style. His paper is largely read 
by " sceptics," " evolutionists,"' and " agnostics," 
and commands correspondence from all parts of the 
country ; Western Citizen, started by Thomas Mc- 
Sheehy and his brother five or six years ago, was 



248 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



recently suspended and succeeded by the New Record, 
as a sort of Catholic organ ; Western Sportsman and 
Live Stock News, published by Nelson Randall, 18J 
North Pennsylvania Street ; the Ziikunft, a German 
paper published by the Gutenberg Company, 27 
South Delaware Street. The Grand Army Guard 
was started in July, 1883, as the organ of the great 
patriotic body from which it takes its name. It is 
edited by Ben. D. House, long connected with the 
city, and known all over the State as one of its first 
poets. The only semi-weekly is the Bulletin. These, 
with the older weeklies, make as complete a list as 
is now attainable. Those that have died, besides those 
already named, are the Orc/anette, published by Sam- 
uel Leffingwell ; the Iconoclast, of unsavory reputation ; 
the Torchlight, of which little is known but the name. 
The living monthlies, including the semi-monthly 
Manvfacturer, published by Max Hyman, are first 
and foremost the Farmer. The Indiana Farmer 
was established by Osborn & Willetts as early as 
1835 or 1836, but ran out about 1840, when Mr. 
Noel revived it, with Henry Ward Beecher as editor. 
If the latter knew nothing much about farming he 
knew a great deal, instinctively or experimentally, 
about human nature, and made his magazine quite 
as valuable and a good deal more interesting than men 
would who were better farmers. It went down when 
Mr. Beecher left in 1847, but it has been revived 
and suspended several times since, till some ten or a 
dozen years ago, when the Northwestern Farmer, 
started by T. A. Bland, was taken in hand by Mr. 
J. G. Kingsbury and Mr. Caldwell, and made one of 
the permanent and indispensable agricultural publica- 
tions of the West. The Drainage and Farm Jour- 
nal, published by J. J. W. Billingsley, No. 32 Thorpe 
Block; Gleaner ancZ J/i'Ber, published by Andrews 
& Moore — it does not appear in the mailing list of 
the post-office ; Indiana Official Railway Cruide, 
published by Hasselman & Co., Journal building ; 
Crown of Glory, succeeding Happy Pilgrim, No. 88 
Bast Georgia Street ; the Indianapolis School Jour- 
nal, published by William A. Bell, Journal building ; 
Industrial Journal, No. 70 East Market Street; 
Masonic Advocate, published by Martin & Rice, No. 
14 Masonic Temple ; Millstone, an industrial paper 



published by the Nordyke & Marmon Machine- 
Works Company, edited by David H. Ranck ; 
National Lesson Paper, by the Standard Publish- 
ing Company, No. 35 Thorpe Block ; National 
Presbyterian, published by the same company ; Odd- 
Fellows' Talisman and. Literary Journal, published 
by John Reynolds, Odd-Fellows' Hall ; Physio-Med- 
ical Journal, No. 7 1 East Ohio Street ; Pythian 
Journal, No. 27 South Meridian Street ; Rough Notes, 
an insurance paper published by Rough Notes Com- 
pany, Thorpe Block ; Scholar's Monthly, by Stand- 
ard Publishing Company, Thorpe Block ; The School 
News, Henry D. Stevens publisher, Plymouth Church 
building ; The Jersey Bulletin, a record and publica- 
tion in the interest of breeders and fanciers of Jersey 
cattle, published by F. M. Churchman, one of the 
most noted breeders of Jersey stock ; the Indiana 
Medical Journal, The Pharmacist, the Wood- 
Worker, Western Record, Organizer, Fanciers Ga- 
zette, Indiana Law Magazine, Missionary Tidings, 
succeeding Woman's Own ; Midland Monthly, suc- 
ceeding the Telephone; Agricultural Press, pub- 
lished by Cyrus T. Nixon. 

The recently-started monthlies that have a little 
more recently disappeared are Farm, Herd, and 
Home, begun some two or three years ago by Austin 
H. Brown and A. Abromet, very recently suspended ; 
After Supper, the fanciful title of a literary and 
family publication ; the Telephone, a very promising 
literary magazine, suspended within a year and re- 
placed by the Midland Monthly; Woman's Own, 
replaced by Missionary Tidings; Trans- Continental, 
recently suspended ; Cock and Hen, succeeded by 
the Fanciers' Gazette ; Our Folks, stopped about a 
year ago. The Champion and Revista are dead 
monthlies of which nothing is left but the name. 

In concluding this sketch of the history of the 
press justice to the present management of the lead- 
ing papers requires a recognition of the great im- 
provement in them in two directions, aside from their 
greater resources, better systems, and larger enter- 
prise. Personalities have almost wholly disappeared. 
Attacks on private character are nearly unknown. 
Editors don't coddle or " cuss" each other by name, 
as they did thirty years ago or twenty years ago. 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



249 



Tom Smith, of the Brnshhurg Bugle, doesn't ask 
Bill Harris, of the Oakridge Owl, to " drop in and 
take something the next time he is in the town," or 
ask him "how his lame leg is;" and such things 
were common in the country papers in the decade 
preceding the war, and not unknown to city papers. 
The identification of the editor and his paper was 
nearly as absolute as his identification with his name, 
and even " metropolitan" journals often spoke of an 
editorial outgiving as something coming from that 
" fool, Jones," or the " shrewd and judicious Brown." 
It is not thirty years since Greeley told Kaymond he 
" lied," and called him a " little villain." A reform 
was begun, though by no means completed, in this 
direction by the same influences that reformed the 
country-village fashions of the daily Journal and 
Sentinel in 1854, and thenceforward. The practice 
of alluding to the paper impersonally, excluding all 
personal reference, took root then, and spread in time 
to the country papers. Now it would surprise an In- 
dianapolis reader to see his paper calling the editor of 
another paper a " liar" or mentioning his name at all 
in connection with any editorial utterance. The 
access of impersonality has greatly improved the tone 
of the press by enhancing its sense of its dignity. 

The other direction in which there has been a 
decided improvement is the relaxation or disregard 
of party discipline. Party organs sometimes criticise 
party action and party leaders in a way that would 
have made a leader or editor of 1844 or 1852 " stare 
•and gasp." Not only so, but very many more papers 
disclaim all party allegiance, and hold themselves free 
to act as they deem best than formerly. It was the 
common reproach of neutral papers thirty years ago 
that they had not "brains enough to form an opinion." 
And there was so far a basis for it that, while neutral 
papers were very neutral and very far from being un- 
common, an independent paper was very uncommon. 
Now all this is changed. A neutral paper, that is, a 
newspaper, not a literary or specialty paper, is a rarity ; 
an independent paper with opinions on all public sub- 
jects and a ready declaration of them is a familiar 
existence. Thirty years ago a partisan editor would 
as soon have repudiated his wife as any public declara- 
tion of a leader or any assertion of a platform. He 



felt bound to stand by everything the party did or 
demanded, to magnify every good thing and excuse 
or palliate every bad one. He " never scratched a 
ticket" or questioned a nomination. There are plenty 
of these " thick-and-thin" partisans yet, and always 
will be, but there are ten who will not put on such 
manacles now to one that was as self-supporting 
thirty or even twenty years ago. The party paper of 
the decade before the war never quoted anything 
from one of the "adverse faction" except to contra- 
dict or ridicule it. Now it is common for partisan 
papers to copy antagonistic articles and let an oppo- 
nent speak for himself. There is no doubt more sor- 
didness, more meanness, more sneaking corruption in 
parties nowadays than there used to be, but there is 
also more liberality of sentiment, more courtesy, and 
more general and accurate information in party dis- 
cussions in the press than there ever was before. 



CHAPTER XL 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS— (CoiKmiied.) 

Public Buildings — Public Halls — Theatres — Lectures — Concerts 
— Musical and Art Societies — Literary and other Clubs — 
Hotels. 

Conrt-House. — The old court-house, of which a 
complete account appears in the general history, was 
found to be inadequate long before its removal and 
replacement by a better one were decided upon in 
1869-70. But for the heavy expense caused by the 
payment of bounties to volunteers to avert a conscrip- 
tion, a new building would have been commenced 
several years sooner. The new court-house fronts 
southward towards Washington Street, eighty feet 
from the street line, with east and west entrances, 
little inferior to the main front, on Alabama and Dela- 
ware Streets, seventy-two feet from each. The north 
side is nearly half the length of the square south of 
the line of Market Street. This space is reserved for 
any future buildings that may be needed, the chief of 
which will probably be a city prison. The length of 
the structure is two hundred and seventy-six feet six 
inches by one hundred and six feet five inches, exclu- 



250 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



sive of the projections, which are eight, — one on the 
centre of the south front, seventy-four feet six inches 
long by seventeen deep ; one on the rear or north 
side, eighty-nine feet four inches by thirteen feet ; one 
twenty-four feet two inches by six feet nine inches 
on the centre of each end on the east and west fronts; 
four on the extremes, two of which are twenty-six 
feet by three feet eight inches on the south front, 
and two are twenty-one by one foot three inches on 
the rear. These, together with the intermediate 
spaces, form the several bays of the building, all 
of which terminate within the line of the main 
roof, except three projections which constitute a 
part of the tower and the pavilions, which are 
raised above the apex of the main roof, the former 
ninety-seven and the latter twenty-eight feet. The 
height to the top of the backing above the main cor- 
nice, which has a common level, belting both tower 
and pavilion, is sixty-two feet nine inches ; height to 
the top of the crest cornice, seventy-nine feet ; height 
to the apex of the main roof, ninety-four feet ; height 
to top of crestings of pavilions, one hundred and 
twenty-two feet ; height to top of tower, one hundred 
and ninety-four feet, measuring from the ground line, 
which is raised four feet eight inches above the street 
grade (in early times the court-house square was 
lower, so that water stood in puddles over it after a 
rain). The main edifice consists of three stories, ex- 
cept that portion occupied by court-rooms, which is 
two stories in height, exclusive of the basement and 
mansards, the former extending under and the latter 
over the entire building. The basement is sixteen 
feet high ; the first story, sixteen feet ; second story, 
thirteen feet six inches ; third story, thirteen feet six 
inches ; court-room stories, twenty-eight feet ; man- 
sard, twenty-one feet. Some forty or more polished 
red granite pillars, from Peterhead, Scotland, decorate 
the upper projections. 

The stairways descend into the basement from the 
south and east and west fronts. Prom the first floor 
they ascend to the second from near the centre of the 
hall, which opens clear to the roof and is lighted by 
skylights. A broad bridge joins the halls on each side 
of the balustrade surrounding the open space over the 
stairways. At each end a stairway ascends from the 



second story to the third, in a line with the lower 
stairway, but set forward some thirty feet or so. The 
halls are finished in " carton pierre," or paper-stone, 
and fresco, with a bewildering profusion of colors and 
figures that make a stronger impression of gaudiness 
and " gingerbread" work than richness or elegance. 
The court-rooms are of much the same character, 
with emblematic frescoes on the ceilings which are 
certainly no marvels of artistic taste or skill. A gal- 
lery entered from the third story surrounds three sides 
of each of the three Superior Court rooms, the Circuit 
Court room, and the Criminal Court room. This last, 
on the north side, is the largest in the building, and 
is used as the hall of the House when the Legislature 
is in session. The room next to it at the east end, 
one of the Superior Court rooms, is used as the Sen- 
ate Chamber. The basement is wholly occupied by 
city offices; the first floor by county offices and 
the county library ; the second by court-rooms and 
the necessary appendages, jury-rooms and the like. 
The mansard is occupied by court-room galleries, by 
court-rooms when the Legislature is in session, and by 
rooms for old records and other uses. In the tower 
is a good clock with a bad face, hard to see two squares 
away in the daytime, and invisible at night under the 
weak illumination it gets from inside. The bell can 
be heard at the city limits at night, rarely at all in the 
daytime anywhere out of sight of the clock dial. 
The style of the building is the " Renaissance." The 
architect was Mr. Isaac Hodgson ; the stone-masons, 
Scott & Nicholson. The artistic finishers were Italians, 
brought here from the East to spoil a fine work that 
would have been grand in its simplicity if left untor- 
tured by bad taste. The building was finished in 
July, 1876, and cost one million four hundred and 
twenty-two thousaod dollars, nearly twice the original 
estimate. It is one of the handsomest public buildings 
in the United States, and well built, except in the in- 
ferior character of its finishing. The county board 
by which the work was mainly done was composed, at 
one time and another of the six years, of the late 
Aaron McCray, 1867-73; Lorenzo Vanscyoc, 1868- 
71 ; John Armstrong, 1870-73 ; Samuel S. Rumford, 
1871-74 ; Charles A. Rowland, 1873-76 ; Alexander 
Jameson, 1873-76; Samuel Cory, 1874-77. 





SS 




?-°J 








(o; 


CI=1 


;;>l 


tA 




w 


(01 


?^ 


C3 


f} 


G 


■iT 


a 




■4 


(o) 




Ir' 






^•,^ 




(o) 


^ 


G 


f3 






'^ 




c^- 




e 




CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



251 



In the general history it is said that the temporary 
building erected for a political meeting-place on the 
southeast corner of the court-house square in 1864 
was the only structure of that kind placed on the 
square. There was one on the southwest corner for 
a very short time in 1860, and another on the north- 
west corner in 1872, where Gen. Butler made a speech 
on the only occasion that he ever visited the city. 
Gen. Hawley, of Connecticut, also spoke there about 
the same time. These " wigwams," as they were 
called, were not allowed to remain long after their 
special use was completed, while that of 1864 re- 
mained for a year or so. In the campaign of 1880 
a " wigwam" was erected near the corner of Mary- 
land and Mississippi Streets, and is still standing. 




COUKT-HOUSE BUILT IN 1823-24; TOKN DOWN 1S70. 

City Buildings, — The city has never had any 
public buildings but the two market-houses and the 
station-house, excluding engine-houses. Its office- 
rooms have been rented always except during a few 
years when the Town Council meetings were held in 
the upper room of the Marion Engine House, on the 
Circle. Within a year an ordinance was passed by 
the Council and Board of Aldermen to build a city hall 
and market-house on the Bast Market space, with a 
large bequest made by the late Stephen Tomlinson for 
that purpose ; but some doubt as to the expense being 
brought within the limits of the bequest and of the 
other resources, — the city license of liquor-saloons 
especially, — with some informality in letting the con- 



tract, opened the way for a legal obstruction of the 
work, and it was abandoned. Very recently, how- 
ever, the market-house project has been revived, and 
seems in a fair way to go through. The station-house 
on South Alabama Street is a product of the last 
decade. In 1866 the expense of boarding city pris- 
oners in the county jail became so great that the 
Council determined to build a station-house. A lot 
was bought for four thousand dollars, on Maryland 
Street between Meridian and Pennsylvania, and there 
the effi)rt ended for four or five years, when a lot on 
Alabama Street, on the corner of the first alley south 
of Washington, was bought, and a house of fair size 
and safety put there. About the time of the pur- 
chase of the station-house lot on Maryland Street, 
propositions for the sale of a site for a city hall, or 
for renting suitable buildings, were made by difi^rent 
proprietors. The old Beecher church property was 
offered for fifteen thousand dollars in city bonds ; An- 
drew Wallace offered his block on Maryland and 
Delaware Streets, and the Journal company offered 
to build a hall on the then vacant west half of its lot, 
where the Times office is now. The Council rejected 
them all, doing its first effective work in that direc- 
tion in 1883. The county has an " Asylum," once 
the " Poor-House," in Wayne township, on a large 
farm, with a building that cost some one hundred and 
twenty thousand dollars, and affords good and com- 
fortable accommodations for more than a hundred 
inmates constantly, but being some distance from any 
frequented road, — the old Lafayette pike passing near- 
est it, — the public generally know little of it, except as 
the papers note the annual visits of the county board 
and the festive occasions made of them. The build- 
ing is a large and handsome one, becoming the wealth 
and standing of the county, with an average of over 
one hundred inmates always. 

The incurable insane of the county, like those of 
other counties, have been kept in this county asylum 
when necessary. Hereafter they will go to one of the 
three — not five, as stated in the sketch of the history 
of the State Insane Asylum, page 124 — -institutions 
for the incurable insane provided by the act of the 
last Legislature, though recommended by Governor 
Baker as early as 1869. One of these is to be at 



252 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Evansville, one at Richmond, and one at Logans- 
port. 

State-House. — Of the legislation touching a new 
State-House prior to the act of 1877, little need be 
said. A committee was appointed a dozen years ago 
to consider the subject, procure plans, and make a 
report to enlighten the Legislature, but nothing 
came of it except the recommendation of a really 
fine plan of Mr. Charles Eppinghausen, of Terre 
Haute, to which no attention was given. In 1877 
an act authorized the Governor to appoint four com- 
missioners, two from each of " the two leading po- 
litical parties," the Governor to act as one ex officio 
in addition, to " organize to build a State-House," 
limiting the cost to two millions of dollars, and levy- 
ing a tax of one cent on the hundred dollars in 1877, 
and two cents in 1878, " for a State-House fund." 
On the 24th of May, 1877, the Board of State- 
House Commissioners was organized. The Gov- 
ernor, the late James D. Williams, appointed Gen. 
Thomas A. Morris, of this city, and Wm. R. Mc- 
Keen, of Terre Haute, from the Republican party, 
and Gen. John Love, of this city, and I. D. G. 
Nelson, of Fort Wayne, from the Democratic party. 
Mr. McKeen resigned in a few months, and Prof. 
John M. Collett, now State geologist, was appointed 
in his place. The board, after examining the four 
plans specially noticed by the Legislative committee, 
—that of Eppinghausen being preferred, — returned 
them all to their authors, and invited new plans. 
They also visited the capitals of Illinois, Connecticut, 
Michigan, and various public buildings throughout 
the country, gathered information about material, 
had tests made, and, finally, on the 11th of December, 
1877, had received twenty-four plans. On the 28th 
of August previously they sold the old building to 
John Martin for two hundred and fifty dollars, who 
agreed to remove it by the 1st of April, 1878. 
After a good deal of discussion and examination by 
experts, the board chose the plan of Edwin May, of 
this city, who died a year or two after the work 
began, and proceeded to excavate for the basement 
and to construct a sewer for the joint use of the State 
and the city, as has since been done with the State's 
" Female Reformatory" and the city sewer connec- 



tion. The city authorities vacated Market Street 
from Tennessee to Mississippi, thus giving the new 
building an unbroken area of two squares and the 
intervening street, about nine acres. Proposals to 
build the whole structure or portions of it were 
advertised for, and on the 13th of August, 1878, 
thirty-one bids were opened, some proposing to take 
portions, but ten proposing to take the whole work 
at a cost ranging from $1,611,672.25, made by 
Kanmacher & Denig, to $2,114,714.13, made by the 
" New England and Granite Stone Company." 
After due inquiry the contract was given to Kan- 
macher & Denig, with a reservation of $102,051 
for "steam heating," "encaustic tiles," "marble 
mantles," " washstands," " hardware," and " vault 
doors," which it was thought could be more favor- 
ably contracted for at some later period. This left 
the price of the work, under the lowest bid, $1,509,— 
621.25. The whole estimated cost of the building, 
including the reserved articles, sewer construction, 
glass, and basement excavation, was $1,638,603.76. 
The corner-stone was laid Sept. 28, 1880, with a 
poem by Mrs. Bolton and an address by ex-Gov- 
ernor Hendricks. 

The building is in length four hundred and ninety- 
two feet on the east and west fronts ; the centre, from 
east to west, two hundred and eighty-two feet by one 
hundred and eighteen in width ; the north and south 
fronts, each one hundred and eighty-five feet ; height 
of dome, two hundred and thirty-four feet, diameter / 
seventy-two feet ; height of east and west fronts, one 
hundred feet ; south and north fronts, ninety-two feet ; 
basement story, twelve feet high ; first story, eighteen 
feet six inches ; second story, nineteen feet ; Represen- 
tatives' Hall, forty-eight feet ; Senate Chamber, forty- 
eight feet ; Supreme Court room, forty feet ; third 
story, sixteen feet six inches. The outer walls are 
faced with cut stone, backed with brick-work, and 
laid in cement mortar. The frame-work of the roof 
is of wrought iron. The exterior covering of the 
roof is slate and copper. The Tennessee Street, or 
principal front, has a flight of stone steps, sixty feet 
in width, leading to the grand portico and corridor of 
the first floor. The pediment of this portico is sup- 
ported by polished fluted columns, with carved capi- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



253 



tals, the tympanum richly ornamented with the 
State's coat-of-arms. The dome is the leading archi- 
tectural feature. 

From the foundation to the springing line of roof 
the dome is constructed of Indiana stone, built in a 
direct plumb line, " solids over solids and voids over 
voids," cut and dressed to such exact dimensions that, 
with a small stretch of the imagination, it may be 
considered as one large block of stone, perforated for 
passages and window openings. No plastering, stucco, 
or iron-work is required as finish or ornamentation, 
outside or within, as all decoration is cut on or in 
the solid stone. A dome constructed in this manner 
will serve as a useful monument or memorial, as on 
the inside walls, as well as the corridor sides, there 
are niches for statuary, and panels for inscription 
and relief work. Access to the lantern and gallery 
is by easy stairways from the third floor. A gallery 
thus constructed in the interior affords a sheltered 
"lookout," and at the same time relieves the dome 
of the common defect of insecure and leaky con- 
struction. 

The exterior of the main building indicates the 
locality of the various departments, such as the Hall 
of Representatives, Senate Chamber, State ' Library, 
and Supreme Court room. The steps ascending to 
the first floor, from each street on the four fronts, 
constitute an attractive architectural feature, and for 
convenience will be duly appreciated. The legislative 
halls and principal rooms are lighted direct from the 
outside, roof and ceiling lights being carefully avoided. 
The ceilings of the Senate Chamber, Hall of Repre- 
sentatives, State Library, and Supreme Court room 
are constructed with panel work, and such ornaments 
are introduced as will best harmonize with the decora- 
tions of the side walls and furniture. In the interior 
arrangements the architect has introduced all the 
modern improvements in heating, plumbing, and 
ventilating, elevators for passengers and fuel, dust 
flues from each department, electric and telephone 
combinations, soft water for lavatories, electric clocks, 
and electric lighting of gas. The halls are set at 
regular intervals with polished marble columns on 
granite bases, and extend the entire length of the 
building, nearly five hundred feet, forming the finest 



colonnades in any public building in the Union, except 
those of the national capitol at Washington. The 
niches and panels of the dome and the surrounding 
colonnade are intended to be occupied by busts, 
statues, and other memorials of the State's history, 
especially of its participation in the war for the Union. 

Up to the close of the building season in 1882 the 
contractors, Howard & Denig (Mr. Howard succeed- 
ing Mr. Kanmacher), had completed the work in 
admirable style to the floor of the third story. 
Thinking their contract likely to be a losing one 
from the rise in the price of material and labor, they 
asked the Legislature for a large extra compensation, 
failing in which they would be compelled to abandon 
the contract. The Legislature concluded to abide by 
the bargain, and hold theni to it. Work was stopped 
for the greater part of the year 1883, and then the 
sureties of the contractors concluded to take the 
building and complete it on the original terms. They 
did a considerable amount of work in the fall, and 
the case looks promising for as speedy a completion 
as was originally anticipated. The commissioners 
have watched the progress of the work incessantly 
and anxiously, and have secured, so far, as perfect a 
piece of builders' skill as can be found in any modern 
structure in Christendom. On the resignation of 
Professor Collett, W. B. Seward, of Bloomington, 
was appointed in his place, and on the death of 
Gen. Love, Mr. Henry Mursinna, of Evansville, 
filled that vacancy. The board now consists of- the 
original members (Gen. Morris and I. D. G. Nelson) 
and Mr. Seward and Mr. Mursinna, with the Gov- 
ernor ex officio a member, and Capt. John M. Go- 
down, secretary, succeeding W. C. Tarkington, who 
resigned in a year after his appointment in 1877. 

The State Buildings. — These are on the south- 
west corner of Washington and Tennessee Streets, 
and cover the whole lot belonging to the State, on 
which the first treasurer's office and residence were 
built. After this house was abandoned by the treas- 
urer, in 1856 or 1857, it was rented till it was torn 
down, in 1865, and replaced, in 1867, by the present 
buildings for the State offices, which were then scat- 
tered about, some in the " MeOuat Block" on Ken- 
tucky Avenue, some in the State-House, and some in 



254 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the Arsenal buildiog, north of the State-House. 
John L. Smithmeyer planned the new State buildings, 
but was not thought at the time to have made a par- 
ticularly good job of it, either in convenience, beauty, 
or durability. It accommodated all the State offices, 
including the Supreme Court and the " chambers" of 
the judges, except the State library and the Gov- 
ernor's office, which remained in the old State-House 
till it was sold to be torn down, when they were 
removed, the one to the " Gallup" or " McCray 
Block," where it is yet, the other to one of the rooms 
of the State building. The office of the superintend- 
ent of public instruction was kept mainly in the 
Gallup Block for a half-dozen terms or more. Some 
half-dozen or more years ago a large addition to the 
State buildings was made ob the south, for the State- 
House Board, the superintendent of public instruc- 
tion, and some other public uses. The State geologist 
and museum are in the second story of the " Gallup 
Block," with the State Board of Agriculture. The 
State Bureau of Statistics is in the Masonic Temple. 
These will all go to the new State-House. 

Post-Office. — The post-office building, in which the 
Federal courts meet and all the national offices are 
kept, is a large but not very impressive looking 
stone structure on the southeast corner of Market 
and Pennsylvania Streets. It was begun in 1857, 
on the site of the blacksmith-shop attached to the 
first carriage-factory, on the same square. The 
ground was swampy, and at the southwest corner 
the excavation for the cellar broke into a section of 
quicksand and liquid mud, which had to be drained 
by a steam-pump and filled in with broken stone and 
cement for many a day before a safe foundation was 
made for the massive structure that was to rest upon 
it. In 1860 it was completed, at a cost of one hun- 
dred and sixty thousand dollars. Some years ago it 
was enlarged by an addition to the depth eastward 
that nearly doubled its capacity. An elevator was 
put in the south lobby. The post-office was moved 
into it in 1860, after moving about over the village, 
town, and city in a vagabond way for nearly forty 
years. When Mr. Henderson first took the office 
in March, 1822, it was kept in a house near Mis- 
souri Street, the line of the future canal. That was 



a convenient point between the settlement on the 
river and that further inland. It was moved from 
there, in 1823 or 1824, to Henderson's tavern, where 
" Washington Hall" afterwards stood and where the 
" Glenn Block" now stands. Then, on the accession 
of Capt. John Cain to the office, in February, 1831, 
he removed it to the north side of Washington 
Street, half-way between Meridian and Illinois, where, 
a few years later, — in 1835 or thereabouts, — was 
erected the " Union Row," the first " block" of build- 
ings in this place. One of these Capt. Cain owned, 
and in it he put the post-office as soon as it was 
finished. For some years before 1849 it was kept 
on the west side of Meridian Street, in the building 
next to the Relief Engine House, now replaced by 
" Hubbard's Block." It was removed by Col. Rus- 
sell, or by Dr. Dunlap before him, to the west side 
of Pennsylvania Street, adjoining the Journal office, 
where a fire broke out that damaged both establish- 
ments considerably, though not enough to interfere 
with the course of business of either. This was 
near 1850. After the fire a removal was made to 
the east side of Meridian, in a three-story brick of 
Judge Blackford's, — used as a hospital for Confed- 
erate prisoners during the war, — now replaced by 
the " Blackford Block." From that building it went 
to its own in 1860, under John M. Talbott. Our 
postmasters have been ; 

Samuel Henderson 1822-31 

John Cain 1831-41 

Joseph M. Moore 1841- 

John Cain 1841-45 

Livingston Dunlap 1845-49 

Alexander W. Kussell 1849-51 

James N. Eussell 1861-53 

William W. AViek , 1853-57 

John M. Xalbott 1857-61 

Alexander H. Conner 1861-66 

David G. Rose 1866-69 

William R. Holloway 1869-81 

James A. Wildman 1881 

Joseph M. Moore was appointed by President 
Harrison. In a few months he was dismissed by 
Tyler and Cain reappointed. Col. Russell died in 
the office in 1851 or 1852, and his son James was 
appointed to serve out the term. 

Some items of the business done in the post-office 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



255 



in 1870 will furnish an interesting comparison with 
the report of the year just closed : 

1870. 

Sales of stamps and stamped envelopes $84,138.46 

From money-orders and deposits of postmasters on 

money-order account $494,386.55 

Registered letters for distribution 19,120 

Registered letters for city delivery 8,376 

Registered letters for mailing 1,240 

Letters delivered from boxes and general delivery.. 306,000 

Letters advertised and sent to Dead-Letter Office... 18,400 

Letters, by mail, delivered by carriers 2,276,134 

Letters, local, delivered by carriers 1,472,640 

Newspapers delivered by carriers 376,704 

Letters collected by carriers 1,349,943 

Letters received for distribution 9,403,200 

Letters deposited in office and collected from street 

boxes 1,331,467 

Letters, total, sent from office 10,734,657 

Letters, city, sent to Dead-Letter Office 6,000 

Letters, held for better direction, sent to Dead- 
Letter Office 7,200 

Letters, addressed in initials or fictitious names, 

sent to Dead-Letter Office 500 

Letters returned from hotels and sent to Dead- 
Letter Office 800 

Letters returned to writers 7,000 

Bags of newspapers mailed, received, distributed, 

(equal to 70,200 bushels) 42,570 

Lock-pouches and mail-boxes dispatched 28,600 

Lock-pouches and mail-boxes received 28,500 

1883. 

Carriers employed 33 

Delivery trips daily 1104 

Collection trips daily 1170 

Registered letters delivered 48,498 

Mail letters delivered 4,432,675 

Mail postal-cards delivered 983,419 

Local letters delivered 538,548 

Local postal-cards delivered 477,564 

Newspapers, etc., delivered 2,460,000 

Letters returned to the office - 5,135 

Letters collected 2,410,791 

Postal-cards collected 946,268 

Newspapers collected 289,157 

Total postage on local matter delivered in boxes, 

general delivery, and carriers 815,426.55 

Amount paid carriers .130,729.78 

Incidental expenses $1,553.54 

Number of letters, postal-cards, and circulars dis- 
tributed on letter case during the year 1883.... 1,715,500 
Newspapers, periodicals, circulars, merchandise, 

and transient matter distributed on paper cases. 934,000 

Lock-pouches dispatched 34,675 

Canvas bags dispatched 36,500 

Lock-pouches received 39,055 

Canvas bags received 27,375 

Total number pouches and canvas bags received 

and dispatched during the year 18S3 137,605 

Number of letters mailed without postage.... 3,580 
Number of packages mailed without postage. 237 
Total number of letters and packages mailed with- 
out postage during the year 1883 3,817 



GBNBEAL BUSINESS, JANUARY lat TO DECEMBEE iBt, 1883. 
Beceipta. 

March 31, 1883 , $61,272.98 

June 30, 1883 49,366.27 

September 30, 1883 48,546.13 

December 31, 1883 45,486.92 



Total receipts $194,672.30 

Total expense's 74,091.24 

Turned over to treasury $120,581.06 

Exjjendhurea. 

March 31, 1883 $18,342.34 

June 30, 1883 18,348.92 

September 30, 1883 18,732.89 

December 31, 1883 18,667.09 



$74,091.24 



MONET-OKDER DEPARTMENT. 



No. ordt 

Domestic 

Canadian 

British 

German 

Swiss 

Italian 

French 

New Zealand.. 



20,1 



21,495 



Postal-notes issued 1,9 



X'o. 



rs p. 



aid. 



Domestic 73,4 



Canadian 

British 

German 

Swiss 

Italian 

French 

New Zealand 

New South Wales.. 

India 

Belgium 



73,888 



Postal-notes paid 9,6 



The business of the money-order department from 
January, 1883, to January, 1884, will amount in the 
aggregate to one million dollars. 

PubUc Halls. — The court-house was the public 
hall of Indianapolis for twenty-five years. As related 
in the general history, it was used as a church, con- 
cert-room, lecture-hall, show-room, hall for public meet- 
ings and political conventions, almost alone, during 
that quarter of a century. The hall of the House of 
Representatives was occasionally used for meetings of 
the graver grade by permission of that body formally 
voted. John B. Dillon delivered his lectures on In- 
diana history there in 1844, the General Conference 
of the Methodist Church was held there in the spring 
of 1856, and Fanny Lee Townsend lectured on 
Women's Rights in the Senate chamber in 1850, but 
the court-house was the general dependence. In 
1847 the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order of the 
State decided to build a large and handsome edifice 
here for the use of the order, and make one story of 



256 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



it a public hall. In May they bought the vacant lot 
southeast corner of Tennessee and Washington 
Streets, and formed a company — the Grand Lodge 
taking a large share of the stock — to erect the build- 
ing. The plan was proposed by one of the first resi- 
dent architects here, Mr. J. Willis, and the late 
William Sheets superintended the work, subsequently 
receiving a handsome and costly silver service from 
the order for the gratuitous work he had done for 
them in this respect. On the 25th of October the 
corner-stone was laid with impressive Masonic cere- 
monies, and the singing of a hymn written for the 
occasion by Mrs. Sarah S. Bolton. 

The work hung heavily for want of ready means, 
and it was not till the spring of 1850 that it was so 
far advanced that the hall could be opened. When 
entirely inclosed, but before the floors were laid, a 
man by the name of Becker, while stepping across 
the upper story on the joists, fell to the ground-floor 
and was instantly killed but a minute or two before 
his two little boys passed the hall on their way home 
from Sunday-school. Their first look inside showed 
them the dead body of their father. In the summer 
of 1850 the hall was first occupied by Mrs. Lesder- 
nier for a dramatic reading. In the winter the Con- 
stitutional Convention, which had met in the hall of 
the House, was forced out by the meeting of the 
Legislature and went to Masonic Hall. It was fitted 
up with a platform at the south end, and with rows 
of red settees for the members. At night it was 
lighted by three great, black, ugly chandeliers, with 
seven or eight sprawling branches that looked like 
monstrous spiders. They were supplied with gas 
made of grease and refuse in a little building in the 
rear, as were a street-lamp or two in front. Here all 
public exhibitions and entertainments were given from 
1850 to about the close of the war, when Morrison's 
Opera-Hall, on the northeast corner of Meridian and 
Maryland Streets, then recently completed, began to 
be used for such purposes considerably till it was 
burned, in the winter of 1869. The fire had caught 
in the heating-furnace and made dangerous headway 
before it was discovered. An alarm would have 
made a panic and catastrophe. A preacher who 
made the discovery gave no alarm, but went among 



the audience whispering the news to them, with 
directions to go out quietly, and all got out safely, 
some without knowing what the matter was till they 
saw the flames burst out. Occasional use was made 
of two other halls in that time, but being smaller and 
less accessible they were hardly an exception to the 
universal use of the larger. In 1875 Masonic Hall 
was rebuilt, the order using all the upper stories of 
the front building and making a separate but con- 
nected building of the public hall, which is a better 
one than the old one. The Grand Lodge long since 
absorbed all the stock issued in 1847. 

The smaller halls were " College Hall," in the 
third story of the building erected by Daniel Yandes 
and Thomas H. Sharpe on the site of the old McCarty 
store, southwest corner of Washington and Pennsyl- 
vania Streets, a little before the Masonic Hall was 
built ; and " Washington Hall," opposite " Masonic 
Hall," built within a year or two of the others. A 
number of minor halls have been built since, but 
require no special mention here. 

Theatres. — The first theatrical performance in 
Indianapolis Mr. Nowland puts in the winter of 1825, 
but Mr. Ignatius Brown, citing the Gazette as au- 
thority, says it was in December, 1823. A reference 
is made to it in the general history. The first dra- 
matic performance, with a stage, scenery, orchestra, 
a full cast of parts and regular " posters," occurred in 
1838 or 1839. It was not largely patronized, but its 
expense was small, and it did well enough to come 
again in two or three years. The better class of 
Indianapolis society, and that best able to make its 
patronage desirable, was not partial to the theatre. 
The religious element was immovably dominant and 
by no means tolerant. It would go to a menagerie, 
or " animal show," as it was usually called, but not 
to a circus. If the two were combined the bad ruined 
both. Schools were sometimes given a holiday to 
visit a menagerie, but scholars who visited a circus 
were usually rewarded by a private performance like 
the ring-master's whip and the clown, dbsimilar only 
in its reality. Concerts were tolerable if not credit- 
able, but a theatre was irredeemable depravity. The 
feeling has changed a great deal in the last twenty- 
five years. In 1858 it forbade the Widows' and 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



257 



Orphans' Society from receiving a five-hundred dollar 
benefit at the Metropolitan Theatre. In 1868, ten 
years later, it moved the very same society to conduct 
a series of dramatic performances in Morrison's Opera- 
Hall, for the very same purpose as that so peremp- 
torily repelled before. The tovrn had grown then till 
it vras big enough and rich enough to furnish paying 
patronage without dependence on the " rigidly 
righteous," and moral antipathies, finding themselves 
powerless to restrain the theatrical demoralization, 
abandoned the contest and grew weak from disuse. 
It is not certain that the hostility of the old citizens 
did not, in the main, benefit the reprehensible shows 
by the allurement of doing a forbidden thing. At 
all events, Indianapolis has always been held a first- 
rate town by showmen of all varieties, from an operatic 
star to a double-headed baby. Negro minstrels and 
circuses are especially popular, or have been. The 
theatre before the war was poor property ; during 
the war it was a bonanza. Since the war it has 
fluctuated, with a general tendency towards improve- 
ment. 

Keturning from this digression to the first regular 
dramatic season in the city, we find that a Mr. Lind- 
say was the manager, and Mr. Ollaman's wagon-shop, 
opposite the court-house, on Washington Street, the 
theatre. A low stage was built at the south end, on 
the floor, level with the sidewalk, or lower, while 
the seats were given a little elevation as they ap- 
proached the entrance. The orchestra was a fiddle, 
a clarionet, and a brass instrument, the scenery poor 
and primitive, but it was scenery, and the perform- 
ance much like other third-rate stage work._ The 
plays oftenest noticed on the bulletin board were 
" The Stranger," "Pizarro," " Swiss Cottage," "Loan 
of a Lover," and " Virginius." Comic songs were 
introduced between the tragedy and the after-piece, 
among which the boys picked up the " Tongo Is- 
lands," with a lively air and an inextricable tangle of 
unintelligible chorus ; " Jenny, Get Your Hoe-Cake 
Done," a " nigger" song of the " Jim Crow" or early 
variety; "Near Fly Market Lived a Dame," and 
similar rubbish no worse than most of the comic trash 
of the stage to-day, and less likely to be indecently 
suggestive. It was silly, but it was not nasty. In 



1840-41, Mr. Lindsay came again and fitted up in 
better style the old Indiana Democrat oflBee, on the 
site of the News building, and here he had two of 
the finest dramatic performers in the United States 
of that day, Augustus A. Adams and Mrs. Drake. 
A mistimed debauch had lost the eminent tragedian 
a chance of a better engagement, and he came here 
in default of having anything else to do. Mrs. Drake 
was possibly in a similar strait, or she would hardly 
have come here to play in a little theatre that could 
not seat more than two hundred. However, they did 
come, and Indianapolis that winter had as fine playing 
as any city in the Union. The leading performers 
were in their prime and did their best. 

A funny scene occurred here that was the town 
talk for a month. Capt. George W. Cutter, author 
of the " Song of Steam" and " E Pluribus Unum," 
both of unusual merit, — written several years after 
this time, however, — was a member of the Legisla- 
ture from Terre Haute, a pock-marked, brilliant-eyed, 
voluble declaimer of the sun-soaring, eagle-screaming 
order, who had made a conspicuous figure in the great 
Harrison " log-cabin" campaign the year before, and 
he boarded at the " Washington Hall," where Mrs. 
Drake did. She was old enough to be his aunt, if 
not his mother, but he fell desperately in love with 
her, and she apparently with him. The billing and 
cooing of these oddly-mated turtles was endless fun 
for the other inmates of the hotel. He always 
attended her to the theatre, and remained at the 
" wings" when she was on the stage. One night 
her part required a fall, and her adorer fancying it 
a real one rushed upon the stage, to the utter con- 
fusion of the scene and the uproarious delight of the 
audience, and tenderly raising her ponderous loveli- 
ness, — for she was " fat, fair, and forty,"— carried her 
off with many sweetly murmured eondolings. They 
were married soon after this pathetic incident. 
Mrs. Drake returned here and played with her 
daughter, Mrs. Harry Chapman, and Mr. Chapman, 
at the Metropolitan during the war. Capt. Cutter 
served out his legislative session and never returned. 

In 1843 the " New York Company of Comedians" 
leased the upper story of Gaston's carriage-factory, 
where the Bates House is now, fitted it up as a 



258 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



theatre, and gave concerts to cover some evasion of 
the license law, and followed them with dramatic 
performances, usually farces or comedies. The com- 
pany was said at the time to be an unusually good 
one. One of the earliest of the pioneers of the city, 
Mr. R. Corbaley, was killed at this theatre one night 
by walking ofiF the platform in front of the upper story 
where the performances were given, where there was 
no guard-rail. He fell to the pavement, some twelve 
or fourteen feet, and died in a short time. 

More conspicuous every way, both as a social and 
dramatic event, than any incident so far related, was 
the formation of the " Indianapolis Thespian Corps" 
in 1840. It is hard to determine, at this distance 
of time, whether the "corps" was an offshoot of the 
first brass band, or the band was a suggestion of the 
" corps." In any case they came very closely to- 
gether, and some of the leading men in one were 
equally prominent in the other, as Edward S. Tyler, 
then a bookbinder, now a farmer in Perry township ; 
James McCready, then a tailor, afterwards mayor, 
and now an ofl&cer of the Indiana National Bank ; 
James G. Jordan, then a law student, afterwards city 
clerk and secretary of the Bellefontaine Railroad Com- 
pany, with 0. H. Smith as president — died in 1850. 
Among the performers were other young men of the 
city, unknown now, however, except as shadowy 
memories, save William Wallace. The theatre was 
a frame building on the northwest corner of Market 
and Mississippi Streets, which had been erected for a 
foundry the summer before and never used. There was 
no floor, the sills were raised a foot from the ground on 
blocks, — a sort of special providence for the boys who 
wanted to " slip in," — and the seats were raised one 
above the other from the north end at the stage to 
the south end on Market Street. Dr. Mears had a 
" hay press" west of it on the same lot to make baled 
hay for flat-boat transportation down the river. The 
stage was about fifteen feet wide by twenty feet long, 
and was provided with better scenery, by the gener- 
osity of Jacob Cox, than many a better theatre could 
boast. Price of admission, a quarter, with frequent 
compromises upon merchantable articles of equivalent 
or approximate value, as silk handkerchiefs, cheap 
breastpins, especially "log-cabin" pins manufactured 



for the " log-cabin" Presidential campaign, rings, and 
like articles. 

The first performance was of Robert Dale Owen's 
historical drama called " Pocahontas," accurate his- 
torically, dreary histrionically. It was written in Mr. 
Owen's youth, and forgotten by himself and every- 
body else in his riper years and wider fame. But 
the novelty of a play performed by our own boys in 
their own theatre, with their own scenery and music, 
made it " keep the stage," as the phrase goes, at 
irregular intervals for a year, sometimes for the 
benefit of charity, sometimes for diversion. James 
G. Jordan played Gapt. John Smith; James Ma- 
Cieady, Powhattan; William Wallace, Pocahontas ; 
Davis Miller, John T. Morrison, and James McVey 
the minor parts. A year or two after the first 
season of the •' corps," Mr. E. S. Tyler became a 
member and " first comedy man." Then the per- 
formances took on a little variety. The " Golden 
Farmer" was produced, with Jordan as the Parmer, 
McCready as Old Moh, and Tyler as Jimmy Twitch- 
er. Mr. Tyler made a " hit" that in these days 
would have made his fortune. The " Brigands" 
was also produced occasionally, Jordan as Massa- 
roni, with the song of "Love's Ritoraella." To- 
wards the end of this season Mr. Nat. C. Cook, son 
of John Cook, the first State librarian, who had 
been playing subordinate parts at " Shire's Garden" 
Theatre, Cincinnati, came here on a visit to his 
parents, and, of course, was invited to appear with 
the " corps." The piece was Home's " Douglas." 
He played Young Norval ; Jordan, Glenalvon ; 
Miller, Lady Douglas ; John Morrison, Lord Doug- 
las. Cook did fairly, but Jordan was far better, and 
was a " born actor, if there ever was one." The 
farce of the " Two Gregories" ended the perform- 
ance and the " corps." It went out in a blaze. 
Both of Mr. Cook's younger brothers appeared 
in it a few times. Aquilla, the elder of the two, 
went to Cincinnati in 1844 or 1845, married a 
dancer in " Shire's Garden," killed the treasurer, 
Mr. Reeves, on her complaint that he had insulted 
her, and was never heard of afterwards, except in a 
letter to a Cincinnati paper boasting of the way he 
fooled the police and escaped arrest for his crime. 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



259 



Following the final disappearance of the " Thespian 
Corps," about the year 1844, there is nothing to 
notice in dramatic affairs till after the completion of 
Masonic Hall. Then an occasional dramatic per- 
formance was given there and in other minor halls, 
but they formed no feature of the city's life or 
amusements. During the first State Fair, in the 
fall of 1852, F. W. Kobinson, better known as 
" Yankee Robinson," set up a theatrical tent on the 
corner where the " Park" (old " Metropolitan") 
Theatre is now, and did so well with a very fair 
traveling company that he came back the next fall 
and opened in " Washington Hall," with Henry W. 
Waugh, a young artist of rare promise as well as a 
good actor,^ — he was clown in Robinson's circus 
as " Dilly Fay," and, as a painter, assisted Mr. 
Cox with his " Temperance Panorama" in 1855, — 
for leading man, Sidney Wilkins and wife for the 
" heavy business," and Charles Wilson and James F. 
Lytton for Irish characters and songs. Mr. Lytton 
mide very popular here such songs as " Billy 
O'Rourke," " Low-Backed Car," " Flaming 0'- 
Flannigans," " Finnegan's Wake," and others. 
Robinson was followed, in the spring of 1854, by 
Wilkins and H. W. Brown and Mrs. Mehen, who 
produced " Uncle Tom's Cabin" the first time in 
the city. Mr. Calvin Elliott, in the summer and 
fall of 1854, finished his building on the northwest 
corner of Maryland and Meridian Streets, and made 
a fine large room of the third story, which Robin- 
son fitted up as a theatre and called the " Athe- 
naeum," where, as Saxe says, those who dreaded the 
name of " theatre" but still 

" Lored plays, 

Could religiously see 'em." 

The first season of the " Athenaeum" was very 
successful. The stock company was good, consisting 
of R. J. Miller (afterwards known as " Yankee 
Miller") and his wife, Mr. Bierce (known as " Yan- 
kee Bierce"), F. A. Tannehill, George McWilliams 
■ (Democratic candidate for Congress in the Covington 
district in 1876, recently deceased), his sister Mary, 
James F. Lytton, and H. W. Waugh. Somewhere 
along in October Miss Susan Denin, a " star" of bet- 



ter ability than social repute, appeared at the " Athe- 
naeum" and made as much of a sensation as Sara 
Bernhardt did twenty-six years later. She played in 
Rev. Mr. Milman's " Fazio," Richard Lalor Shiel's 
" Evadne," Knowles' " Hunchback." and several 
farces. The following year she and her sister Kate 
came, and she played Romeo to Kate's Juliet. In that 
same fall Maggie Mitchell appeared here first, and it 
was her second engagement as a " star," or her agent 
said so. She was not more than seventeen, thirty 
years ago. Robinson's season closed April 14, 1855, 
and then Mr. Austin H. Brown and John M. Com- 
mons took the " Athenaeum" and brought here Harry 
Chapman and Mrs. Drake, — they appeared later at 
the " Metropolitan," — and in the very furnace-heat of 
July brought out James B. Murdoch. He played 
the Stranger to about twenty persons, who bore the 
heat to see one of the first actors of the country. 
The next night was worse, and he threw up the en- 
gagement and never came back, except as a reader 
and elocutionary performer during the war. Mr. 
Commons, after Mr. Brown had retired in disgust, 
kept up the place from the middle of September to 
December, showing here for the first time Miss Eliza 
Logan, Mr. Joseph Proctor and wife, Peter and Caro- 
line Richings (the latter sang the " Star-Spangled 
Banner" in 1861, when the flag was hoisted on the 
State-House by order of the Legislature), W. J. 
Florence and wife. In 1856, William L. Woods 
opened the place again, and produced the celebrated 
low comedian, W. Davidge ; and later Mr. Lytton, as 
manager, brought out Miss Logan and Mrs. Coleman 
Pope (who afterwards made her home here and died 
here). During the winter of 1856-57 the same 
management produced John Drew, Charlotte Cramp- 
ton, Dora Shaw, and others. In the summer of 
1858 a German company played at the " Athenaeum," 
and during the winter the Germans kept up two 
theatres, one at Washington Hall and one at Union 
Hall. In April, 1858, Kate Denin and Sam Ryan, 
her husband, opened Washington Hall, to no purpose, 
and during the State Fair Harry Chapman and his 
wife and mother-in-law, Mrs. Drake, with John K. 
Mortimer, opened the " Athenaeum" for the last time. 
A gymnastic association, formed in 1854 and exer- 



260 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



cised in " Blake's Block,' was removed in 1859, with 
Simon Yandes as president and the late Thomas H. 
Bowles as secretary, and the Athenaeum was occupied 
by it for " calisthenic" operations as long as it was 
used for any public purpose. It was at last turned 
into an eating-house. This is the whole history 
worth noting of the early period of the drama in the 
city when there were only temporary theatres, casual 
seasons scattered all about the year, and companies 
collected by luck, as often ill as good. It may be 
added, to complete the sketch, that C. J. Smith 
failed in a week in the " Athen^um" in March, 
1857, and Maddocks and Wilson did the same in the 
summer of 1856, but took longer, and Wilson and 
Pratt and Yankee Bierce followed in the same way 
in the fall and winter of the same year. 

The theatre was now to change its character from 
the casual resource of a broken actor to a permanent 
feature of city life and entertainment. In 1857, Mr. 
Valentine Butsch, the owner of the lot on the north- 
east corner of Washington and Tennessee Streets, 
determined to build a theatre there. It had in early 
years been a frequent location of circuses and men- 
ageries, and was entitled by its history to this selec- 
tion. In August, 1857, the corner-stone was laid, 
and in the following year, in September, the building 
was completed. It cost, with the lot, sixty thousand 
dollars. The lower story, except a stairway of 
twenty feet width, is occupied by business houses. 
The two upper ones — built purposely — are high, 
commodious, and well ventilated, and make, with the 
gallery, an auditorium seating about fifteen hundred 
persons. It was opened under the management of 
E. T. Sherlock, Sept. 27, 1858, with "tableaux 
vivants" by the " Keller" troop. During the sea- 
son closing the last of February there appeared in 
the new theatre, called the " Metropolitan," Mr. 
Hackett, the eminent Shakespearian actor and per- 
sonator of Falstaff, the Florences, J. B. Roberts, 
Mrs. J. W. Wallaek, Mrs. Sinclair (the divorced wife 
of Forrest, — an indiflFerent actress), Adah Isaacs 
Menken, Eliza Logan, Mr. and Mrs. Waller, Matilda 
Heron, — fresh in her celebrity as a " realistic" actress, 
— and the Cooper English Opera Troupe, and other 
" stars" of less magnitude. It was not a paying 



season, and to improve it the manager proposed to 
give a benefit to the " Widows' and Orphans' 
Society," as elsewhere related. The profier was re- 
jected solely on account of the immoral character of 
the theatre, which made it improper for a moral asso- 
ciation to take its money even for righteous uses. 
Opinion changed in ten years, and cordially sustained 
the same society in giving a series of dramatic per- 
formances in the occasional theatre of Morrison's 
Opera Hall. The performers were amateurs, but 
the performances were no better morally, and very 
little worse histrionically, than the plays usually seen 
in the theatre. 

Following Mr. Sherlock came Mr. G-eorge Wood 
for a few nights, and Mr. John A. Ellsler for two 
months, reopening in the fall and winter. On the 
25th of April, 1861, when volunteers were gathering 
here in thousands for the war, Mr. Butsch took the 
management himself, with Felix A. Vincent as stage 
manager, and Miss Marion McCarthy — who subse- 
quently became insane and died here — as " leading 
lady." Mr. Vincent was succeeded in 1863 by Wil- 
liam H. Riley, who remained till 1867, when he 
went to New Orleans as manager of the " Saint 
Charles," and died there within a month after his 
arrival. The season of 1867-68 was managed by 
Matt. V. Lingham, and that of 1868 by Charles 
R. Pope. Joseph Jefferson, John E. Owens, and 
Edwin Forrest appeared at the " Metropolitan" at 
one time or another in this long interval, with nearly 
all the distinguished actors of the country. On 
the 25th of March, 1867, Madame Ristori appeared 
there under the management of Mr. Grau. Mr. 
Forrest played Virffinius, Spartacus, Othello (Mr. 
Pope as Iciffo), Meiamora. Subsequently he played 
Lear and Jack Cade at the " Academy of Music." 
The " Metropolitan" was a profitable enterprise, 
and impelled Mr. Butsch, in 1868, to buy the un- 
finished " Miller Block," southeast corner of Illi- 
nois and Ohio Streets, for fifty thousand dollars, and 
to finish it as one of the largest and finest thea- 
tres in the West. Like the " Metropolitan," the 
lower story was occupied by business houses. The 
two upper stories made a large and convenient stage 
and an auditorium for twenty-five hundred spectators. 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



261 



Mr. William H. Leake was manager. Here appeared 
during this management Mr. Owens, Mr. Jefferson, 
Mr. Leffingwell, Mrs. Lander, Mrs. Janauschek, Mr. 
Toole, the celebrated English comedian, and others 
less noted. In the fall of 1870, Mr. Leake was joined 
by Mr. James Dickson, — now of the extensive the- 
atrical management combination of " Brooks & Dick- 
son," — and they leased the Academy for some years. 

The " Metropolitan," at this time, was " running" 
as a sort of " variety" theatre, with Mr. Sargent, later 
with Fred Thompson, and later and much longer with 
Simon McCarty, till the late Mr. Dillard Ricketts 
bought and repaired and improved it a few years 
ago, when the Dickson Brothers leased it and hold 
it yet under the name of the " Park Theatre." The 
only conspicuous appearance at it in late years was 
that of Mrs. Langtry's two nights early in 1883, first 
as Rosalind, in " As You Like It," and as Juliana, in 
Tobin's " Honeymoon," with no considerable success, 
though not worse than older actresses have done on 
the same stage. The " Academy of Music" changed 
hands about 1875 or 1876, and Gen. Daniel Macauley 
became manager. Messrs. Leake and Dickson then 
began building the present " Grand Opera-House," 
in the rear of the " Martindale Block," on the east 
side of North Pennsylvania Street, with a wide pas- 
sage through the " Block" to the auditorium. There 
are two galleries here. Shortly after the opening of 
the " Grand" the " Academy" was wholly destroyed 
by fire, and when rebuilt was converted into business 
rooms. Along about this time there were several 
"variety" theatres maintained in halls and beer gar- 
dens which do not need mention here. The " Zoo" 
— contraction of " Zoological" — began as a sort of 
stationary menagerie a half-dozen years ago with a 
" variety" addition, but gradually dropped all of the 
" zoological" features except the first two syllables of 
the name combined into one, and became a very fair 
show-place of that kind. Within two or three years 
it has been greatly enlarged and improved both in 
building and performances. 

Some three years ago William H. English built 
the " English Opera-House," in the rear of the fine 
" quadrant" of buildings he is putting up in uniform 
style on the northwest quarter of Circle Street, and 



has made it equal to any in the West in extent, 
excellence of accommodations, safety in case of fire, 
and amplitude of stage room. The management is in 
the hands of William E. English, son of the propri- 
etor. He has shown a striking aptitude for the busi- 
ness, and has brought here Sarah Bernhardt in 1881, 
Madame Gerster and Campanini in 1882, Adelina 
Patti in 1882-83, with most of the leading actors of 
the day, female and male, at one time or another. Oscar 
Wilde lectured here. The management has been very 
liberal in allowing its use for public purposes. State 
conventions have been held in it, the High School grad- 
uating exercises have been conducted in it, and the 
"Art Loan Exhibition" very recently was given the 
use of it. 

There have been two or three little museums here, 
one on east Washington Street by a Mrs. English, and 
one on the corner of Georgia and Illinois Streets, in a 
shed. Neither amounted to anything. Before " gar- 
dens" as places of public resort had degenerated into 
beer-swilling conveniences, there were two in the city 
that deserve mention as places of public and decent; 
diversion. John Hodgkins opened the first in 1841, 
in the orchard of George Smith's (first newspaper 
man) place, northeast corner of Georgia and Tennes- 
see Streets. He made arbors under and around the 
fruit-trees, with graveled walks and flower-beds, and 
the first ice-house ever built for public use in the 
town. In 1856-57 the " Apollo Garden" was opened 
on Kentucky Avenue, on the point now occupied by 
the " Cleaveland Block," once the garden of Mr. and 
Mrs. Bolton's residence. This soon degenerated into 
a low resort, and public "gardens" have ever since 
been places of rather equivocal character when they 
were not openly vicious. 

Lectures. — ^Until the fall and winter of 1855-56 
there were no regular courses of lectures in the city. 
In 1846-47 the " Union Literary Society," as related 
in the general history, had a few lectures delivered in 
churches by Rev. S. T. Gillett, Rev. Dr. Johnson, of 
Christ Church, Godlove S. Orth, Henry Ward Beecher, 
and one or two others, to considerable free audiences, 
the expense being paid by contributions from old cit- 
izens like Mr. McCarty, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Sharpe, 
Mr. Blake, Mr. Ray, Mr. Austin W. Morris, Mr. 



262 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



James Sulgrove, and others ; and in 1850-51, during 
the Constitutional Convention, they obtained lectures 
from a few of the members, Robert Dale Owen, John 
B. Niles, of Laporte, Professor Daniel Read, of the 
State University, among them. The last effort of the 
old society was in the fall of 1853, when they obtained 
a lecture from Horace Greeley on " Henry Clay," in 
Masonic Hall, on his return from the second annual 
State Fair at Lafayette, where he had delivered the 
address. In May, 1851, John B. Gough had been 
here and delivered a series of three or four lectures on 
temperance in Masonic Hall. On the 28th and 29th 
of October, 1853, the ex-priest Gavazzi lectured on 
the " Inquisition and Catholicism." In November 
following Lucy Stone lectured three times in Masonic 
Hall on Women's Rights, the right of suffrage being 
less prominent in her consideration than the right of 
employment and self-support. She wore the Bloomer 
costume, plain and simple to the verge of ugliness, 
while she was rather an attractive looking young lady. 
The audience became a little impatient and began 
" stamping" for her appearance before the advertised 
time. She came out, looked at her watch, and rebuked 
the audience for calling her out before the time. 
" They had no right to do it," she said. Page Chap- 
man, in the next Saturday's Chanticleer, called her 
an "impertinent minx" for it. In October of 1855 
a Women's Rights Convention was held in the Masonic 
Hall, and addresses were made by Lucretia Mott, 
Ernestine L. Rose, Frances D. Gage, Adaline Swift, 
Harriet Cutler, and other distinguished advocates of 
women's rights. At a later convention of the same 
kind Bliss Susan B. Anthony was present. Abby 
Kelly and Joseph Barker, of Pittsburgh, were present 
at the first one. Mrs. Livermore has lectured here 
several times, as has Anna Dickinson. As early as 
any of these lectures was one in Masonic Hall by Mr. 
Whitney, on his hobby of building a railroad to the 
Pacific by donations or sales of public lands. Though 
little practical good followed his efforts directly, it is 
probable that his well-informed demonstrations con- 
tributed to the impulse that pushed the great trans- 
continental enterprises more rapidly than they would 
otherwise have been. These were all casual and scat- 
tered efforts. In 1855-56 there came in a system, a 



little weakened in recent years but by no means worn 
out. 

The Young Men's Christian Association organized 
on the 21st of March, 1854, and speedily made ar- 
rangements to procure lecturers for regular courses 
which they proposed to maintain. The first one in 
the winter of 1855-56 brought here Park Benjamin, 
Rev. Mr. Butler, of Wabash College, David Paul 
Brown, the eminent Philadelphia lawyer, Edwin P. 
Whipple, Henry B. Stanton, Bishop Simpson, Ed- 
ward P. Thompson, Henry W. Ellsworth, son of the 
old commissioner of patents, Henry L. Ellsworth, 
minister to Sweden and Norway in Polk's term, then 
from 1852 and till his death, or near it, a resident of 
this city. The next year, 1856-5'7, the Young Men's 
Christian Association and the Young Men's Literary 
Association both held lecture-courses. The chief 
lecturers were Rev. Theodore Parker, Rev. Henry 
Ward Beecher, John B. Gough, Elihu Burritt (the 
"Learned Blacksmith"), Samuel S. Cox, Thornton 
A. Mills, of the Second Presbyterian Church here, 
and George Sumner, brother of Charles. He lec- 
tured once in Washington Hall, and so did Bayard 
Taylor. In May, 1857, Edward Everett delivered 
his " Mount Vernon" lecture in Masonic Hall, and 
the season following Dudley A. Tyng, Horace Gree- 
ley, Governor Boutwell, Rev. Henry Giles (a cripple 
and noted lecturer) lectured in the regular course. 
In the season of 1858 the chief lecturers were Dr. 
J. G. Holland (the "Timothy Titcomb" of the 
Springfield (Mass.) Repuhlican ; later, the author of 
" Miss Gilbert's Career," " Bitter Sweet," and other 
works, and dying recently as editor of the Century), 
Professor Youmans, Professor Maury, Benjamin F. 
Taylor, Bayard Taylor, Thomas Francis Meagher. 
On the 18th of May, 1859, the General Assembly 
of the Old School Presbyterians met in the Third 
Church, Illinois Street, and held daily sessions till 
the 2d of June. Sermons and addresses were deliv- 
ered by several of the distinguished clergymen pres- 
ent in different churches of the city, while a debate 
between Dr. McMaster, of New Albany, and Dr. N. L. 
Rice (the antagonist in 1845 of the celebrated Alexan- 
der Campbell in a debate at Lexington, Ky., where 
Henry Clay was moderator) attracted a great deal of 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



263 



attention among the citizens. Dr. Palmer, of New Or- 
leans, Dr. Thornwell, of Charleston, S. C, and Dr. Alex- 
ander, of Princeton, were conspicuous members, and 
drew large miscellaneous audiences to their sermons. 
In February, 1860, Lola Montez lectured in Masonic 
Hall two or three times to not very large or enthu- 
siastic audiences. Bayard Taylor and Henry J. Ray- 
mond, of the New Torh Times, and Ralph Waldo 
Emerson (on " Clubs or Conversation") also lectured 
in the hall the same winter, and with them were Dr. 
Robert J. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, George W. Win- 
ship, the "strong man," and some others. During 
the preceding February, George D. Prentice, of the 
Louisville Journal, lectured in the hall, and Henry 
S. Foote, ex-Governor and ex-United States Senator 
of Mississippi, lectured in the basement of Roberts' 
Chapel, but both spoke on their own account and in 
no connection with a lecture association. Mr. Lin- 
coln spoke in Masonic Hall on the 19th of Septem- 
ber, 1859. Dr. Boynton delivered a series of lectures 
on geology in December, 1859, and January, 1860. 
In the fall of 1855 or 1856, Professor 0. M. Mitchell, 
the eminent astronomer of the Cincinnati Observatory, 
delivered a series of ten or twelve lectures in Masonic 
Hall under the auspices of some " literary associa- 
tion." They were more closely attended than any 
ever delivered here, and were worth more for in- 
struction to those who heard them. They were re- 
ported pretty fully in the Journal. This series is 
set by itself in the sketch because it is quite apart 
from the regular lecture-courses. During the war 
the lecture system languished, and it has never been 
revived in its original vigor, though a course which 
proved quite successful was delivered during the past 
season. 

Concerts. — Except a rare concert by the pupils of 
some music teacher, or a " nigger" minstrel troupe, 
the public patronage and recognition of music never 
shone conspicuously among the evidences of culture 
in Indianapolis during the first thirty years of its 
existence. How far such patronage as was extended 
to the art proved it need not be discussed here. We 
had brass bands pretty nearly continuously from 1840, 
when the first one was formed, till the establishment 
of the theatre here compelled the retention of skilled 



musicians for orchestral service, and thus made handy 
material for bands and for a better grade of musical 
instruction than had been usual, but there had been 
no public performance of the best music, the " classic" 
order, till the fall of 1851. Then Madame Anna 
Bishop and M. Bochsa gave a concert in Masonic 
Hall that furnished the curious some idea of what 
music was that was neither hymn nor ballad, jig nor 
hornpipe. To some it was a revelation of pleasure of 
a higher kind than had been customary, to others it 
was unmeaning and even ludicrous. They saw no 
music in it because there was no " tune" in it ; they 
knew of no musical expression of sentiment but a 
" tune," and what was not that was nothing. The 
German immigration since that time has done more 
than any other agency to familiarize intelligent people 
with better music than " Leather Breeches" or " Hell 
on the Wabash." Mrs. Bishop gave her audience a 
notion of what opera was, and a good many had not 
a clearer idea of it than they have of the cause of the 
recent red sunsets. She sang the " Chi me Frena," 
from " Lucretia," in character. It served as an 
indication to the shrewd auditor. Some additional 
musical impulse may have been derived from a State 
convention of brass bands held in the hall, under the 
management of George B. Downie, leader of the 
Indianapolis Band, when some thirteen were present 
and competed for a prize banner awarded to the New 
Albany Band. At the solicitation of the convention, 
Mr. B. R. Sulgrove declared the award, and made an 
address on the occasion. A second convention of 
nine bands was held in the same place in November, 
1853, under the management of Charles W. Cottom, 
afterwards city editor of the Sentinel. The great 
musical event of the period, however, was the 
appearance in Masonic Hall of Ole Bull, Dec. 6, 
1853. It was his first Western tour, and put the 
intelligent part of the town in a musical fever that 
has not been equaled since, even by the combination 
of Kellogg, Gary, and Madame Rosa, or Gerster and 
Campanini, or even by Patti, and she, then a little 
girl of ten or twelve years, was in the performance 
with her sister, Madame Strakosch, and sang " Comin' 
Thro' the Rye" (a river, not a grain-field). On the 
22d of January, 1856, the Hutchinsons sang here in 



264 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the hall. Ole Bull returned in February, and in 
November, Strakosch, Parodi, Tiberini, Morini, and 
Paul Julien performed in the hall. On the 20th of 
the same month, George F. Root had a State musical 
convention assemble here. Music was getting " ac- 
tive," as market reports say. In 1855 the " Black 
Swan," Miss Greenfield, or some such name, sang at 
the hall. May 2d, and came here again in 1868. 
On December 10th, Parodi and the pair of Stra- 
kosches gave a concert at the hall. On the 30th of 
June, 1857, Dodworth's great New York band, 
numbering ninety members, gave an " open-air" 
concert in the military grounds to an audience but 
little larger than the band. This was under a con- 
tract with a Cleveland manager named Stone. At 
night they gave a concert for their own benefit, but 
with no better result than in the day performance. 
A few weeks before this Thalberg, Parodi, and Mol- 
lenhauer gave a concert at the hall. Musical culture 
was looking up. June 10 to 13, 1858, the Ger- 
man singing societies of the State held a conven- 
tion here, finishing with a procession and a concert, 
both enthusiastically witnessed by a large attendance 
of all nationalities of citizens. The first full operatic 
performance was that of the " Bohemian Girl," by 
the " Cooper English Opera Troupe," in the winter 
of 1858-59, at the " Metropolitan." 

Musical Societies. — Before glancing at the musi- 
cal associations and other indications of the musical 
culture of the city now, it may be as well to look back 
a moment at the associations which have been formed 
here, served their occasion, and passed away. The 
first was the " Handelian" Society of 1828, which 
furnished the music for the celebration of the Fourth 
of July that year. Who composed it and what be- 
came of it are undiscoverable facts now. The next 
of which any positive evidence exists, except the 
choirs of churches, — ^and only the Episcopal in 1838, 
the Catholic in 1841, and Mr. Beecher's about the 
same time, had choirs, — was a society mainly com- 
posed of those who had been members of Mr. 
Beecher's choir, Mr. A. G. Willard (the leader), 
John L. Ketcham, Alex. Davidson (son-in-law of 
Governor Noble), Mrs. Dr. Ackley (daughter of Mr. 
Baldwin, first president of Wabash College), Lawrence 



M. Vance, and others. Professor P. R. Pearsall was 
the teacher and instrumental performer. No man in 
the city did so much as he to develop and difiuse a 
better musical taste in the city. He died a few years 
ago at the advanced age of eighty-six, as active, 
cheerful, and social as most men of half his years. 
Other societies came up and went down with no 
result and no record. In 1863 " The Musicale," a 
society formed by Mr. J. A. Butterfield, a music pub- 
lisher and dealer here, wholly of skilled musicians, per- 
formed classic music only, and only in the houses of 
the members, for a few years, making a public 
appearance but once. In the summer of 1864, Pro- 
fessor Benjamin Owen formed a class in vocal music, 
as Professor Sharpe had done ten years before, and 
gave public concerts with them. It broke up about 
1867. In September, 1867, the " Mendelssohn 
Society" was formed, with Wm. H. Churchman as 
president ; Gen. Daniel Macauley, vice-president ; 
Charles P. Jacobs, secretary; Thomas N. Caulfield, 
director. When Mr. Caulfield removed in 1868, 
Professor Carl Bergstein was chosen leader. The 
society is not now in existence. 

The " Maennerchor," formed in 1854, is the 
oldest and largest musical association in the city. It 
is German, as its name indicates, but no good music 
comes amiss to it. The first leaders were Mr. Long- 
reich, Mr. Despa, Mr. Kantman, Professor Weegman, 
and Professor Bergstein. It directed the great 
Saengerfest here in 1867, and again in 1883. The 
net proceeds of the festival were given to the Ger- 
man-English School, the Benevolent Society, and the 
German Benevolent Society. Its hall is the former 
City Hall on East Washington Street. Last summer 
it gave a performance in the Grand Opera-House of 
the opera of " Stradella" in so good a style that one 
unacquainted with the company would have eon- 
eluded that it was a professional association of a very 
fair grade. In 1869, in October, three German 
musical societies were compounded by the influence 
of Professor Bergstein, — the Liederkranz, Harmonie, 
and Frohsinn. The union was at first temporary to 
celebrate the Humboldt centennial. Afterwards it 
was made permanent under the name of the " Har- 
monic." Ladies were not admitted as members. Its 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



265 



meetings were held twice a week in Marmont's 
Hall, southwest corner of Georgia and Illinois Streets. 
The " Liederkranz" and the " Harmonie" have 
been reconstructed since the combination, and are 
now in existence separately. The " Turn-Verein" 
has a musical association in its membership. The 
" Druid Maennerchor" was formed in 1868, exclu- 
sively for members of that order, with Philip Reich- 
wein for president, and August Mueller, director. 
The " Choral Union" was formed about 1869, for 
the general purpose of promoting musical taste and 
culture, and performing occasionally the higher styles 
of musical composition, both vocally and instru- 
mentally. The first officers were M. R. Barnard, 
president ; Wm. C. Sinock, secretary ; Professor J. S. 
Black, director ; E. C. Mayhew and George B. Loomis, 
leaders. Nothing has been heard of it recently, at 
least since Professor Black and Mr. Barnard left the 
city. The " Philharmonic Orchestra" was organized 
about the same time as the preceding, with Dr. R. A. 
Barnes as leader. The " Lyra" is an old and well- 
established German musical society of large member- 
ship and means, and has a fine hall in the building 
which has replaced the old " Washington Hall," 
opposite Masonic Hall. It is rather a rival of the 
Maennerchor. Benhani's Musical Review was pub- 
lished here for some half dozen years before 1870, 
and for two or three years after that. In 1869, Mr. 
A. G. Willard began the publication of the Musical 
Visitor here. Both have long been suspended. 
Among the prominent musicians of the city, profes- 
sional and amateur, have been Professor Pearsall, Mr. 
A. G. Willard, Professor Bergstein, Professor Lizus, 
Professor BrnestinoflF, Professor Baker, Professor 
Barus, Professor Beissenherz, Mr. Mueller, Mr. Vogt 
(orchestra leaders the last three), Mr. Athlick Smith, 
Mr. M. H. Spades and Mrs. Spades, Mrs. Leon 
Bailey, Mr. and Mrs. Sam. Morrison, Mr. 0. W. 
Williams, Mrs. E. W. Halford, Miss Mackenzie, Mrs. 
John C. New, Mrs. Lynn, Mr. Ora Pearson, and 
others not recalled at this moment. 

The present management of the public musical 
associations of the city is as follows : The " Lieder- 
kranz" meets Wednesdays and Fridays, at Union 
Hall. W. H. Scherer is president ; Gustav Her- 



mann, secretary ; Frederick Mack, treasurer. Ernst 
Emestinoif, musical director. The " Lyra" meets 
Tuesday and Saturday evenings, at Lyra Hall. Ed. 
Raschig is president ; F. MumnenhofF, secretary ; 
John Wocher, Jr., treasurer ; Reinhold Miller, mu- 
sical director. The " Maennerchor" meets Wednesday 
and Friday evenings, at Maennerchor Hall (formerly 
City Hall). C. E. Emerich is president ; Fred. Merz, 
secretary ; Carl Barus, musical director. The bands 
of music are the " Indianapolis City Band," No. 268 
East Washington Street, Reinhold Miller, manager, 
B. Vogt, conductor ; "Union Band," No. 361 East 
MeCarty Street, Robert Dehne, leader ; " Beissen- 
herz's Band," No. 400 North New Jersey, H. D. 
Beissenherz, manager. The " Eureka," a colored 
musical organization, is both vocal and instrumental. 
Fine Arts. — Although the first State-House had 
to seek an architect in New York, the new one and 
the new court-house found home talent and taste suf- 
ficient for all needs, and it would be hard to match 
either with any public building of any period or cost. 
There were good architects here, however, before 
Isaac Hodgson and Edwin May. John Elder (father 
of John R. Elder, of the Locomotive and Sentinel, 
now a railroad manager in New Orleans) was one of 
the earliest architects in the city. Not much was 
needed of that order of skill, as houses were chiefly 
frame, and whatever they were in material they were 
sure to be the same square, plain structures, with 
no more conception of ornament or variety, even of 
paint, than a saw-log. In nothing, except music, is 
the improvement of taste more noticeable than in the 
houses now built for residence. The " goods-box" 
order of architecture has disappeared. Houses have 
fronts varied by porches, porticos, pillars, projections, 
painting, offsets, bay-windows, ornamental wood-work, 
costing but very little more than the square, staring, 
white family depositories of the last generation, but 
with a suggestion of beauty wholly invisible in the 
other. Door-frames are one color, the panels another, 
window-sash and frames are varied, the main tone of 
the house-color is different from either, fences and 
gates are tinted differently. Color is used largely to 
produce variety, both in outside and inside work. 
The man who would have put two colors in or on his 



266 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



house thirty years ago would have heen unanimously 
suspected of mental aberration. The consequence of 
this taste, or want of it (partly the effect of enforced 
economy, no doubt), was that one man-was about as 
competent an architect as another. There was no more 
room for taste than in building a pig-pen or an ash- 
hopper. Following Mr. Elder in this primitive era 
was Mr. Colestock, and later Mr. Willis, who planned 
the first Masonic Hall. Then came Mr. Tinsley, who 
was concerned with the asylums and some of the bet- 
ter business blocks. The architects now here can 
hold their own with any in the country, as witness 
the scores of fine residences in the North End, the 



painting, except that which devised the "rosebush" 
for Carter's tavern 'or the " eagle" for Hawkins'. In 
1831, however, a portrait-painter by the name of M. 
Gr. Rogers came and took a room in Henderson's 
tavern, and advertised his presence and pursuit. He 
stayed but a few weeks, in the latter part of the 
winter, with what advantage to himself or what 
benefit to the artistic taste of the community nobody 
will ever know. Very soon after him, in 1833, Mr. 
Jacob Cox came here, with his brothers, and began 
the tin- and copper-smith business, keeping it up 
manfully for a score of years, but all the time feeling 
an irrepressible longing for the pursuit of art. He 




NOKTH SIDE OF WASHINGTON BETWEEN PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE STREETS, 1S56. 




1 


^^m 


- -" -^-■^_--. z= 



SOUTH SIDE OF WASHINGTON BETWEEN PENNSYLVANIA AND DELAWARE STREETS, 1S4S. 



superb business blocks, the churches, and city school- 
houses. This is not the place to specify them or 
their peculiar merits, and this reference is all that can 
be made without invidious suggestion. The business 
houses of the times before the impulse of improve- 
ment brought by the railroads had changed them 
may be judged by the illustrations in this chapter. 

Painting in the early days of the city was confined 
to portraits wholly, at least so far as remunerative 
work was concerned. If landscape or "figure" work 
was attempted it was to indulge the artist's taste or 



manifested it when a lad of a dozen years of age, 
and it grew with his growth, in spite of prudent 
parental repression, which sought a remedy in a dif- 
ferent occupation. Excepting in a casual way, he 
did not paint much till the campaign of 1840 made 
a large demand for banners with appropriate party 
symbols, — Whig symbols in his case, " the same old 
coon" especially, — and these he painted with a decided 
advantage of reputation and some money, which led 
him to pay more attention to his art and less to his 
trade. He painted a good deal in the next two years, 



ambition, not to fill an order from an esthetic patron. I and made portraits of Senator Oliver H. Smith, Gov- 
For the first ten years we have no account of any ' ernor Bigger, Governor Wallace, and others, of such 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



267 



striking accuracy of likeness and artistic effect that 
they were quite the talk of the town at their appear- 
ance. In 1842 he went to Cincinnati and opened a 
studio with John Dunn, son of a former State treas- 
urer of Indiana, and remained five months, in that 
time securing the patronage and high regard of 
Miles Greenwood and other Cincinnatians, whose 
approval and patronage were a good thing for any- 
body to have. He returned here, kept his business 
(with occasional intervals of painting) till about 1858, 
when he left the shop for the studio altogether. 
While the " Cincinnati Art Union" was in ex- 



man Lieber had then recently opened his art estab- 
lishment, and contributed largely to the success of 
the society, which was mainly of his origination. 
The pictures sent in by Mr. Cox, Peter Fishe Read, 
James F. Gookins, and others were exhibited in his 
picture-room, and the association given quarters there. 
A number of citizens acquired excellent specimens 
of home art during the existence of this society. 
Since its extinction Mr. Cox has painted steadily 
and with great variety of subjects and treatment, 
and those who can judge say with steady improve- 
ment, though now over the Scriptural limit of three- 




SOUTH SIDE OF WASHINGTON BETWEEN MEKIDIAN AND PENNSYLVANIA STEEETS, 1S48. 




NORTH SIDE OF WASHINGTON BETWEEN MERIDIAN AND PENNSYLVANIA STREETS, 1854. 



istence Mr. Cox painted one or two pictures for each 
annual exhibition, and they were all bought at good 
prices. The " Union," however, was ahead of the 
times, and went down after a struggle of four or five 
years, from 1848 "to 1854, or thereabouts. During 
this period he improved greatly in his landscape 
work, and occasionally attempted " historical" or 
" figure" pieces less successfully. He has done far 
better in this way in his later years. In 1856 the 
" Indianapolis Art Society" was formed for the pur- 
pose of encouraging art by securing the sales of the 
work of home artists, and accomplished a good deal 
of its purpose in the few years that it lived. Her- 



score and ten. He is the pioneer artist of Indian- 
apolis and of the State, and easily the most eminent. 
In his life and labors the art history of Indianapolis 
is almost embodied. There was little outside of him 
for twenty-five years after 1840. There were other 
artists of talent and skill and good repute here at 
times, but none have remained long enough to be 
identified with the place. Mr. Whitridge, Mr. 
Baton, Mr. Gookins, Mr. Read, Mr. Freeman, Mr. 
Steele, Mr. Rowley, Mrs. Gufiin, and others went 
away after a residence of a few months or a few 
years. Mr. Cox has never changed. Several artists 
of distinction here were his pupils, particularly Mrs. 



268 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Guffin, Miss Julia Cox (his daughter, now Mrs. 
White), and Henry W. Waugh. 

About the time Mr. Cox began applying himself 
wholly to his art, a young man about as ill dressed 
as a man could be and appear on the street, came 
here and lived for a time with Dr. Abner Pope. He 
painted a portrait of the doctor that commanded 
general admiration. He remained painting here for 
a year or so, and then went to Cincinnati, where he 
became one of the distinguished artists of the West. 
He was Joseph 0. Eaton. He removed to New 
York during the latter part of the war, or at its 
close, and with him went William Miller, a little, 
gifted, misshapen fellow who painted miniatures, and 
for several years visited the city for a few months, 
making his home with the late Dr. Mears and 
keeping a studio in the " Sanders Block," West 
Washington Street, near Meridian. At about the 
same time a portrait painter by the name of Brown 
had a studio in the same building for a year or two. 
In 1842, — not far from the time of the arrival of 
the other artists, — Mr. T. W. Whitridge came here 
and remained longer, made a better impression, and 
did more work than any artist who at that time had 
been here, not excluding our own home artists. 
He opened the first daguerrean gallery here in the 
second story of the frame building still standing on 
the corner of Washington Street and the alley on 
the south side between Meridian and Illinois. 
Some of his paintings are owned here still, and 
some are kept by Mr. Beecher in his Brooklyn 
house. This distinguished preacher was a warm 
friend and frequent visitor of the artist. When Mr. 
Whitridge left for New York, or possibly before, 
Dr. Luke Muusell opened a gallery in the building 
where the " Hubbard Block" stands. In 1845 this 
gallery, or one in the same place, was conducted 
by Peter McNaught. These were the first develop- 
ments of an art which now produces here works 
with no superior in any city in the country. For 
a number of years after Mr. Whitridge left, Mr. 
Cox had the field all to himself, but it was unhappily 
hardly worth having. 

James B. Dunlap, son of Dr. L. Dunlap, very early 
manifested signs of artistic talent. He never culti- 



vated it systematically, or he might have been one of 
the prominent artists of the country. He was in Cali- 
fornia for some years, and there made a bust of Capt. 
Sutter, the noted Calfornia pioneer and owner of the 
first "gold diggings," which was very widely noticed 
and commended as a fine work of plastic art. He 
returned to Indianapolis before the civil war broke 
out, and did something in the way of portrait-paint- 
ing, but "he never accomplished anything at all equal 
to his abilities. 

Of late years, during the last decade, there has 
been a notable increase of students of art and artists 
working their way into a reputation and a comfort- 
able living. Of these it would be invidious to speak 
as of older artists or those who have gone away. It 
remains to notice the " Art Loan Exhibition," at the 
English Opera-House, in December, 1883. This 
was in a considerable measure the work of Miss 
Keteham, and it is likely to be but the beginning 
of a long series of such exhibitions. An art school 
has recently been advertised by Mrs. Sewall, secre- 
tary of the association, to be held in the Old Ply- 
mouth Church building, now a part of the " English 
Block," and taught partly by Mr. MacDonald, of 
Chicago, and partly by Miss Keteham, who, says 
the notice, " will be present at the art rooms, and 
will see that each student desiring to practice during 
those days has an opportunity to do so without in- 
terruption. During these days Miss Keteham is 
employed to give instruction in china painting to 
special pupils in that branch. Lessons in china 
painting will not be given on the last three days of 
each week." 

In the way of sculpture Indianapolis has done 
little and promises little. One or two lady artists 
have done some good modeling, but it is not said 
that they will prosecute sculpture 'as a pursuit. The 
limestone figures on the court-house are mere 
'' architectural, not artistic, sculptures," says the 
architect, and it is well. The statue of Franklin 
on the " Franklin Insurance Company's" building 
manifests a good deal of the native ability required 
for sculpture, and the artist, a Mr. Mahoney, may 
make a high reputation if he tries. 

Clubs. — The literary societies of the last genera- 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



269 



tioD, in which the members debated the comparative 
merits of Luther and Columbus, printing and steam, 
or read essays, have become " clubs" in these latter 
days, and rate themselves in a different order of 
intellectual diversion and development from their 
predecessors. They have a full right to. Though 
the debating societies of the time, from 1835 to 1850, 
sometimes contained full-grown men and solid brains, 
they were generally made up of boys from fifteen to 
twenty. The literary clubs of to-day contain some 
of the best thinkers and best-informed men in the 
State, and they do not meet to talk nonsense or waste 
time ; that is, the better grade of clubs, both male 
and female. It is impossible to say how many there 
are, or what they are, there are so many hidden away 
in corners and sections of the community concerning 
themselves only with their own neighborhood. The 
" Indianapolis Literary Club" of gentlemen is the 
oldest, largest, and ablest, presumably, and the 
" Ladies' Literary Club" is of the same quality of 
the other sex. The " Meridian Club" is of the 
English, or stereotyped class, social, possibly con- 
vivial at times, and concerned more with the table 
than the library. The club-house of the " Meridian" 
is the residence built by the late W. H. Talbott, on 
the southwest corner of Meridian and Ohio Streets. 
It seems to be well sustained. There are, of course, 
several political clubs in Presidential campaigns, but 
they are temporary, and not of the character of the 
clubs referred to here. The Scotch have a " Burns" 
or " Caledonian Club," and a " Caledonian Quoiting 
Club ;" there are several dancing clubs, and musical 
clubs, and charitable clubs, and convivial clubs, and 
possibly missionary clubs. The city bristles with 
clubs like an army of Fijians or ancient Britons. 

Hotels. — It is not certain that the first house 
built in Indianapolis was not a tavern. John Mc- 
Cormick's house was a tavern in 1820, and his has a 
reasonable probability to sustain its claim of being the 
first one. It stood on the river bank near the site of 
the east end of the old National Road bridge. How 
long he kept it as a place of entertainment for " man 
and beast" no record shows. He was probably soon 
crowded out by his later neighbors, Nowland, Carter, 
and Hawkins. Of these early hotels, or " taverns," 



as they were always called, an account has been given 
in the general history, but a word may be added as 
to their later history. On the death of Mr. Nowland 
in November, 1822, his widow, for many years as 
well known as the Grovernor of the State, took 
boarders and kept a boarding-house till within a 
few years of her death, a period of full thirty years. 
Her house for most of this period was on the south 
side of Washington Street, on the site of the great 
drug house of Browning & Sloan, and here, during 
sessions of the Legislature, the genial landlady, who 
was everybody's friend and had a friend in every- 
body, was sure to hold a large patronage of members 
and visitors. Though less pretentious than the 
larger hotels, it was not less widely or favorably 
known. Major Carter's first tavern, the " Rose- 
bush," a two-story frame on the site of 40 West 
Washington Street, was moved off after he left it 
in 1823, and finally stopped on West Street near 
Maryland. His two-story frame opposite the court- 
house was burned during the first session of the 
Legislature. The ground soon afterward was oc- 
cupied by a row of two-story brick buildings, in one 
of which ex-Governor Ray kept a hotel for some 
years before his death. The " Eagle Tavern" of 
John Hawkins, on the north side of Washington 
Street, a half-square east of Meridian, was a double 
log cabin in a wood so dense that the trees of which 
it was built were cut upon the site it stood upon, 
and at the time a person in the door could not see 
another person on the other side of the street a half- 
block away; or, to measure by existing objects, a 
person in front of the " Iron Block" could not see 
another at the east end of Yohn's Block. In 1 826-27 
it was replaced by a two-story brick, long known as 
the " Union Hotel," and long kept by Basil Brown, 
the typical landlord of the time. John Hare, and 
John Cain, and Mr. Jordan also kept it. In 1849 
it was replaced by a four-story brick, opened by 
John Cain, July 14, 1850, as the " Capital House." 
He was succeeded by Lemuel Frazier, Daniel D. 
Sloan, and others till the spring of 1857, when the 
Sentinel, under J. J. Bingham, moved its entire es- 
tablishment there and was terribly blown up the first 
night by a defective boiler. Thus ends, the history 



270 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of the Hawkins tavern and its site in that direc- 
tion. 

Pretty nearly opposite, where the Glenn Block is 
now, James Blake and Samuel Henderson built a 
two-story frame tavern in the summer and fall of 
1823, and opened it with a ball Jan. 12, 1824. 
This was the "Washington Hall," then and for 
thirty, years the best-known hotel in Indiana. It 
was the Whig headquarters, as the hotel opposite 
was the Democratic headquarters till the opening of 
the Palmer House in 1841 changed them. In 1836 
the frame was moved east to the next lot, and a 
three-story brick with a basement and a recessed 
portico with pillars, and with two rear two-story 
buildings extending to the alley, was erected at a 
cost of thirty thousand dollars by the " Washington 
Hall Company," composed of Messrs. Yandes, Blake, 
Henderson, McCarty, and others. It was opened by 
Edmund Browning, then recently from Dayton, Ohio, 
Nov. 16, 1837, and kept by him till 15th of March, 
1851. He was succeeded by Henry Achey, Robert 
Browning, Burgess & Townley, Gen. W. J. Elliott, 
father of Judge Byron K. Elliott, of the Supreme 
Bench, and he by Louis Eppinger. The house was 
then bought by the Glenns and remodeled into the 
present block. In the winter of 1843 the most de- 
structive fire which had then ever occurred in the 
town took place here. Rev. Henry Ward Beecher dis- 
tinguished himself in the labor of extinguishing it. 

In 1840-41, Nathan B. Palmer, then State Treas- 
urer, built a two-story brick, with a wooden story on 
top of it, on the southeast corner of Illinois and 
Washington Streets, which was opened in the sum- 
mer of 1841 by John C. Parker, of Charleston, 
Clarke Co., Ind., under the name of the " Palmer 
House." In 1856 the lessee, Dr. Barbour, made a 
four-story brick of it, and extended it southward to 
the alley. Besides Mr. Parker and Dr. Barbour, the 
Palmer House has been kept by J. D. Carmichael, 
Dennis Tuttle, Charles W. Hall, and B. Mason. Some 
years ago it was rearranged and improved, and the 
name was changed to the " Occidental," under which 
it has been regarded as one of the best houses in the 
city. 

In 1834, John Little opened a two-story frame 



tavern, called from its sign the " Sun" tavern, on the 
southeast corner of Washington and New Jersey 
Streets, commanding a large patronage of horseback- 
travelers, who constituted a large portion of all the 
travelers of those days. A three-story L was added 
in 1847 by his sons, Matthew and Ingraham, and 
four years later the original building was moved over 
to the northeast corner of Washington and East 
Streets, and was replaced by a three-story brick. 
The old building was kept as a hotel for some years, 
and then it and the gi'ounds were turned into a beer 
garden. The " Little House" has retained its name, 
though like the others it has frequently changed 
landlords. It has been the " Little House," or "Lit- 
tle's Hotel," for fifty years. 

In anticipation of the completion of the Madison 
Railroad, Robert B. Duncan built a three-story brick 
on the southeast corner of South and Delaware 
Streets which was called the " Duncan House" at 
first, and did a first-rate hotel business till the rivalry 
of other roads damaged the Madison, and then the 
hotel became a boarding-house, as it is yet. The 
name was changed to the " Barker House" while 
T. D. and D. J. Barker had it, and to the " Ray 
House" when Martin M. Ray, brother of Governor 
Ray, took it. Senator Harrison made his first con- 
spicuous step forward in his profession by prose- 
cuting and convicting the colored cook at this house 
of poisoning one of the inmates with arsenic which 
he put in the cofiee or some other article of food. 
The " Carlisle House" was a large three-story frame, 
built by Daniel Carlisle in 1848, on West Wash- 
ington Street, south side, at the intersection of Cali- 
fornia. It was more pretentious than successful, 
fell off to a second-rate boarding-house and then to 
a saloon, and was then changed to a brewery by J. 
P. Meikel, and is now a very dilapitated structure 
occupied by a variety of tenants apparently. In 
1852-53, while the building of the Union tracks 
and depot was under discussion and in progress. 
Gen. T. A. Morris built a three-story brick hotel, 
subsequently made four stories, on the north side of 
Louisiana Street, opposite the Union Depot. It was 
called the " Morris House." Some years later it 
was joined to the building on the east directly and 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



271 



to a building west of the adjoining alley by arching 
over the alley, and called the " American House,'' 
kept by Gen. Elliott. It was the " Mason House" 
a while, and kept by Ben. Mason. When Thomas 
B. McCarty bought it of Gen. Morris, some ten or a 
dozen years ago, the name was changed to the " Sher- 
man House," which it still bears. 

In 1852-53, Hervey Bates built the " Bates 
House," on the northwest corner of Washington 
and Illinois Streets. It was opened by D. D. Sloan 
in 1853. He was succeeded by Curtis Judson, lately 
and for many years of the " Gramercy Park 
House," New York, and by John WooUey and his 
partner, Mr. Ingoldsby. It has also been kept by 
William Judson, Bradford Miller, and others, but 
always under the same name, further than Mr. Miller 
made it " Hotel Bates" instead of plain " Bates 
House," a little bit of aifeetation that did no harm. 
It has been enlarged to double its original size and 
greatly improved by the son of Mr. Bates, who suc- 
ceeded to the property by inheritance and has recently 
sold it to Mr. E. P. Claypool for one hundred and 
sixty thousand dollars. In 1856-57, Francis Cos- 
tigan, the architect of the post-oflfice and Odd-Fel- 
lows' Hall, built the " Oriental House," on the east 
side of South Illinois Street, at the alley south of 
Maryland. It was opened in June, 1857. It is 
now the south end of the Grand Hotel. The Tre- 
mont House, now the Spencer, was built in 1857 
at the corner of Illinois Street and the Union tracks. 
It is a four-story brick, and has been enlarged and 
greatly improved since its original erection. It was 
opened by J. W. Canaa, and has been kept by M. 
Harth and Henry Guetig since. In 1856, Henry 
Buehrig (" Lieber Bruder") built the Farmers', 
afterwards the Commercial Hotel, northeast corner 
of Illinois and Georgia Streets. Mr. Reitz raised it 
from a three- to a four-story building when he 
changed the name. It is now a part of the Na- 
tional Surgical Institute, controlled by Dr. H. R. 
Allan and Dr. Wm. Johnson. The Macy House, 
southeast corner of Illinois and Market Streets, was 
built by David Macy in 1857. It was quite a popu- 
lar hotel for a time, but is now a boarding-house, 
with the name of the St. Cloud Hotel. The St. 



Charles is a hotel on the European plan on the west 
side of Illinois Street, next block north of the Bates 
House. It was built by T. F. Ryan and E. S. 
Alvord and others in 1870. 

In or near the year 1870 the first work was done on 
the hotel now called the " Denison House," then a 
joint-stock enterprise in which a number of leading 
citizens were interested. The work was not vigorously 
pushed and the property fell into the hands of Harry 
Sheets, representing the heirs of the late William 
Sheets, who owned the larger part of the site. W^hen 
sold on foreclosure he bid it in, an incomplete four- 
story brick, covering the greater part of an acre of 
ground. It remained in this unfinished condition till 
the great fire of 1874 seriously damaged it. A few 
years later John C. New and Mr. Denison bought the 
unfinished, partially burned new ruin and finished it 
in a better style than was contemplated by its pro- 
jectors, and it was opened as the " New-Denison 
House," under the management of H. B. Sherman, 
in January, 1880. A few years later than the New- 
Denison in starting, but much sooner finished, was the 
" Grand Hotel." Mr. Schnull built up the corner of 
Illinois and Maryland Streets, formerly occupied by 
the residence of Dr. G. W. Stipp, used as the first 
Deaf and Dumb Asylum, with a large and handsome 
five-story hotel, to which he joined the " Oriental 
House" and all the intermediate buildings, improving 
them into some uniformity of style and convenience. 
This was opened as the " Grand Hotel" in 1876. 
The " Weddell House" occupies the upper stories of 
the block on the east side of Illinois Street between 
Louisiana and Georgia. It has been opened within 
the last two or three years. In 1875, Mr. A. C. Remy, 
a member of the county board that finished building 
the new court-house, tore out the old Wesley Chapel 
parsonage, on the southwest " quadrant" of Circle 
Street, and erected one of the finest hotel structures 
in the city, though smaller than several, and opened 
in 1876, with Mr. Sapp, now of the " New-Denison," 
as landlord. In May, 1879, Mr. Remy sold the house 
to the present proprietor, Mr. David Nicholson, the 
contractor with his partner, Adam Scott, for the stone 
work of the new court-house. He is still the owner. 
In August, 1879, Mrs. Rhodius, who had for twenty 



272 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



years kept the " Circle Restaurant," on North Meri- 
dian Street, finished the " Circle House," on Circle 
Street, and opened it as a first-class hotel. She still 
retains its management. It is on the southeast " quad- 
rant" of the " Circle." On the northwest " quadrant," 
inclosing the " English Opera House," is one of the 
finest buildings in the West, erected within the last 
five years by Mr. W. H. English. It occupies a little 
more than half of that " quadrant," and will ultimately 
cover it all. It is to be opened as a first-class hotel 
in February, 1884. The " California," on South Illi- 
nois Street, was opened some ten years ago. There 
are a number of other hotels in the city, but these 
are the oldest or largest, and best known. The Di- 
rectory reports forty-nine. 

Restaurants. — The first restaurant of any con- 
siderable pretension was kept by a half-blood by the 
name of John Crowder, somewhere about the time 
that the first theatre made its appearance in Ollaman's 
wagon-shop, in 1838 or thereabouts. It was at the 
height of its reputation while located in one of the 
rooms of Blackford's row of one-story frames, where 
the present palatial Blackford's Block stands. Here 
he was succeeded in two or three years by John 
Hodgkins, an Englishman, who kept a confectionery 
establishment with it, and made his own candies, the 
first of that class of manufactures in the place. He 
also built, or dug, the first ice-house to store ice for 
sale, as well as the manufacture of cream. It was at 
the corner of the two alleys where the rear of St. 
John's Cathedral stands, and the remainder of the 
quarter of a square, or one acre, which had formerly 
been the residence of George Smith, the first news- 
paper founder, was covered with an orchard which 
was filled up with seats and arbors, and graveled 
walks and flower-beds, and made the first pleasure- 
garden in the city, as has been elsewhere related. It 
was not till the completion of the Madison Railroad, 
however, that eating-houses became a permanent 
feature of business, and even then it required the 
impulse of the war to give them the importance 
they have since attained. Now there are over forty, 
chiefly located in the vicinity of the Union Depot 
and along Illinois Street, 

The first oysters were brought here by the late 



James Blake, it is said, but for years only the 
" pickled" could bear transportation even in winter. 
The pioneers did not take kindly to the luxury. Its 
looks were against it, and the oyster was sneeringly 
compared to a nasal excretion. But settlers from the 
Bast gradually brought it into general favor, and by 
the time the railroads could bring it in good condi- 
tion in the legitimate months (with an " r" in the 
name) it was a general favorite. The tomato, or 
" love-apple," as it was called, was not considered fit 
for anything but hog feed for the first twenty years 
or so of the settlement. It was grown as an orna- 
ment or curiosity, but as an edible was not ranked 
even so high as the " ground cherry," which was 
rather popular with children, and not nearly so high 
as the " May-apple." Celery was unknown till 
oysters had become an established addition to the 
primitive bill of fare. The pheasant, once a common 
game bird in the woods, disappeared as the oyster 
advanced in favor, and now is never seen near the 
city, and rarely anywhere in the county. The quail, 
however, has been preserved in considerable abund- 
ance by the game laws, as has the " prairie chicken," 
or grouse. 

Fish, especially game fish, — the " bass" and " red- 
eye" chiefly, — were nearly swept away by reckless 
processes, like seining and trapping, till a statute 
enacted some fifteen years or so ago checked the evil, 
and succeeding amendments, coupled with systematic, 
though not yet extensive, efibrts at replacing them, 
have begun to restore something of the former better 
condition of our streams. Pork-houses and manufac- 
tories have driven off the good fish from the vicinity 
of the city, and few are left but the scavengers of 
the river, " cats" and " suckers." A few miles away, 
though, up or down the river, the fishing is some- 
times pretty good. In early times all the streams 
were full of fish, including the game fish we now 
have, and the pike, salmon occasionally, and " buf- 
falo" frequently, which are now rarely seen. The 
abundance of game and fish in the New Purchase 
was doubtless the reason the Indians held to it so 
tenaciously, and retained possession even after they 
had sold it by treaty. At this time the offal of pork- 
houses makes a profusion of food for the poorer vari- 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



2*73 



eties of fish, and in the season — at almost any season 
when there is no ice — fishermen crowd the banks of 
the river, from the water-works to the lower Bell 
Koad bridge, to catch the " cat" and " sucker." They 
are coarse, but wholesome, and save many a dollar to 
the poor, who have more time than money, and always 
appetite enough for what is not bad eating for any- 
body. The bulk of all the fish food consumed here, 
however, both in restaurants and families, comes from 
the lakes, with occasional considerable additions from 
the sea-board. Fresh codfish were brought here on 
ice before the war, and so were shell-oysters, but not 
in any considerable quantities. The latter are now 
one of the constant imports from the East, and, with 
lobsters and other food of salt-water cultivation, form 
a large item of the city's business. The oldest res- 
taurant in continuous existence is the Crystal Palace, 
established first about 1858 by Edwin Beck, and, 
after several changes since his death, is now in the 
hands of his brother-in-law. Ferdinand Christman. 
The others are all of the post-war period. The 
Women's Christian Temperance Union keeps one of 
the best dining-halls in the city, and uses the profits 
■ for benevolent purposes. 

The visits of Vice-President R. M. Johnson, in 
1840, and ex-President Van Buren and Mr. Clay, in 
1842, have been referred to in the general history. 
There are a few others of historical interest that may 
be noticed here- as appropriately as anywhere. On 
the 28th of May, 1850, while the Union was under- 
going the periodical process of being "saved" by 
concessions to slavery. Governor Wright, who was 
an ardent " Union saver," invited Governor John J. 
Crittenden, of Kentucky, to make an official visit 
here in the interest of Union. He did so, and was 
hospitably received, regaled with Union speeches and 
resolutions in the State-House yard, and made a fine 
speech himself. On the 20th of December, 1851, 
the Legislature invited the Hungarian patriot and 
exile, Kossuth, to visit the city, and a public meeting 
of citizens appointed a committee of fifty to receive 
and take care of him and his rather extensive and 
troublesome suite. They met him at Cincinnati on the 
26th of February, 1852, accompanied him here by 
way of Madison, arriving about noon at the Madison 



Railroad Depot on South Street in one of the largest 
crowds ever seen here. The boys pressed upon some 
of his suite, and were treated with a harshness that 
made those who saw it detest them heartily. A pro- 
cession marched to the State-House yard, where Kos- 
suth spoke for more than an hour, reading a speech 
he had written on the cars as he came up, it was said 
at the time. The party were provided for at the 
" Capital House" at the State's expense, and they 
made it pretty expensive by a liberal use of wines 
and liquors, so said current report. At night a recep- 
tion was held at the Governor's residence, and a good 
deal of money given the exile by admiring Hoosiers. 
His "bonds" were kept as curiosities by some of the 
donors. The next day (Saturday) he was received 
by the two houses of the Legislature, and met dele- 
gations of sympathizers, — there was no one in the 
State who was not a sympathizer with Hungary, — and 
took in a considerable amount of contributions, in all 
about one thousand dollars. He attended church at 
Roberts' Chapel on Sunday morning and some of the 
Sunday-schools in the afternoon. On Monday he re- 
ceived more delegations and money, and delivered an 
address in Masonic Hall to the " friends of Hungary." 
He left on Tuesday, making one marked and prominent 
change of fashion here. The " Kossuth" soft felt hat 
became the general male wear, instead of the stifi", ugly 
plug, and it has remained so ever since. 

Two or three years later Governor Powell, of 
Kentucky paid Governor Wright an official visit, ac- 
companied by some of the other State officers, by 
Mr. Hodges, editor of the Whig State organ, the 
Frankfort Commonwealth^ and by Capt. John Rus- 
sell, a brother of Col. A. W. Russell, and noted all 
over the West as the strongest man of his day. He 
was said, when a boy of twenty, to have knocked 
down Lafitte, the noted pirate of the Gulf, and to 
have had in his prime the strength of four ordinary 
men. He was the father of Mr. W. H. Russell, of 
this city. In 1859, on the 5th of May, Richard Cob- 
den, the celebrated English " anti-corn law" leader and 
free-trade statesman, was in the city a few hours. Mr. 
Lincoln was here twice before his death. He spoke 
in Masonic Hall on the 19th of September, 1859, and 
from the balcony of the Bates House on the afternoon 



274 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of the 12th of February, 1861, while on his way to 
his inauguration. In this speech he first developed 
the course he proposed to take with the seceded States. 
When it was learned that his body would be brought 
through the city on the way to Springfield, 111., the 
city authorities and citizens made extensive and ap- 
propriate preparations to receive it. A superb funeral 
arch was erected at the State-House gate, and a plat- 
form prepared for the corpse in the lower hall, in the 
rotunda. There was a parade of military and citizens 
on the 30th of April when the funeral train arrived 
here, but greatly reduced from what it would have 
been by the rainy, dismal weather. 



-CHAPTERXII. 

CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS— (C'o„(;«„erf.) 
MEDICAL PKACTICB AND PEACTITIONEES. 

The early doctors of the New Purchase were all of 
the old school of heroic treatment. Disease to them 
was an enemy intrenched in certain functions, and 
had to be driven out, and the more incessant the 
attack and profuse the ammunition the sooner the 
siege would be over. They maintained the system of 
Moli^re's doctors, " saignave, purgare, et clysterizare" 
with little change, and like them knew no resource 
when their first processes failed but " re-saignare, re- 
purgare, et re-clysterizare." Happily, they had to 
deal with patients of simple lives and temperate 
habits, with constitutions solidly built and functions 
undisturbed by luxuries and unstrained by excesses, 
and capable of resisting both the disease and the 
remedy. Calomel and the lancet, the " purgare" 
and " saignare," were the invariable remedies for every 
disorder. There were few residents in White River 
Valley who had not suffered under the doctor's in- 
junction, with a half teaspoonful of calomel, " Now, 
you mustn't drink any cold water or vinegar, or eat 
anything sour ; if you get very dry drop some clean 
live coals in a tin of water and warm it a little, and 
drink that." There were plenty of mutilated mouths, 
loosened teeth, and shriveled gums, and sometimes 
decayed jawbones and ulcerated cheeks, to warn 



patients of the perils of " salivation" and of dis- 
obedience of the doctor's orders. And there were 
few who could not show a little scar in the inside of 
the elbow where a lancet had cut the visible vein 
there. Quinine for malarial complaints was unknown. 
Pelletier discovered it about the time that the Pogues 
and McCormicks discovered the site of Indianapolis, 
and its use did not get West for a score of years or 
near it. In its stead the crude bark was used with 
wine. 

All this is changed now, and has long been changing. 
The doctor of to-day, whatever his school, depends 
less on drugs and more on natural agencies that 
renovate the system rather than resist disorders of 
its parts. He maintains artificial conditions and uses 
artificial remedies as little as possible. Air, water, 
suitable diet, comfortable temperature are his " phar- 
maeopceia," with a good nurse to administer its doses. 
Ice and pure water are harmless agencies, but more 
powerful and more used than all the bitter drugs dug 
out of the tropics. So while increasing wealth and 
luxury increase the complications of diseases, the 
doctor increases the efficiency of his remedies by 
simplifying them. He does not use so many nor so 
much of any. He does not carry a small drug-store 
in his " pill-bags," and fill his own prescriptions now 
as he used to do. A little pocket-case not larger 
than a tobacco-box serves to store all his artificial 
remedies in. In no other profession or pursuit is 
there so marked a contrast between earlier and later 
conditions. The middle-aged man of to-day can 
remember the doctor and his " pill-bags" with more 
distinctness, probably, than any other character of 
his childhood. The disturbance always, the distress 
often, into which he came, quiet, unruffled, smiling 
to the children, shaking hands with the " old folks," 
with his "pill-bags" slung over his left arm, made a 
figure set in a scene not easily efiaced from the 
tenacious memory of childhood. Associations are 
difierent now. The neat buggy, the boy to wait and 
watch the horse, the little pocket-case of occasional 
medicines, the dry pikes, the comfortable " lap-robe" 
of to-day were undreamed developments of the pro- 
fession, as the old song of those days said, " when 
this old hat was new." A five-mile horseback ride 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



215 



on a bitter night, with no protection but an overcoat 
►and a pair of " leggings," over roads roughened with 
" crossways" or frozen into lumps and ruts, or sloppy 
with thawing mud, was a rather different experience 
from that which to-day takes a drive on a longer 
journey in half of the time, with less of the exposure 
and none of the obstacles of the road. But the 
faithful doctor of to-day, with all his conveniences, 
has a harder life than any other professional or busi- 
ness man. 

There were no doctors in Indianapolis in the first 
year of the settlement (a misprint on page 29, in the 
list of early settlers, makes Dr. Coe a settler in the 
spring of 1820 instead of 1821), and there appears 
to have been no need of them. So it looks like a 
providential arrangement that in the following six 
months no less than five competent young doctors 
should come to make their homes here just in time 
for the malarial epidemic that prostrated the entire 
settlement in the summer of 1821. Dr. Samuel G. 
Mitchell came first, in April, 1821, from Paris, Ky. 
He built a log house on the site of the present 
State buildings, and soon afterwards built a frame 
house on the northwest corner of Washington and 
Meridian Streets, where Henry Porter, a well-known 
early merchant and son-in-law of the doctor, long 
had his store-room. He was a brother-in-law of 
Samuel Henderson, the first postmaster and first 
president of the Town Council, and first mayor. He 
died of paralysis, among friends in Ohio, in 1837. 
His office for some years was a little one-story frame 
on the south side of Washington Street, where Charles 
Mayer, in 1840, opened his grocery- and gingercake- 
store, and where his present palatial building stands. 
Dr. Sanders also occupied it for a term. 

Dr. Isaac Coe came here first in May, 1821, from 
New Jersey, and, wisely or luckily, came liberally pro- 
vided with the remedies that were soon to be specially 
needed. Mr. Nowland's sketch of him says he was 
" provided with a large supply of Peruvian bark and 
wine," and if it had not been for his services and 
remedies the mortality of the epidemic would have 
been worse than it was. His prominence in the 
growth of the city is referred to in the general his- 
tory. In this connection it may be noticed that he 



was one of the three " fund commissioners" — Caleb 
B. Smith and Samuel Hanna, of Fort Wayne, and 
afterwards Milton Stapp, of Madison, were the others 
— to settle the State's claims on her debtors, and 
to dispose of the assets she got, as the " Gleorgia 
Lands," the " Brooklyn Water Lots," the " Soap 
Factory," which figured largely in the political diatribes 
of the State contest in 1843, and the legislative 
sessions preceding. During this time, from 1837 or 
1838 to 1841 or thereabouts, a radical change came 
upon Dr. Coe's professional convictions. He became 
indoctrinated with the views of Dr. Hahnemann, 
unknown in England ten years before, and introduced 
by Dr. Gram in New York but two years earlier. 
In his past practice he had been distinguished for 
" heroic" treatment. He gave more doses and bigger 
ones than anybody else. Mr. Nowland has preserved 
a satirical couplet suggested by this practice to the 
doctor's rival. Dr. Jonathan Cool, — 

" Oh, Dr. Coe, oh, Dr. Coe, 
What makes you dose your patients so ?" 

The doctor acted on his convictions, and thus 
became the first homoeopathist in the city and the 
New Purchase. 

Dr. Jonathan Cool came during the "sickly season" 
of 1821, when Dr. Coe was the only one left of four 
who could attend to patients. He was a graduate of 
Princeton, a New Jersey man, and a classmate of the 
distinguished jurist and judge of the Supreme Court, 
Isaac Blackford. He had been a surgeon in the 
United States army before coming to Indianapolis, 
and stationed at Newport barracks, Kentucky. He 
was too far gone in dissipation, says Mr. Nowland, to 
practice his profession with any success after he came 
here, and lived with and upon his mother on a farm 
three miles northeast of the town ; but there were 
occasional stories current forty years ago or so of his 
suggesting remedies and effecting cures, in his better 
condition, that other doctors had given up as hope- 
less. He died about 1840, the earliest and saddest 
example in the city's history of fine native abilities 
and fine attainments ruined by liquor. Shortly be- 
fore Dr. Cool came Dr. Kenneth Scudder, who 
opened the first drug-store in 1821 (a misprint on 



276 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



page 29 makes him a settler in 1820, instead of 
1821). So little is said of him or remembered of 
him that all that can now be safely accepted is that 
he was one of the doctors in the great epidemic of 
1821. 

Dr. Livingston Dunlap came here from Cherry 
Valley, N. Y., in midsummer, 1821. In a few days 
after his arrival, while making his home with Dr. 
Mitchell, in the cabin where the State buildings are, 
he and Dr. Mitchell and all the latter's family were 
attacked, and Mr. Matthias Nowland, to relieve the 
distress, carried Dr. Dunlap home with him on his 
back. Dr. Dunlap was the best-known physician of 
the city of the early settlers. He was physician to 
the Deaf and Dumb Asylum, a commissioner of the 
Insane Asylum, a member of the City Council for 
several years, and founder of the City Hospital. He 
died in 1862. 

Before Dr. Coe introduced the homoeopathic treat- 
ment here, Dr. Abner Pope came from Baltimore — 
originally from Massachusetts — in the spring of 1836, 
with the Thomsonian system, popularly called the 
" steam" system. It had been practiced a little by 
vagrant doctors, but Dr. Pope was the first settled 
adherent of that school. He continued in it while 
he continued in the profession, a dozen or fifteen 
years, and at the same time kept a store espe- 
cially provided with vegetable remedies, as "prickly 
ash," "lobelia," " pocoon" or blood-root, "cohosh," 
" May-apple root," and scores of others, with such 
preparations as " number six," — liquid flames, — 
"bread of heaven," a dark-hued putty as of hot ashes, 
nevertheless pleasantly flavored, and similar stimu- 
lating remedies, in connection with a miscellaneous 
stock of goods such as was generally held by the 
merchants of that time. He, and some years later 
Dr. Brickett, who had been employed in the Yandes 
and Sheets paper-mill, were the best-known prac- 
titioners of this school. Contemporaneously with 
them, or nearly so, was Dr. J. F. Merrill, technically 
a " Uroscopean" of the school of Burns' " Dr. Horn- 
book ;" also an " Indian doctor," as he described him- 
self, decorated with the nominal profusion of " Wil- 
liam Kelly Frowhawk Fryer." He dealt in Indian 
baths and remedies, and sold Indian nostrums that 



no Indian ever heard of unless the doctor told him. 
These were the earliest instances of heterodox prac- 
tice of which any account or memory is preserved. 

In the spring of 1823 the Indiana Central Medical 
Society was formed to license physicians to practice, 
the law at that time requiring such evidences of 
competency. It continued in existence a good many 
years, but nobody knows how long. The first presi- 
dent was Dr. Mitchell, and the first secretary Dr. 
Dunlap. Since then there has been no considerable 
lapse of time without a medical association of some 
kind, and in later years several. The " Indianapolis 
Medical Association," a sort of social and professional 
society or club, was maintained for diversion as much 
as instruction for several years prior to 1863, and 
probably formed the connecting link between the 
pioneer society of 1823 and the associations of larger 
scope and power of to-day. In 1864 it was super- 
seded by, or combined with, a more compact and 
efieotive body, the " Marion County Association," 
and the two were formed a little later into the " In- 
dianapolis Academy of Medicine," incorporated in 
October, 1865. This body has proved to be what 
its predecessors were meant to be, an auxiliary influ- 
ence in promoting the study of medicine and its 
related sciences, and in supporting the character of 
the profession. Weekly meetings are held, essays 
on professional subjects prepared, and discussions of 
points thus or otherwise suggested carried on, with 
obvious good results to all concerned. Among the 
immediate successors of the pioneer doctors, if not of 
them, were a number better known than any of the 
earlier arrivals except Dr. Dunlap. Among these 
were Dr. John E. McClure, Dr. Wm. Tichnor, Dr. 
John H. Sanders, Dr. John L. Mothershead, Dr. G-. 
W. Mears, Dr. John S. Bobbs, Dr. Charles Parry, 
all of whom came in the decade between 1828 and 
1838. 

Charles Parry, M.D., was bom in February, 
1814, a few miles from Philadelphia. His parents 
were Friends. His literary education was received 
mainly at Wilmington, Del., in a school under the 
charge of Samuel Smith. This gentleman was fa- 
mous for his devotion to tobacco and mathematics. 
He was an inveterate and constant smoker, and one 




^/^ ^ 



^^^^-7 




CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



277 



of the most successful mathematical instructors. 
The smoking example was lost on Charles Parry. 
He never became a slave to tobacco in any form ; 
but the mathematical instruction found a mind that 
was well developed and strengthened under its rigid 
discipline, and this part of his education — cultivat- 
ing his perceptive and reasoning powers, teaching 
him accuracy and clearness of thought — had much 
to do with making him in after-years a clear-headed, 
sagacious practitioner above the majority of physi- 
cians. No net- work of fallacies and sophistries could 
entangle him, but through them all he marched de- 
liberately and steadily right onward to rest upon 
solid truth and fixed facts. 

His classical education was defective, and knowl- 
edge of Greek and Latin he had none. This he 
greatly regretted, and had there not been this defect 
he would not only have enjoyed a wider range of 
medical literature than he did, but he himself would 
have been a frequent contributor to medical journals, 
and the treasures of his experience, the fruit of his 
ripened judgment and large understanding, would 
have been valuable indeed. Twice only, each time 
in Says' Journal, did he break his life-long silence 
by speaking to the profession through the press ; but 
those two articles, — one an account of an operation 
on a limb crooked and useless from a badly-treated 
fracture, the operation similar to that performed by 
Barton for anchylosed knee, and the other on conges- 
tive fever,- — though published many years, ago, gave 
him a name ever known by all intelligent members 
of the profession throughout the country. 

He began the study of medicine with Dr. Stokes, 
of New Jersey. Afterward he went to Philadelphia, 
entered the office of the late Dr. J. K. Mitchell, sub- 
sequently the eminent professor of theory and prac- 
tice in Jefierson College, and commenced attending 
lectures at the University. He graduated in the 
medical department of the University of Pennsylva- 
nia in the spring of 1835, the subject of his thesis 
being " Haemoptysis." Immediately upon graduat- 
ing he went to Camden, N. J., and there had his 
first experience of the trials of a young physician. 
In a year or two he removed to the West by the 
advice of his uncle, the late Hon. 0. H. Smith, then 



a member of the United States Senate from Indiana, 
settling in Connersville. Thence he removed in about 
two years to the capital, and here he resided until his 
death, a period of nearly twenty-three years. 

Not at once, however, did he meet his professional 
success, not at once find a place in the golden field 
for his sickle ; other reapers monopolized the labor 
and the reward. He was poor, often having to 
borrow money to pay the postage on letters from 
his friends in the East; but he patiently waited 
until time and opportunity should vindicate his right 
to occupy a foremost place among practitioners of 
medicine and surgery. These came, and a few years 
found him doing as large a business as any physician 
in the city, possibly larger. During some seasons, 
when severe epidemics of malarial fever occurred, it 
was not unusual for him to ride sixty or seventy-five 
miles a day, and the night brought him no rest. 
Sometimes even a week would elapse without his 
divesting himself of his clothes, but he would sleep in 
a chair, in his buggy, sometimes even on horseback. 
No man, unless possessed of an iron constitution 
such as he had, could endure so great fatigue and 
exposure. Physically he was a remarkable man. 
His bodily presence was impressive. A manly, erect 
figure, about sis feet in height, his weight over two 
hundred, he would have been taken in any assembly 
as a man of mark. 

It is rare to find such a combination of professional 
abilities as existed in Dr. Parry's case. He was a 
superior physician and an excellent surgeon and ob- 
stetrician. His obstetrical business for some time 
averaged over eighty cases a year, and every year he 
had a greater or less number of capital operations. 
As a surgeon he was not a brilliant, dashing ope- 
rator, but cool, collected, his eye intent upon his 
work, his hand steady and firm. He always knew 
where his hnife was, and never attempted what he 
could not readily perform, and never operated merely 
for the sake of operating. His abilities as an opera- 
tive surgeon were indeed excellent. 

But his greatest merit was as a practitioner of 
medicine. It may be inferred that he was highly 
esteemed in this regard from a remark made by one 
of the most intelligent and successful practitioners at 



278 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



a meeting of physicians held to take action in refer- 
ence to his death : " Had we been taken dangerously 
sick, and were we thinking whom we would prefer to 
attend us, the great majority would decide for Dr. 
Parry." This commendation was most worthily 
bestowed. 

Dr. Parry was not rash in forming his opinion nor 
in jumping at conclusions. He studied disease not 
so much in books as at the bedside, and he thoroughly 
investigated a case, even if that investigation required 
an hour or more. He was cautious, seeking all the 
light he could, carefully reasoning, and his natural 
sagacity, logical understanding, and strong practical 
sense directed him almost invariably to a correct diag- 
nosis. Seldom, indeed, could a man be found making 
fewer mistakes. 

Dr. Parry did not hesitate to use freely, in what 
he believed proper cases, the lancet, mercury, and 
blister, and his patients got well oftener, sooner, bet- 
ter than they would have done under the treatment 
of those who in effect renounce art and rely only on 
nature. 

In three important respects Dr. Parry's life must 
be pronounced a decided success. First, in the at- 
tainment of wealth ; second, in the attainment of 
reputation ; and third and highest, in the relief of 
much suffering. 

While it is pleasant to speak of his abilities and 
the success which crowned their exercise, yet the 
moral aspects of his character must not be entirely 
neglected, and on those especially it is grateful to 
dwell. He was honest ; honest not merely in busi- 
ness transactions, but honest in all his intercourse 
with his professional brethren, and honest, too, in the 
sick-room and at the bedside, honest in matters of 
life and death. A deceiver in any respect he never 
could be. 

To his friends he was generous and kind-hearted. 
Many a young physician knows that his start in pro- 
fessional life was in great measure due to the kind 
words and deeds of Dr. Parry. His time and inval- 
uable counsel were ever at the service of the young 
practitioner in difficult cases without hope of pecuni- 
ary reward. He kindly concealed errors from the 
erring party, unless by plain statement of them he 



could prevent future mistakes. He was kind to his 
patients and profoundly sympathetic, though usually 
repressing decided manifestation, and yet he often 
wept with all a woman's tenderness with the father 
and mother over their dying child. 

His was too noble a spirit to be consumed by the 
fires of jealousy. If families left him — a rare event 
in the case of any worthy ones ; his friends adhered 
to him with great tenacity — he cherished no unkind 
feeling towards their new medical adviser, attributed 
to him no dishonesty of conduct, cultivated no spirit 
of retaliation, but, without a whisper of complaint, 
graciously and gracefully yielded. He would listen 
patiently to the opinions of the youngest physician, 
and if they could be well established, no false pride, 
no prejudice kept him from at once abandoning his 
own and accepting them. He was not blind either 
to the truth of the judgments or to the abilities of 
others. Indeed, he was one of the most catholic of 
men. 

His character was fixed, not fickle. Few men pre- 
sented more manly front or stood more firmly on their 
feet than he did. He changed not from year to year. 
He was no April day, alternate sunshine and clouds, 
the light of love and the darkness of hate ; but his 
friendship was abiding, weakened by no lapse of time, 
varying not from month to month or year to year, no 
mean jealousy or plotting hate disturbing the equa- 
nimity of his temper or the kindness of his conduct. 
He was ever the same speaking of you or to you. 
Resentful he might have been at times when greatly 
wronged, but it was rarely manifested, and there 
were wrongs that he did not resent. He meekly for- 
bore when others might have been provoked, lest he 
might say or do anything which would cause unkind 
feelings or pain. 

Had Dr. Charles Parry enjoyed a more liberal lit- 
erary education, had he been more ambitious of fame 
and been given a larger sphere, an arena suitable for 
such strength and culture, he might have placed him- 
self among the foremost men not only of the country 
but of the age. His death occurred at his home in 
Indianapolis on the 11th of August, 1861. 

John L. Mothershead, M.D. — Nathaniel Moth- 
ershead, the father of the doctor, was of English 




JOHN L. MOTHERSHEAD. 



CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



279 



antecedents and a native of the State of Virginia, 
where he was born in 1*755. He at a later period 
removed to Scott County, Ky., where his death 
occurred on the 28th of December, 1834. His pur- 
suits were those of a farmer, though in youth a 
soldier of the war of the Revolution and a participant 
in the battles of Monmouth, Brandywine, Trenton, 
Princeton, Stony Point, and Yorktown. John L., 
the youngest of his sons, was born Jan. 6, 1808, in 
Scott County, Ky., where the years of his youth 
were passed. He received a thorough collegiate edu- 
cation, and choosing medicine as a profession, grad- 
uated from the medical college at Louisville, Ky. 
He chose Indianapolis as the most advantageous 
point in the State of Indiana, and devoted himself 
with zeal and industry to the practice of his profes- 
sion. Very soon Dr. Mothershead became distin- 
guished for his skill and thorough medical training, 
and speedily attained the largest practice in the 
growing city he had selected as his home. In con- 
nection with his profession he also engaged in busi- 
ness as a druggist. Aside from the demands upon 
his skill in the city, his presence was frequently 
sought in consultation in the neighboring cities and 
towns. He married Miss Amanda, daughter of 
Morris Morris, of Indianapolis, to whom were born 
children, — Alvin M., Julia (Mrs. Burr), and John L. 
He was married a second time, to Mrs. Emeline 
Grant, and had one daughter, Irene, who died in 
childhood. Dr. Mothershead was in politics a Whig, 
and although not an aspirant for office, filled the 
responsible position of president of the Board of 
Health. He was an active member of the Baptist 
Church. He died Nov. 4, 1854, in his forty-seventh 
year, not less remembered for his professional attain- 
ments than for his many genial traits of character. 
The only representative of his family now in Indian- 
apolis is his son, John L. Mothershead, president of 
the Indiana Foundry Company, and from 1881 to 
1883 county treasurer. 

The " Indiana Central Medical College" was organ- 
ized in 1848, and held its first session in a two-story 
brick house on the southeast corner of Washington 
and East Streets. It formed the medical department 
of Asbury University, and President, afterwards 



Bishop, Simpson delivered the diplomas to the first 
graduating class in March, 1850. An attempt was 
made in 1850 to erect a building for it on the Uni- 
versity Square, and the Legislature authorized the 
sale of an acre at the price it should be appraised at, 
but the appraisment was thought too high for the 
University's means, and the enterprise was abandoned. 
The acre was appraised at three thousand five hundred 
and sixty-six dollars. The faculty consisted of Drs. 
John S. Bobbs, Richard Curran, J. S. Harrison, 
George W. Mears, C. G. Downey, L Dunlap, A. H. 
Baker, and David Funkhouser. The last. Dr. Funk- 
houser, and his partner for many years. Dr. P. H. 
Jameson, are the oldest practitioners in the city since 
the death of Dr. Mears. 

David Funkhouser, M.D. — The Funkhouser 
family are of German extraction, the doctor's great- 
grandfather having emigrated from Switzerland to 
America. His son David was born in Lancaster 
County, Pa., where he was a farmer. He married, 
and had children, — Samuel, Martin, and Elizabeth 
(BIrs. Miley). The first-named was born in Virginia, 
to which State his parents had removed, and where he 
later engaged in both mercantile and farming employ- 
ments. He married Elizabeth Miley, to whom was 
born one son, David, the subject of this biographical 
sketch, on the 31st of May, 1820, in Shenandoah 
County, Va. Such advantages as the school of the 
neighborhood afforded were enjoyed while at his 
home, after which two and a half years were spent at 
the Woodstock Academy, located at the seat of the 
county. He then became a student of Bethany Col- 
lege, in West Virginia, from which he graduated and 
received his degree of A.M. He began in 1845 
the study of medicine with Dr. James MoClintock, 
of Philadelphia, who offered to students the superior 
advantage of a dissecting-room and lectures on an- 
atomy and kindred subjects. He also attended lec- 
tures at the Jeff'erson Medical College, in Philadel- 
phia, from which he received his diploma in 1847. 
The doctor determined to seek the West as offering 
a broader field to a young practitioner, and located 
soon after in Indianapolis, where he has since been 
actively engaged in the practice of his profession. 
He was for a period of seventeen years associated 



280 



ilANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



with Dr. P. H. Jameson in practice, and for three 
years with Dr. Henry Jameson. Dr. Funkhouser 
has confined himself to practice of a general char- 
acter, though his skill as a surgeon has been largely 
called into requisition, much of the general surgical 
work of the city having for a period of years come 
under his supervision. He was also, during the late 
war, connected with the military hospitals located in 
Indianapolis. He has been a member of the Indian- 
apolis Medical Society, as also of the State Bledical 
Society. In 1849, during the early years of his pro- 
fessional career, he was demonstrator of anatomy in 
the Indianapolis Medical College. In politics he has 
always been a pronounced Democrat, but not an active 
worker nor an aspirant for official position. He is a 
supporter of the First Baptist Church of the city of 
Indianapolis, of which Mrs, Funkhouser is a member. 
Dr. Funkhouser was married, in 1865, to Miss 
Amanda, daughter of Daniel Lynn, of Dearborn 
County, Ind. Their children are two daughters, 
Lizzie M. and Jessie L. J., both residing with their 
parents. 

Dr. Patrice Henry Jameson was born in Jeffer- 
son County April 18, 1824, received a good English 
education in the country schools, and came to Indian- 
apolis in the fall of 1842, where he taught school for 
a short time, then studied medicine with the late 
Dr. John H. Sanders, attended the Medical College of 
Louisville in 1847-48, and subsequently the Jefferson 
College of Philadelphia. He graduated in 1849, 
and began practice the same year in Indianapolis. 
In a short time he and Dr. Funkhouser were asso- 
ciated, and remained so longer than any other partners 
in a professional business in the city. Dr. Jameson 
has been president of both the Indiana Medical 
Society and the Indianapolis Academy of Medicine. 
For about eighteen years he was on the Board of 
Commissioners of the State Benevolent Institutions 
(the asylums), and wrote in that time eighteen 
annual reports of them ; also a report to the Indiana 
Society on the use of " veratrum viride" in typhoid 
and puerperal fevers, and an address on the " Relation 
of Scientific Medicine to Quackery." For five years 
during and after the war he was the State surgeon in 
charge of State and national troops id the camps and 



hospitals of the city. He was also assistant surgeon 
of the United States army for three years, and for 
eight years physician to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum. 
From 1869-79 he was president of the joint Board 
of Commissioners of the State Asylums, and for many 
years was president of the board of directors of 
Butler University. The Insane Asylum owes more to 
his vigilance and sagacity than any other man in the 
State, and the city of Indianapolis is not less deeply 
indebted to his sound and honorable financial manage- 
ment. He entered the Council in 1863 and remained 
until 1869, and all the time was intrusted with 
the almost absolute direction of the city finances. 
During this period heavy sums had to be raised for 
bounties for volunteers, and it required masterly 
ability to keep affairs in good order in such an urgent 
and constant strait. He found the city in debt, yet, 
in spite of the heavy outlays, he left it with one hun- 
dred thousand dollars of current debt only, and with 
two hundred and sixty thousand dollars in the treasury 
to pay it. For the last ten years he has had associated 
with him his nephew. Dr. Henry Jameson, a professor 
in the Medical College of Indiana, and one of the 
most distinguished young scientists in the West. 
The elder doctor, June 20, 1850, married Maria, 
daughter of the late Ovid Butler, founder of Butler 
University ; the younger was married to Gertrude, 
daughter of H. G. Carey, the banker, in the winter 
of 1875. 

Among the professors of the first medical college, as 
above stated, was Dr. John S. Bobbs, as well known 
almost as a skillful and adroit party manager of the 
Whigs as he was an accomplished and thorough 
physician. He was a forcible writer on any subject 
to which he turned his hand, and he wrote a great 
deal on professional and public subjects both in news- 
papers and special publications. In all public move- 
ments affecting the welfare of the city, whether 
concerning him professionally or not, he was always 
active and effective. A bequest of two thousand 
dollars he made at his death is the foundation of the 
" Bobbs' Dispensary," for the benefit of the suffering 
poor of Indianapolis, managed by the faculty of the 
" Medical College of Indiana." The " Bobbs' Library" 
I is under the same direction. 





^; 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



281 



John S. Bobbs, M.D., the subject of this biog- 
raphy, was born at Green Village, Cumberland Co., 
Pa., on the 28th of December, 1809. His boyhood 
was spent — his parents being poor — in the acquisition 
of such knowledge as could be obtained at the then 
very common schools of a country village. At the age 
of eighteen he wended his way on foot to Harrisburg, 
then, as now, the seat of government of Pennsylvania, 
in quest of employment. Being a lad of much more 
than ordinary intelligence, he attracted the attention 
of Dr. Martin Luther, then a practitioner of some 
eminence in that city. Upon a more thorough ac- 
quaintance the doctor's interest increased, and, feeling 
that the delicate and slender physique of his young 
friend unfitted him for the more rugged encounter 
with the world, proposed, upon the most liberal terms, 
his entrance to his office as a student of medicine. 
Unhappily, this noble patron did not long survive to 
see with what fidelity to his own interests and with 
what devotion to study his protege had rewarded his 
generosity. Such indeed was the diligence with 
which he applied himself to books that, notwithstand- 
ing the obstacles of a deficient preliminary education, 
he fitted himself, with the aid of a single course of 
lectures, for the successful practice of his profession 
in less than three years. His first essay in this direc- 
tion was made at Middletown, Pa., where he remained 
four years. Having early determined to make surgery 
a specialty, he found the locality he had chosen un- 
suited for the work, and soon decided upon selecting 
some point in the great West as the field of his future 
labors. 

In 1835 he came to Indianapolis with the view of 
making it his permanent residence. True to his great 
purpose of securing for himself distinction in his 
chosen profession, he now gave himself up to study, 
— severe, unremitting study, — both classical and pro- 
fessional. Soon sufficiently familiar with the lan- 
guages, he bent his entire energies to investigations 
in his favorite department. As a means of further- 
ing the objects of his very earnest pursuit after sur- 
gical knowledge, he concluded to avail himself of the 
advantages of a winter's dissections and clinical obser- 
vations at Jefi'erson Medical College, where the degree 
of doctor of medicine was conferred upon him. Rap- 



idly attaining a reputation throughout the length and 
breadth of the State which might satisfy the most 
vaulting ambition, he was tendered by the trustees of 
Asbury University the chair of surgery in the " Cen- 
tral Medical College," then about being established in 
Indianapolis, and made dean of the faculty. His lec- 
tures and operations before the class were fully up to 
the highest standards of the profession. His descrip- 
tions of healthy and diseased action, and the changes 
from the one to the other, have never been surpassed 
in point of clearness and accuracy and graphic force 
and eloquence. 

" He always held his profession sacred, high above 
all trickery and quackery, and labored with incessant 
diligence to place it in public estimation upon the 
same footing it held in his own regard. The most 
earnest and eloquent words came from his heart and 
lips when urging upon the minds of his classes the 
duty of fidelity to the cause of scientific medicine. 
In that duty he was ever faithful, even to the moment 
of his death." 

To the poor and needy he was always wisely kind and 
beneficent. When called upon professionally to attend 
the sick poor, he was known in innumerable instances 
to furnish, beside gratuitous service and necessary 
medicines, the means of life during their illness. The 
great beauty of his character, in this respect, was that 
his charities were always rendered without display or 
ostentation. He was a man of indefatigable industry, 
and until his death a devoted student, laboring at his 
books as few men work. With a slender constitution 
at best, and a system worn down by disease contracted 
in the army, he labored incessantly. His days were 
given to the duties of an arduous surgical practice, 
and his nights spent almost wholly in his library. 

He was a model friend. He saw the real character 
of all whom he admitted to his intimacy and friend- 
ship ; and while to all the outside world he faithfully 
hid their faults, he candidly and fully presented them 
to him whose character they marred. This duty — 
the highest and most delicate and difficult of all the 
duties of friendship and of life owed by man to man 
— he had the good sense, discrimination, and tact to 
perform always without insulting or wounding his 
friends. He was superior to all dissimulation, and 



282 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



spoke the truth with such frankness and earnestness 
that it was impossible to take oiFense at it. His 
friendships all stood upon a higher plane than any 
mere selfish interest. He accepted or rejected men 
as friends for their manhood or their want of it. The 
personal or social trappings and circumstances of men 
neither attracted nor repelled him. He felt and knew 
that 

" The rank is but the guinea's stamp, 
The man's the gowd for a' that," 

and elected his friends, not for the image and super- 
scription which family or position had impressed upon 
them, but for the original metal. So selected, he 
grappled them with hooks of steel, and never gave 
them up until they had shown by some violation of 
principle that they were unworthy of his regard. He 
discriminated wisely the faults that proceed from im- 
pulse and enthusiasm from those that grow out of 
calculation and self-interest. To the former he was 
as kind and forgiving as a mother to the faults of her 
child ; the latter he never forgave. 

For a short time he engaged in politics, — not, how- 
ever, as a matter of choice, but from a sense of duty. 
He carried with him into the public arena the same 
thorough and exhaustive preparation, the same scru- 
pulous regard for truth and fair dealing, the same 
severe devotion to reason, and the same lofty and 
fiery eloquence that lent such a charm to his profes- 
sional addresses. In this singular episode of his life 
he met the obligations of his position, and performed 
them so as to win the confidence and approbation of 
his constituents. 

Dr. Bobbs was married, in 1840, to Miss Catherine 
Cameron, the youngest of eight children, and the 
sister of Hon. Simon Cameron, of Pennsylvania. He 
has left the record of a life fragrant with kindly deeds 
and memorable for its usefulness. 

In May, 1869, the " Indiana Medical College" was 
organized mainly or wholly by the efforts of the In- 
dianapolis Academy. It was intended in the first 
scheme of organization to make it a department of the 
State University, and obtain the aid of the State for 
it in that way, but a committee consisting of Dr. 
Bobbs, Dr. Mears, and Dr. Woodburn reported 
against it, and the academy concurred. A second 



committee of five — Drs. Waterman, Harvey, Todd, 
Gaston, and Kitchen — reported in favor of a home 
medical college, sustained by its own brains and 
means, and the academy concurred, adopted the pro- 
posed plan, and selected the first faculty : Dr. John 
S. Bobbs, President, and Professor of Principles and 
Practice of Surgery ; George W. Mears, Obstetrics ; 
Ryland T. Brown, Chemistry and Toxicology ; Rob- 
ert N. Todd, Vice-President, Professor of Principles 
and Practice of Medicine ; L. D. Waterman, Descrip- 
tive and Surgical Anatomy ; T. B. Harvey, Treasurer, 
Professor of Diseases of Women and Children ; 
William B. Fletcher, Physiology ; F. S. Newcomer, 
Materia Medioa and Therapeutics ; J. A. Comingor, 
Surgical Pathology, Orthopedic and Clinical Surgery ; 

C. E. Wright, Demonstrator of Anatomy. On May 
4th articles of association were reported by Dr. 
Bobbs, approved and signed by the other members of 
the faculty, and Judge Samuel E. Perkins and John 

D. Howland made trustees with the faculty. The 
academy subscribed freely to support the institution, 
and it began its first session in October, 1869. 

Thomas B. Harvey, M.D., who is descended 
from English stock, is the son of the late Dr. Jesse 
Harvey, of Harveysburg, Warren Co., Ohio, a 
physician of scientific attainments and eminence in 
his profession, and Elizabeth Burgess, daughter of 
Thomas and Betty Burgess, of Virginia. Their son, 
the subject of this biographical sketch, was born 
Nov. 29, 1827, in Clinton County, Ohio, and removed 
on attaining his second year to Harveysburg. His 
advantages of education were derived from the 
Harveysburg High School, an institution founded by 
his father, with whom, on completing his classical 
course, he began the study of medicine in 1846 and 
graduated from the Medical College of Ohio, at Cin- 
cinnati. His first field of labor was at Plainfield, 
Ind., to which place he removed in 1851, and con- 
tinued in active practice until 1862, when he was 
tendered and accepted the appointment of Examining 
Surgeon for the Sixth Congressional District, with 
headquarters at Indianapolis. The doctor held this 
position until the close of the war. Meanwhile asso- 
ciations both of a professional and social character 
had been formed which influenced him to make 




^ rhyie. 




''ly AK.PMC>ii>i 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



283 



1 



Indianapolis his permanent residence, his practice 
having already become extended and lucrative. Dur- 
ing the year 1869 the Indifina Medical College was 
organized and Dr. Harvey appointed to the chair of 
professor of medical and surgical diseases of women, 
which he still fills. Quick and clear in apprehension, 
concise and vigorous in language, and a thorough 
master of the special branch of medical science he 
elucidates, his clinics are sought alike by students 
and active practitioners. 

Dr. Harvey has been for twenty years consulting 
physician in the same special department at the City 
Hospital, as also in St. Vincent's Hospital since its 
organization, and has for ten years been consulting 
physician to the City Dispensary. He aided in the 
organization of the Hendricks County Medical So- 
ciety, read the first paper before that body, and was 
subsequently its president. He also aided materially 
in the organization of the Indianapolis Academy of 
Medicine, and was honored as the first member to fill 
the office of president. He became a member of the 
State Medical Society during the third year of its 
existence; was made its vice-president in 1865, and 
its president in 1880. He is also a member of the 
American Medical Association, and of the Mississippi 
Valley Medical Society, before which bodies he has 
read many able papers which showed him to be a 
faithful observer of the nature and forms of disease, 
an original thinker, and logical in his reasoning. His 
reputation as a physician has extended far beyond 
the limits of the city of his residence and caused his 
services to be largely sought in consultation. In his 
political predilections the doctor may be spoken of as 
descended from abolitionist stock and educated in 
the doctrines of that party. His grandmother 
Burgess (who was a Hendricks, of Virginia) accepted 
her patrimony in slaves that she might bring them 
to Ohio and liberate them. His ancestors were 
Quakers of the strictest sort both in their religious 
life and faith. 

Dr. Harvey was married in 1853 to Miss Delitha, 
daughter of Stephen Butler, of Union County, Ind., 
whose ancestors were of Virginia stock. Their 
children are Emma, deceased, Lawson M., an attorney 
in Indianapolis, Frank Hamilton, deceased, Jesse B., 



and Lizzie, the two latter being students at Earlham 
College, in Richmond. 

Robert N. Todd, M.D. — Robert Nathaniel, son 
of Levi L. Todd, was born Jan. 4, 1827, near Lex- 
ington, Ky., which place bad been the home of his 
father's family for two generations. His mother was 
the daughter of Capt. Nathaniel Ashby, of Virginia, 
and who served as an officer of the line throughout 
the war of the Revolution. Robert was the seventh 
born in a family of nine children, two of whom died 
in infancy ; the remainder having reached maturity, 
though only two survive him. His family removed 
to Indiana in 1834, since which time his home was 
in Indianapolis and vicinity until the time of his 
death, which occurred on the 13th day of June, 
1883. 

His early advantages were indiiferent. He re- 
ceived a common-school education such as the 
country at that day afibrded, with such a knowledge 
of Latin as he could pick up (unaided by a teacher) 
from an old grammar and reader and a copy of 
" .^sop's Fables," with the reading of a few volumes 
of history and travel. 

Physically he was delicate, and rather a sickly boy, 
being frequently troubled with sore throat and gland- 
ular swellings about the neck, while he was always 
dyspeptic from a child. Gaining in strength and 
health, however, as he grew older, he performed a 
good deal of hard labor upon the farm, until, at the 
age of nineteen, he began the study of law at South 
Bend with Judge Listen, his brother-in-law ; but at 
the expiration of a year and a half returned to the 
farm, where he remained until, broken down by hard 
labor and ill health, he was compelled, at the end of 
two years, to abandon farm work entirely. After 
having remained at home for some months an in- 
valid he visited Dr. David Todd, of Danville, by 
whom he was induced to commence the study of 
medicine, which he did as a diversion from low 
spirits, not expecting ever to be well enough to turn 
it to practical account. His health, however, soon 
began to improve, and the next year he attended 
lectures at the old " Indiana Central Medical Col- 
lege," and the following year (1851) graduated, and 
settled the succeeding spring at Southport, where h e 



284 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



remained until the breaking out of the war, having 
in the spring of 1854 been married to Miss Margaret 
White, of that neighborhood. 

In the year 1861 he was appointed surgeon of the 
Twenty-sixth Indiana Volunteers, and went soon after 
with his regiment to Missouri, where he remained on 
duty in camp and hospital for about twenty months. 
Having resigned his position upon his return home, 
he soon after removed to Indianapolis, and again 
entered the government service as surgeon at Camp 
Morton, where, associated with Dr. Kipp, of the 
regular army, and under the medical directorship of 
Dr. Bobbs, he continued until the close of the war. 

In the year following his removal to Indianapolis 
he was married the second time, to Mrs. Martha J. 
Edgar, who, with three children of his first and four 
of his second marriage, still survive him. 

There having been no medical college since the 
disbanding of the old one, which occurred in 1852, 
in the year 1869 the organization of the Indiana 
Medical College was effected, in which he was chosen 
as teacher of theory and practice, and continued 
thus engaged until the spring of 1874. Shortly 
after, upon the organization of the College of Phy- 
sicians and Surgeons (he himself having been the 
originator), he was assigned the same department, 
and held it until the union of the two medical 
schools in 1878 under the style of " The Medical 
College of Indiana." He was elected to the same 
chair occupied in the two other organizations, viz., 
principles and practice of medicine, which was filled 
until his death. 

He was the first representative from his State upon 
the Judicial Council of the American Medical Asso- 
ciation, which he held for several successive terms, 
and to which he was again elected, in his absence, at 
the last meeting. 

Dr. Todd was president of the State Society in 
1871, was an active worker for seven years upon the 
provisional board, created by the Legislature, and 
whose work was the erection and fitting up of the 
large building occupied as the female department of 
the Hospital for the Insane, and was one of the phy- 
sicians to the Deaf and Dumb Asylum for nearly 
eight years. He served a single term in the Legis- 



lature as representative in 1856-57, besides which he 
held no position disconnected with his profession. 

As a lecturer his manner was easy, dignified, and 
not ungraceful ; his words were well chosen, his lan- 
guage plain but forcible, sometimes eloquent, and 
always commanded the attention of his auditors. 

As a teacher he was clear and explicit, easily 
understood, and well remembered ; talked much of 
the specific nature of diseases and their laws of 
reproduction, and dwelt largely upon the general 
principles of pathology and their application in 
special forms of diseases, frequently referring to them 
in the solution of minor questions. 

As a practitioner of medicine he was eminently 
successful. His notably quick perceptive faculties, 
his careful and systematic methods of examination, 
with a comprehensive knowledge of pathology, gen- 
eral and special, combined to make him skillful in 
the diagnosis of disease ; while his ready resources 
and originality of thought in the application of 
means left him entirely independent of routine thera- 
peutics. 

His health was always inconstant, having been 
subject to acute attacks throughout his adult life, and 
these increased upon him very notably in force and 
frequency of late years. His robust appearance and 
vigorous manner and movement were deceptive as to 
his real condition, and from the indisposition that 
began in August, 1882, which was unusually pro- 
longed and severe, he never recovered his accustomed 
tone, though filling most of his lecture course. With 
the loss of vital resistance incident to his age and 
condition, he sank at last under the effects of a cas- 
ualty from which he could easily have recovered a 
few years earlier in life. Not old, it is true, in years, 
but relatively as life is really to be reckoned by its 
vicissitudes and hardships, he was much farther 
advanced. 

John A. Comingor, M.D., is of German ex- 
traction, his grandfather, who was the first member 
of the family to emigrate, having settled in New 
York State and later removed to Kentucky. He 
married and had children, — Abram, Henry, David, 
Samuel, and four daughters. Samuel, of these sons, 
was born in 1797 in Kentucky, and remained in that 




Qj^J-t^d^M^^^^^C^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



285 



State until 1826, when he removed to Johnson 
County, Ind. He married Miss Mary Gibbs, of 
Georgia, and had children, — Henry, George, David, 
John A., Cynthia, Rachel, Sarah, and Jaue. John 
A. was born on the 17th of March, 1828, in John- 
son County, Ind. His youth was uneventful, the 
common school of the vicinity having afforded him 
early instruction, after which he became a pupil of 
the Greenwood Academy. He early decided upon a 
medical career, and on completing his English course 
began the study of medicine with Drs. Noble and 
Wishard, of Greenwood. Here he continued for 
three years, meanwhile attending lectures at the 
Central Medical College of Indianapolis during the 
sessions of 1849-50, and graduating from the medi- 
cal department of the University of New York in 
1860. Dr. Comingor practiced until 1861 at Dan- 
ville, Hendricks Co., when he was appointed surgeon 
of the Eleventh Indiana Infantry and served until 
May, 1865, having participated in the engagements 
at Shiloh, Champion Hills, the siege of Vicksburg, 
Jackson, Miss., and others of minor importance. 
During this period of activity his duties were chiefly 
in the field. On returning from the service he 
located in Indianapolis and at once engaged in gen- 
eral practice, which increased as his ability and skill 
became more widely known. He has been physician 
and surgeon to the City Hospital, to St. Vincent's 
Hospital, and to the City Dispensary. He assisted 
in founding and is one of the charter members of 
the Medical College of Indiana, in which he has 
filled the chair of professor of surgery from 1869 
until the present time. The doctor is a member of 
the State Medical Society, of the County Medical 
Society, of the National Association, and National 
Surgical Association, and has at various times read 
many papers of interest before these societies, and 
been a frequent contributor to the medical periodicals 
of the day. Dr. Comingor was, in 1855, married to 
Miss Lucy Williamson, of Greencastle, Ind., and has 
three children, Ada, Harry, and Carrie, all of whom 
reside with their parents. Dr. iComingor is at 
present a member of the staff of Governor Porter, 
with the appointment of surgeon-general of the 
State. 



William Baldwin Fletcher, M.D., was bom 
Aug. 18, 1837, at Indianapolis. His early years 
were spent upon the farm of his father (now the 
corner of South Street and Virginia Avenue), his 
first school being that held in a new log school-house 
which had been erected in the woods, between New 
Jersey and East Streets, on South Street. 

He was a dreamer in school, and made more pro- 
gress by observation than from books. An intense 
love of nature made him incline to solitude, and a 
peculiar antagonism to customs and social forms 
caused him even in childhood to be cynical and bitter. 
During 1853 and 1854 he attehded the preparatory 
school of Asbury University, and went to Lancaster, 
Mass., in 1855 to prepare for Harvard, but his in- 
tense love of natural history caused him to abandon 
the idea of a regular course, and under the lectures 
of Louis Agassiz, and directed by Prof. Sanborn 
Turney, he pursued geology, botany, and zoology, 
and finally medicine. From 1856 to 1859 his 
studies were carried on in New York City at the 
College of Physicians and Surgeons, from which he 
graduated in October of that year. On completing 
his course he settled in Indianapolis, and remained 
until the calling out of troops for the war of the 
Rebellion. 

Dr. Fletcher was the first surgeon to open a mili- 
tary hospital in what was known as Camp Morton. 
He went into the field with the Sixth Indiana In- 
fantry, and was detailed on Gen. T. A. Morris' 
staff. After the three months' troops returned 
home he was transferred to Gen. J. J. Reynolds' 
staff, where, until captured, he had charge of the 
secret service. He was captured while on detached 
duty at Big Spring, taken to Huntersville, Poco- 
hontas Co., Va., in irons, brought before Gen. 
Robert E. Lee, and kept in solitary confinement for 
six weeks. He made two attempts to escape, and 
in the last was wounded and sent to the jail, where 
he remained until October, when he was tried by 
court-martial and ordered to execution by Gen. Don- 
aldson. He was reprieved by Gen. Lee until further 
investigation could be had, and sent on to Richmond, 
where, through the fortunate ignorance of Sergt. 
(afterwards Capt.) Wirtz, his identity was lost as 



286 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



a special prisoner, and he was put into the officers' 
prison, from which he was paroled to take charge 
of the Gangrene Hospital at Rocketts, a suburb of 
Richmond. In March, 1862, he was paroled and 
sent home, when he again entered upon the practice 
of his profession, but during the whole war performed 
medical and surgical duty either for the Christian 
Commission or for the State and general government, 
visiting Stone River, Perryville, Vicksburg, etc., to 
bring home wounded or promote the comfort of those 
sick in the field. He was one of the medical ex- 
aminers during the " draft," and had charge of one 
section of the prison hospital at Camp Morton until 
the war was ended. 

During the years 1866 and 1867 he visited Lon- 
don and Paris, Glasgow and Dublin, to study in the 
hospitals. For thirteen years he held the various 
chairs of physiology, materia medica, anatomy, and 
theory and practice of medicine in the Indiana Medi- 
cal College. He was for five years superintendent of 
the City Dispensary, and for fifteen years visiting 
surgeon or consulting physician to the City Hos- 
pital or St. Vincent's Hospital. He was first presi- 
dent of the Indiana State Microscopical Society. 

Dr. Fletcher, besides general contributions to cur- 
rent literature, has written several monographs which 
have been largely copied in American and foreign 
journals, among them " The History of Asiatic 
Cholera," " Various Entozoa Found in Pork," "Five 
Cases of Trichiniasis," " Human Entozoa," " Organic 
Origin of Diamonds," " Natural History of Women." 
The doctor during the fall of 1882 became a candi- 
date for State ■ Senator from Marion County on the 
Democratic ticket, and was elected. He was, June 
7, 1883, made superintendent of the Indiana Hos- 
pital for the Insane, in which capacity he is now 
serving. Dr. Fletcher was, in 1862, married to Miss 
Agnes O'Brien. Their children are Agnes W., 
Robert O'B., Lucy Hines, Albert Carolan, Aileen 
^and Una (twins), and William Baldwin. 

In 1874 a division occurred in the faculty of the 
" Indiana Medical College," and a part organized the 
" Indiana College of Physicians and Surgeons'' in the 
Talbott Block, northwest corner of Market and Penn- 
sylvania Streets, while a part continued the old school 



in the block on Delaware Street opposite the court- 
house. In 1878 the two institutions were brought 
together again, and called the " Medical College of 
Indiana." It now has ample and admirably-arranged 
rooms in the building on the northeast corner of 
Pennsylvania and Maryland Streets. The graduates 
of the session of 1882-83 numbered fifty-three. 

The present faculty is Graham N. Fitch, M.D., 
Emeritus Professor of the Principles and Practice of 
Surgery; John A. Comingor, M.D., Professor of the 
Bobbs Chair of Surgery and the Principles and Prac- 
tice of Surgery ; Thomas B. Harvey, M.D., Professor 
of Surgical and Clinical Diseases of Women ; Isaac 
C. Walker, M.D., Professor of Diseases of the Mind 
and Nervous System; Henry Jameson, M.D., Pro- 
fessor of Obstetrics and Diseases of Children ; John 
Chambers, M.D., Professor of the Principles and 
Practice of Medicine and of Clinical Medicine ; C. E. 
Wright, M.D., Professor of Materia Medica and 
Therapeutics; J. L. Thompson, M.D., Professor of 
Diseases of the Eye and Ear ; J. W. Marsee, M.D., 
Professor of Anatomy and Mechanical and Clinical 
Surgery ; Alembert W. Brayton, M.D., Professor of 
Chemistry and Toxicology ; George L. Curtiss, M.D., 
Professor of Physiology ; James H. Taylor, M.D., 
Demonstrator of Anatomy ; William F. Hays, M.D., 
Librarian and Assistant to the Chair of Chemistry ; 
J. A. Haugh, M.D., Curator of the Museum ; F. A. 
Morrison, M.D., Asssistant Demonstrator of Anatomy 
and Prosector; W. N. Wishard, M.D., Assistant to 
the Chair of Principles and Practice of Medicine ; 
L. S. Henthorn, M.D., Assistant to the Chair of Ob- 
stetrics ; F. M. Wiles, M.D., Assistant to the Chair 
of Materia Medica and Therapeutics ; J. E. Hoover, 
M.D., Prosector to the Chair of Anatomy ; Oliver 
Wright, Janitor. 

The officers of the college are John A. Comingor, 
Dean ; John Chambers, Treasurer ; Henry Jameson, 
Secretary. 

Isaac C. Walker, M.D.— The family of Dr. 
Walker are of English descent, the earliest repre- 
sentative in America having settled in Virginia. 
William Walker, his grandfather, a native of the 
latter State, resided in Wilmington, Ohio, where he 
engaged in farming employments. Among his chil- 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



287 



dren was Azel, born in Waynesville, Ohio, in 1802, 
•who became a manufacturer in Wilmington, and later 
an extensive land-owner. He married Miss Elizabeth 
P., daughter of Joshua Robinson, of Logan County, 
Ohio, and had children, — Edward B., deceased, a 
promising lawyer; Isaac C. ; Cyrus M., a pork mer- 
chant in Wilmington, Ohio ; John R., deceased, a 
practicing physician in Wilmington; Louis C, one 
of the judges of the Superior Court of Indianapolis; 
Calvin B., deputy commissioner of pensions at Wash- 
ington, and author of a work on pension law ; 
Amos J., a wholesale druggist and member of the 
firm of Walling & Co., of Indianapolis ; Eliza Ann 
and Martha J., of Richmond, Ind. Mr. Walker's 
death occurred in Wilmington at the age of sixty- 
eight years, and that of Mrs. Walker, in Richmond, 
at the age of seventy-two years. Their son Isaac C. 
was born July 30, 1827, in Wilmington, where his 
early youth was devoted to study. His education 
having been completed at the Wilmington Seminary 
in 1846, he immediately began the study of medicine 
with Dr. Amos T. Davis, of Wilmington, with whom 
he continued three years, after which he attended a 
course of lectures at the old Cleveland Medical Col- 
lege, and graduated from the Cincinnati College of 
Medicine and Surgery and the University of Louis- 
ville, Ky. After a brief period of practice with his 
preceptor, he removed to Peru, Ind., and there con- 
tinued until his advent in Indianapolis in 1870, 
where his abilities soon gave him a leading rank in 
the profession, and brought an extended and lucra- 
tive practice. He is frequently called in consultation 
in remote parts of the State as an acknowledged 
authority on diseases of the mind and nervous sys- 
tem. He was one of the founders of the College of 
Physicians and Surgeons of Indiana, and was at its 
organization elected to the chair of diseases of the 
mind and nervous system. This college was, after 
an existence of five years, consolidated with the 
Indiana Medical College, the institution becoming 
the Medical College of Indiana, in which the doctor 
fills the same professorship. 

He is in his political aflBliations a Republican, and 
was in 1878-79 elected to the City Council, of which 
he was president during the latter year. He is a 



Presbyterian in his religious associations, and wor- 
ships with the congregation of the First Presbyterian 
Church of Indianapolis, of which Mrs. Walker is a 
member. Dr. Walker was, in May, 1852, married to 
Miss Margaret A., daughter of John Constant, of 
Wilmington, Ohio. Their children are two sons, — 
John C, a practicing physician in Indianapolis, and 
Frank B., who is engaged in the commission business. 

Dr. Walker is a member of the Marion County 
Medical Society, of which he was president in 1880. 
He is a member of the State Medical Society, of the 
American Medical Association, and of the Tri-State 
Medical Society. He was, in 1882, elected dean of 
the faculty of the Medical College of Indiana. The 
doctor is an occasional and valued contributor to the 
medical journals of the day. His article on the sub- 
ject and treatment of cerebral hemorrhage, inspired 
by the circumstances connected with the death of Dr. 
James S. Anthon, is regarded as an important con- 
tribution to medical literature, and pronounced by the 
most eminent authority in the West " a philosophic 
and most excellently written paper, and one of the 
ablest he had read." Another on " Leueocythsemia," 
a condition in which there is an increase of the white 
corpuscles, the result of which is a general enlarge- 
ment of the lymphatic glands, attracted marked 
attention. 

Charles E. Weight, M.D., was born in Indian- 
apolis, Ind., on the 1st of November, 1843. His 
collegiate education was obtained at the Indiana 
Asbury University, at G-reencastle, in that State, 
after which he became a student of medicine at the 
Medical College of Ohio, in Cincinnati, where he 
graduated in March, 1868. Immediately after he 
settled in his native city in the practice of his pro- 
profession, making a specialty of diseases of the eye, 
ear, and nose, in which branches he is universally 
regarded as an expert, and in which his practice has 
become extended. His success in these specialties is 
exceptional as the result of profound knowledge of 
the science of medicine and marked ability. Dr. 
Wright is a member of the Indiana Academy of 
Sciences, and in 1868 was its secretary. He is also 
a member of the Marion County Medical Society, 
and of the Indiana State Medical Society. In 



288 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



1869 he was demonstrator of anatomy in the In- 
diana Medical College, and subsequently professor 
of materia medica, therapeutics, and diseases of the 
eye and ear in the same institution, of which he was 
at various times both secretary and president. He is 
also a member of the staff at the City Hospital, phy- 
sician to St. John's Home for Invalids, and was for 
four years physician to the Blind Asylum. In 1875 
and 1876 he was president of the Indianapolis Board 
of Health ; filled the same office, in connection with 
the Indiana Medico-Legal Fraternity, in 1877 and 
1878, and at present occupies the chair of materia 
medica and therapeutics in the Medical College of In- 
diana and the medical departmentof Butler University. 
During the war of the Rebellion he held the position 
of quartermaster-sergeant of the camp of instruction, 
and was later superintendent of commissary stores at 
Nashville, Tenn., and chief clerk of the commissary 
of the subsistence department of Kentucky in the 
Union army. He was appointed surgeon-general on 
the staff of Governor Williams in July, 1878, with 
the rank of colonel, and is now chief of staff of St. 
Vincent's Hospital. Dr. Wright's contributions to 
the medical literature of the day have been numer- 
ous and important, covering the whole period of his 
professional life, his thesis on " Spontaneous Evo- 
lution" having been published in the Western Journal 
of Medicine in March, 1868, and his reports of 
" Diseases of the Eye and Ear" in the " Transactions 
of the Indiana State Medical Society" for 1870 and 
1871. He was for some time editor of the Indiana 
Medical Journal, to which he contributed many edi- 
torials, reports of cases, etc., that attracted attention. 
In literary circles outside the profession Dr. Wright 
has always been a leading spirit, and active in the 
organization of some of the most important associa- 
tions in the city of Indianapolis, having been presi- 
dent of the Scottish Rite Dramatic Association since 
its organization. He is an active member of the 
Masonic order, in which he has attained the thirty- 
third degree, is a member of Raper Commandery, 
No. 1, of Knights Templar of Indianapolis, and also 
medical examiner of the Knights of Pythias. In 
politics he is an ardent Democrat. In religion he is 
liberal toward all sects and creeds, and not sectarian 



in his faith. Dr. Wright was married in November, 
1870, to Miss Anna Haugh, of Indianapolis. Their 
children are Charlotta and Charles E., Jr. 

As previously related, the homoeopathic practice 
was introduced here by Dr. Coe after his conversion, 
about 1838, but it was some years before anybody else 
came to give his system support and countenance. 
The first was Dr. Van Buren, who came about 1843, 
and established a fair practice, which he maintained 
till near 1850. In 1844 the late Dr. Konradin 
Homburg came, and for a time practiced homoeopa- 
thy, but in time he approached the regular school 
pretty closely, and practiced chiefly on the allopathic 
system, though to the last he is said to have had pa- 
tients who demanded homoeopathic treatment. In 
1852, Dr. Wright, of the Hahnemann school, came ; 
in 1855, Dr. Shaw, and in 1856, Dr. Corliss, who re- 
mains. In 1868 a State organization of this school was 
made, and in 1873 a county society was formed, both 
still in vigorous existence. No school or college of this 
medical persuasion, has ever been opened here, but 
some two years ago a dispensary was established on 
West Ohio Street, near Meridian, and maintained 
for about a year. Among the most prominent and 
successful of this school is Dr. J. A. Compton, from 
whom the information in this brief statement is ob- 
tained. 

Joshua Augustine Compton, M.D. — Tradition 
relates that four brothers of the Compton family 
emigrated from England, two of whom settled in 
New York, one in New Jersey, and one in Virginia. 
From one of these brothers was descended Joshua 
Compton, the grandfather of Dr. Compton, who was 
born at Liberty Corner, Somerset Co., N. J., Jan. 
15, 1779, where he subsequently became a farmer. 
He married a Miss Catharine Cazad (originally spelled 
Casatt or Gazatt), and had children, — Mercy, Lydia, 
Catharine, Mary, Reuben, Anthony, Joshua, and 
Israel. Reuben, of this number, was born March 25, 
1803, at Liberty Corner, N. J., and continued actively 
employed as a farmer until twenty-one years of age, 
when he removed to Western New York and engaged 
in mercantile pursuits. He married Miss Catharine 
Rhoades and had children, — Mary A., Joshua Augus- 
tine, Catharine, Reuben, William, Anthony, Sarah 





(^ (^^^^^^^^^^^£-^^^^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



289 



Israel, Lydia, and Charles. The death of Mr. Comp- 
ton occurred in Bradford, Steuben Co., N. Y., July 
20, 1871. His wife still survives and resides at 
Bradford. 

Joshua A., the subject of this biography, was born 
Feb. 26, 1835, in Bradford, N. Y. Excellent oppor- 
tunities were at that day afforded at the Bradford 
Academy, where the doctor's earlier studies were 
pursued ; not without difBculty, however, for he had 
at twelve years of age a severe attack of pneumonia 
that left him with weak lungs, which the confinement 
incident to close application greatly aggravated, neces- 
sitating the frequent postponement of his studies for 
months at a time. He had long before fixed his mind 
on the law, and in 1862 entered Chancy J. Herring's 
ofiice at Corning, N. Y., but remained only a few 
months, the confinement being irksome to him. 
During the fall of that year his father sent him to 
look after the welfare of his brother William who had 
been wounded at the battle of Antietam, and sent to 
the Fifth and Buttonwood Streets Hospital of Phila- 
delphia. While there the doctor had the range of 
the hospital, and embraced the opportunity which 
offered of hearing most of the clinics. He also had 
a special invitation from the faculty of the college at 
Sixth and Willow Streets to attend many of their 
lectures during the winter of 1862-63, which he em- 
braced. He had early become distrustful of the effi- 
cacy of old physic and espoused the water-cure sys- 
tem. He took a water-cure journal, purchased Dr. 
Trail's " Encyclopsedia," studied and applied it in his 
own case ; not having found the desired relief under 
that treatment, he was induced in the spring of 1863 
to try the homoeopathic, which was speedily followed 
by a permanent cure. The doctor was so elated, over 
the result that he immediately adopted the medical 
profession as his life-work, and began study about the 
first of May of that year with Dr. G. C. Hibbard, 
at Springville, Erie Co., N. Y. He attended his 
first regular course of lectures in 1864-65 at the New 
York Homoeopathic College. Occupying the summer 
months in the practice of his chosen profession at 
White's Corners, Erie Co!, N. Y., where he practiced 
through a severe epidemic of dysentery without the 

loss of a single case, he repaired to Cleveland, Ohio, 
19 



in the fall, and graduated at the Western Homoeo- 
pathic College with high honors in the spring of 1866, 
having acted as demonstrator of anatomy for his class 
during his period of study. The West then opened 
an inviting field of labor to young men engaged in 
professional or business pursuits, and Dr. Compton 
determined upon Indiana as his future home. He 
first opened an ofiice in Munoie, Delaware Co., May 1, 
1866, and remained until 1873, meanwhile establish- 
ing a reputation for ability and skill which won him 
both practice and profit, embracing among his patients 
many of the most wealthy and influential families of 
the city. Having faith, however, in his own capacity 
and ambition to fill a larger sphere than was possible 
within the limits of a country town, he sought the 
metropolis of the State. Here his professional attain- 
ments gave him a leading position and a lucrative and 
extended practice. He has been so successful as sel- 
dom to have lost a case when given full control of it. 

Dr. Compton is a member of the Erie County (New 
York) Medical Society, a charter member of the Indi- 
ana Institute of Homoeopathy, which he was instru- 
mental in organizing, and of which he was elected 
vice-president, member of the American Institute of 
Homoeopathy, of the Marion County Homoeopathic 
Association, and of the Hahnemannian International 
Association of Homoeopathy. 

He gives but little time to affairs of a political char- 
acter, though a supporter of the principles of the Re- 
publican party. He is a member of the Muncie 
Commandery of Knights Templar. Dr. Compton was 
educated in the religious creed of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church. 

In 1873-74 the Physio-Medical College of In- 
diana was organized, and has annually issued its 
notices and collected its pupils since. This school of 
medicine seems to be an enlarged and systematized 
form of the Thomsonian practice, which a recent ad- 
dress of one of the professors. Dr. Davidson, traces 
to Dr. Kittredge, of New Hampshire, in 1788, and 
to Dr. Thomson, of the same State, eight years later. 
The following is the faculty of the Indiana Physio- 
Medical College for 1883-84 : George Hasty, M.D., 
Professor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine 
and Clinical Medicine ; E. Anthony, M.D., Professor 



290 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of the Principles and Practice of Surgery ; C. T. 
Bedford, M.D., Professor of Obstetrics and Diseases 
of Women and Children ; G. N. Davidson, M.D., 
Professor of Botany, Materia Medica, and Thera- 
peutics; J. M. Thurston, M.D., Professor of His- 
tology and Physiology ; William A. Spurgeon, M.D., 
Professor of Surgical Anatomy ; W. W. Logan, M.D., 
Professor of General and Descriptive Anatomy ; J. 
Redding, M.D., Professor of Blicroscopy and Patho- 
logical Histology ; J. P. Julian, M.D., Professor of 
Chemistry and Toxicology ; John Young, LL.D., 
Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence ; A. W. Fisher, 
M.D., Lecturer on Diseases of the Rectum ; M. 
Veenboer, M.D., Lecturer on Sanitary Science ; C. 
T. Bedford, M.D., Secretary of the Faculty; E. 
Anthony, M.D., President of the Faculty. The college 
is located in the Wesley Block, on the southwest 
side of Indiana Avenue, near Tennessee. 

In 1879 the Central College of Physicians and 
Surgeons was organized, and excellent quarters fitted 
up in the upper stories of the Ryan Block, north- 
west corner of Tennessee Street and Indiana Avenue. 
The session of 1882-83 had forty-four matriculates 
and twenty-three graduates. In this college two 
prizes are offered annually, one a gold medal, pre- 
sented by the faculty on commencement day to the 
member of the graduating class who shall have ob- 
tained the highest general average in all the depart- 
ments at the final examination ; the other is presented 
by Dr. John C. Waters, an Irish physician, a gradu- 
ate of Trinity College, Dublin, and equally distin- 
guished in Ireland as a politician and patriot and phy- 
sician. It is a gold medal awarded on commence- 
ment day to the student in the graduating class who 
passes the best competitive examination in the pa- 
thology, diagnosis, and treatment of the diseases of 
the respiratory organs. 

The present faculty is : Charles D. Pearson, A.M., 
M.D., Professor of Diseases of the Nervous System ; 
W. S. Haymond, M.D., Dean, Professor of the Prin- 
ciples and Practice of Surgery ; John Bloffett, M.D., 
Professor of Obstetrics ; R. E. Houghton, M.D., 
Professor of Surgical Pathology, Operative and 
Clinical Surgery; G. C. Smythe, A.M., M.D., Pro- j 
fessor of the Principles and Practice of Medicine and ! 



Sanitary Science; Joseph Eastman, M.D., Secretary, 
Professor of Medical and Surgical Diseases of 
Women, and of Clinical Surgery ; George N. Duzan, 
M.D., Professor of Physiology and Clinical Medi- 
cine; R. French Stone, M.D., Professor of Materia 
Medica and Therapeutics, and Clinical Medicine ; Ira 
A. E. Lyons, M.D., Professor of Diseases of the Eye 
and Ear ; John A. Sutoliffe, A.M., M.D., Professor 
of Anatomy and Genito-Urinary Diseases ; Philip S. 
Baker, A.M., M.D., Professor of Chemistry and 
Toxicology; W. H. Thomas, M.D., Demonstrator of 
Anatomy and Lecturer on Osteology ; J. I. Rooker, 
M.D., Lecturer on Physical Diagnosis ; Hon. John 
Coburn, Lecturer on Medical Jurisprudence ; J. T. 
Barker, M.D., Lecturer on Physiology; S. E. Earp, 
M.S., M.D., Demonstrator of Chemistry ; Canada 
Button, M.D., Prosector to the Chair of Anatomy ; 
John B. Long, M.D., Assistant Demonstrator of 
Anatomy and Curator of the Museum ; Thomas 
Low, Janitor. 

Hon. William S. Hayaiond, M.D. — The family 
of Dr. Haymond are of English descent. His grand- 
father was William Haymond, who was born in 
Frederick County, Md., and at an early day followed 
the profession of a surveyor. He was deputized soon 
after the Revolutionary war, in which he participated, 
to make surveys in behalf of the State in West Vir- 
ginia, and before embarking on this expedition passed 
an examination as to his qualifications at William 
and Mary College, Virginia. He was endowed with 
rare mathematical ability, and wrote a practical and 
original treatise on trigonometry which was never pub- 
lished. He married Cassandra Cleland, and later Mary 
Powers. Among his children was Cyrus Haymond, 
born near the town of Clarksburg, in West Virginia, 
who followed the business of surveying and farming 
until he became an octogenarian. Though enjoying 
but ordinary advantages of education, he possessed 
great natural ability, which, combined with strict in- 
tegrity, won for him a position of influence in the 
community. He married Jane Sommerville, who was 
born in Ireland, and came to America when but five 
years of age. Their children were three sons, — Wil- 
liam S., Thomas A., and Sydney, the eldest of whom, 
William S., the subject of this sketch, was born on 




V^^f^^^^^^^z^^y^^t^ 




rn^'T^ 



-^^-U:^ 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



291 



the 20th of February, 1826, in Harrison County, 
near Clarksborough, Ind., where his early years were 
passed. His early education was gained at a log 
school-house of primitive construction. These limited 
opportunities stimulated a desire for further study and 
the possession of a greater number of books than 
were then at his command. Ho at the age of eigh- 
teen engaged in teaching, meanwhile pursuing his 
studies and becoming proficient in the science of 
mathematics. For a limited period surveying and 
engineering engaged his time and energies, after 
which, at the age of twenty-three, he began the study 
of medicine at Clarksburg, Va., with Dr. John 
Edmondson of that place. He attended two courses 
of lectures at the Medical College of Cincinnati, and 
later became a student of the Bellevue Hospital 
Medical College, graduating from both of these insti- 
tutions. He chose Monticello, Ind., as an advan- 
tageous point for a young practitioner, and having 
met with success in his practice remained thus located ' 
until 1877. Dr. Haymond rapidly rose in his pro- 
fession and soon took rank among the leading phy- 
sicians of the county, established a reputation for 
skill in surgery, to which branch of practice he has 
since devoted special attention. He has also con- 
tributed many able and valuable papers to the medi- 
cal journals of the day on subjects of peculiar interest 
to the profession. His range of study has not been 
confined to the sciences and mathematics, but in its 
scope has included the languages, in several. of which 
he is proficient. He served during the war of the 
Rebellion as assistant surgeon of the Forty-sixth Indi- 
ana Volunteers, and was for weeks stationed at Fort 
Pillow. During his service he was on several occa- 
sions detailed for important duty at general hospitals. 
He was in 1874, as a Democrat, elected a member of 
the Forty-fourth Congress, and served on the Com- 
mittees on Banking and Currency, bringing much 
financial ability and judgment to bear in the dis- 
charge of his duties. He distinguished himself as a 
speaker, his eulogy on the death of Speaker Kerr 
having been pronounced the finest literary efi'ort of 
the occasion. Other speeches, on the subject of 
finance, internal improvements, etc., attracted marked 
attention. The doctor is a member of the White 



County Medical Society, of the Marion County Medi- 
cal Society, of the Tri-State Medical Society, and of 
the Indiana State Medical Society. He is professor 
of the principles and practice of surgery in the 
Central College of Physicians and Surgeons of Indian- 
apolis, and dean of the faculty. He is also actively 
engaged in practice in that city. Dr. Haymond 
was, in 1853, married to Miss Mary M., daughter of 
Abel T. Smith, of White County, Ind. Both the 
doctor and Mrs. Haymond are members of the Cen- 
tral Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church of Indian- 
apolis. 

Among the arrivals of the last thirty or thirty-five 
years have been a number of physicians who now 
hold or have lately held the first places in public 
estimation and patronage. Among these, and specially 
noted for his treatment of cancer without the use of 
the knife, is Dr. E. Howard, who has maintained a 
cancer hospital on his system of treatment, on South 
Illinois Street near Georgia, for a quarter of a cen- 
tury or more. 

Edward Howard, M.D., is of English, Scotch, 
and Irish ancestry, and the son of George Howard, 
who was born in Germany, and having at the age of 
sixteen emigrated to America, settled in Cincinnati, 
Ohio, where he followed the butcher's craft until his 
later removal to Warren County, Ohio, where he cul- 
tivated a farm during the remainder of his life. He 
was married to Miss Susan Pierce, and had children 
(nine in number), as follows: Nancy, George, Mary, 
Elizabeth, Sarah, Edward, Washington, Susan, and 
Noble P. Edward, of this number, was born in 
Warren County, Ohio, on the 21st of February, 
1815, and prior to his fifteenth year resided in the 
county of his birth. He was then apprenticed to 
David Taylor, of Middletown, Ohio, and served three 
years at the trade of a saddler, after which he pur- 
sued this vocation in the city of Cincinnati. He 
became, in 1835, a resident of Decatur County, Ind., 
and general manager for the business of Thomas G. 
Anderson. The doctor continued thus employed 
until the fall of 1836, when he was married to Miss 
Clarissa, daughter of Nathaniel Lewis, M.D., of the 
same county, the ceremony having occurred on the 
8th of September of that year. Their children are 



292 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



two sons, — Lewis N. and William 0. Dr. Howard 
soon after began and continued the study of medicine 
with Dr. Lewis for four years, after which he engaged 
in general practice in Decatur County, Ind. In 1855 
he came to Indianapolis and opened an office as a 
specialist in the treatment of cancer and chronic dis- 
eases. He has for twenty-eight years resided in the 
capital of the State, and during this time followed 
his specialty with signal success and performed some 
remarkable cures. The condition of many of his 
patients, who after a period of thirty years from the 
time of treatment are enjoying excellent health, is a 
sufficient tribute to his ability and skill. His son 
Lewis N. is associated with his father in his special 
branch of practice. Dr. Howard is in his political 
convictions free from partisan feeling, and chooses for 
office men of integrity and ability, irrespective of 
party ties. He has never participated in the exciting 
scenes of a political campaign, and does not aspire to 
the honors of office. He is in religion a supporter 
of all religious denominations, but more especially of 
the Presbyterian Church, of which Mrs. Howard is a 
member. 

To the same period belong Dr. George W. New 
and Dr. Alois D. Gall. 

George W. New, M.D.— The grandfather of Dr. 
New was Jethro New, a native of Kent County, 
Del., who was born Sept. 20, 1757. He served 
under Gen. Washington in the war of Independence, 
and was one of the guard over the unfortuaate 
Andre, whose execution he witnessed. He married 
Sarah Bowman, also a native of Kent County, Del., 
the mother of Elder John Bowman New, who was 
born in Guilford County, N. C, on the 7th of No- 
vember, 1793. Soon after Mr. and Mrs. New re- 
moved to Franklin County, Ky., and later took up 
land in Owen County, where their son received his 
earliest rudimentary instruction. Subsequently he 
served in the war of 1812. The religious sentiment 
was early developed in him, and formed the control- 
ling element in his later career. He received re- 
ligious instruction with great readiness of mind, 
and at a very tender age became a Christian. At 
the age of sixteen he conceived the idea of becoming 
a preacher of the gospel. This plan was eventually 



carried into execution, and Elder New became one 
of the most devout and earnest of the pioneer 
preachers of the State of Indiana. His exhortations 
were effective, his style argumentative, his manner 
eccentric. His area of usefulness was widely ex- 
tended, while his bold and fearless defense of the 
truth gave him a commanding influence in various 
parts of the State where he was accustomed to labor. 
He married Miss Blaria Chalfant on the 19th of 
February, 1818. 

Their son, George W. New, was born in Madison, 
Ind., on the 27th of February, 1819, and early 
removed to Vernon, Ind., where his youth was 
spent. He received an academic education, the 
intervals from study having been spent in labor on 
the farm or in the shop of a neighboring cabinet- 
maker. From 1836 to 1838 he became interested 
in the study of forestry and botany, and in 1837 
began the study of medicine under Dr. W. Clinton 
Thompson, of Indianapolis. After a thorough course 
he graduated at the Medical College of Ohio in the 
spring of 1840. He chose Greensburg, Ind., as the 
field of his earliest professional labors, and formed a 
copartnership with Dr. Abram Carter, a student of 
Dr. B. W. Dudley, of Lexington, Ky., a physician 
of repute. Dr. New was, on the 1st of November, 
1841, married to Miss Adelia, daughter of Dr. 
Carter. Their children are Frank R., born June 14, 
1843, and Orlando, whose birth occurred Sept. 1, 
1845, the latter of whom is deceased. The doctor 
when he settled in Greensburg was the only graduate 
in the county, and speedily attained a practice which 
extended to the adjacent counties, having performed 
all the surgical operations for a wide area of territory. 
He removed in 1860 to Indianapolis, and in April, 
1861, during the late war, entered the army as sur- 
geon of the Seventh Regiment Infantry, Indiana 
Volunteers, receiving the first commission as surgeon 
issued by Governor Morton. After three months' 
service in West Virginia, where he dressed the first 
amputated leg of the war and attended the first 
wounded Federal colonel, the regiment was reor- 
ganized and the doctor continued as its surgeon. 
He followed the fortunes of this regiment until the 
fall of 1864, and no case of surgery under his charge 




ALOIS D. GALL. 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



293 



proved fatal, though he had the supervision of an 
operating table on the occasion of every battle. 
During this time he was surgeon-in-chief both of a 
brigade and of a corps. In the fall of 1864 he was 
commissioned by Governor Morton Military Agent 
of Indiana, and assigned to the Department of the 
Gulf, with headquarters at New Orleans. At the 
close of the war he was commissioned by the Sec- 
retary of the Treasury examiner of drugs for the 
port of New Orleans, and returned to Indianapolis 
in 1867, after an absence of six and a half years, 
where he has since engaged in the active pursuit 
of his profession. He is a member of the American 
Medical Association and of the State Medical So- 
ciety. He is also connected with the Masonic fra- 
ternity. The doctor was formerly a Whig in his 
political convictions, but may now be spoken of as 
a conservative Republican, though with little taste for 
the active and exciting scenes of a political cam- 
paign. In religion he became in early life a member 
of the Christian Church. 

Alois D. Gall, M.D., who at the time of his 
death stood in the front rank of the medical profes- 
sion in the West, was of German birth and parentage. 
He was the son of Alois D. Gall, who resided in 
Wiel-die-Stadt, Wiirtemberg, whose life was passed 
in mercantile pursuits. The subject of this brief bio- 
graphical sketch was born in the above-mentioned 
town March 16, 1814, and there the early years of 
his life were spent. With a decided bent for learning 
and an aptness in acquiring knowledge, he went to 
Stuttgart, and there continued his studies. On com- 
pleting his course his young and adventurous spirit, 
which desired an expansion it could not then find in 
his own country, prompted him to seek in the United 
States a field for the exercise of his abilities. In 
1842, therefore, he came to this country and settled 
in Green Bay, Wis., where he purchased land, and 
where he remained for one year, after which he 
removed to Pittsburgh, Pa., and studied medicine 
with Dr. Gross. Previous to emigrating to this 
country he had married in Stuttgart, in 1839, Caro- 
line E. Hock, of that city, and with this willing help- 
meet in a strange land. they climbed the hill together. 
After his graduation in medicine his first medical 



service was at Zellianoble, Pa., whence, after a year 
of active and laborious practice, he removed to Slip- 
pery Rock, in the same State, and subsequently to 
Portersville, also in Pennsylvania. The struggles of 
the young physician need not be here enumerated. 
The early days of his practice in those villages of 
the Keystone State were a rugged discipline that 
gave him strength and courage for other and larger 
fields in the years to come, and enabled him to bear 
greater responsibilities. In 1847 he removed to In- 
dianapolis, where he at once established a successful 
practice which was continued until 1853, when he 
was appointed United States consul at Antwerp, Bel- 
gium, which position he held through the adminis- 
trations of Presidents Pierce and Buchanan. In this 
responsible position he merited and received the 
hearty approbation of his government and of all her 
citizens with whom he came in contact, discharging 
all the duties of his office with honor to himself and 
credit to the power he represented. As an illus- 
tration of this, it may be said that he was immensely 
popular with all American captains who put in at the 
port of Antwerp, and that, as an expression of their 
appreciation of his fidelity to the United States and 
the interests of her citizens abroad, they presented 
him a beautiful ■ and elaborately wrought gold-headed 
cane, which he always counted among the chief of 
his treasures. In 1860 he returned to Indianapolis, 
to be met with the warmest greetings of old and 
appreciative friends, and resumed his professional 
labors. In 1861, feeling the call of duty, he entered 
the army as surgeon of the Thirteenth Indiana Regi- 
ment. Within a brief period he was appointed 
brigade surgeon, and later, his ripe experience as a 
physician and surgeon becoming known, medical di- 
rector of Gen. Peck's corps. After three years of 
arduous duty in the field, resulting in the impairment 
of his health, he resigned. Previous to returning 
home the officers of his regiment, who well knew his 
army services and the self-sacrificing spirit in which 
they had been given, presented him a magnificent 
sword as a testimonial of their appreciation and 
esteem. 

Returning to civil life, he again entered upon the 
duties of his profession, which continued to engross 



294 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTS'. 



his time and talents until his death, which occurred 
on the 11th of February, 1867, of apoplexy, after a 
brief illness. He was a member of Centre Lodge, 
Free and Accepted Masons, of Indianapolis, of the 
Chapter, and of Eaper Commandery, No. 1, Knights 
Templar, of which he was at one time generalissimo. 
Though always a stanch Democrat politically, and 
much relied upon in the counsels of that party, he 
cared nothing for the honors and emoluments of oflace 
for himself, his inclination and duty keeping him in 
the path of his profession. 

Dr. Gall was of a warm and sanguine temperament, 
and genial as summer to his friends, whose name was 
legion. To the younger members of the profession 
was this kindliness most freely given, and his en- 
couragement, advice, and assistance many of the 
most prosperous of the Indianapolis physicians of 
to-day now hold as a sweet and pleasant recollection. 
There are numerous anecdotes of his medical forti- 
tude and heroism current in the profession to-day, 
for he was a man who shirked no duty and was 
absolutely without fear. 

Dr. Alois D. Gall and his widow, who survives 
him, had children, — Bertha (Mrs. Fred. P. Rush), 
born in Stuttgart, John Wallace Albert, born in 
1842, in Green Bay, Wis., Edmund F., born in 
1846, at Portersville, Pa., and Louis Washington, 
born in 1850, in Indianapolis, who died in 1851. A 
niece, Miss Carrie Gall, born in Memphis, Tenn., has 
since her childhood resided in the family. 

In 1855, as noted in the sketch of the history of 
the press, Dr. John C. Walker was one of the pro- 
prietors and editors of the Sentinel. He remained 
in the city much of the time till 1862 or 1863, when 
his political views and conduct suggested a temporary 
residence abroad. He was elected State printer in 
1859. Returning some few years ago, he practiced 
his profession in the city till he received an impor- 
tant position in the Insane Asylum, where he re- 
mained till his death last year. 

Hon. John C. Walker, M.D. — The Walkers 
were of Scotch-Irish stock, and emigrated to Penn- 
sylvania early in the seventeenth century. Benjamin 
Walker, a veteran soldier of the Revolution, at the 
close of the war returned to his home, on the Susque- 



hanna, near Harrisburg. In some trouble with the 
Indians his father was captured, murdered, and, it 
was said, burned at the stake. Peace having been 
restored, a band of Indians encamped near the town, 
and one night two of them were overheard by Benja- 
min Walker relating the circumstance of the murder 
of his father. When the Indians departed he and 
his brother followed, overtook them, and after a des- 
perate encounter killed both. The fight began near 
a high bank overlooking the river, Benjamin and his 
adversary rolling into the water below, where he suc- 
ceeded in drowning the latter. This affair having 
occurred in time of peace, Benjamin Walker was out- 
lawed by proclamation of the Governor, and with his 
wife (a Miss Crawford) and several small children 
embarked in canoes on the Ohio River and ultimately 
reached Dearborn County, Ind. He secured prop- 
erty, established a saw- and later a grist-mill. At his 
home, on Laughery Creek, he was frequently visited 
by Daniel Boone, the celebrated hunter. He reared 
a large family of children, among whom was John C. 
Walker, a prominent citizen and member of the State 
Senate, who married Frances Allen, of Virginia, and 
resided for a period of years at Shelbyville, Ind. 
He was a large contractor in the building of the 
Michigan pike road, and with the land-scrip in which 
the contractors were paid purchased large tracts in 
La Porte and adjoining counties. At one time he 
was said to be the largest land-owner in the State. 

He was an incorporator, with John Hendricks, of 
Shelbyville, George H. Dunn, and John Test, of Law- 
renceburg, and others, of the first railroad built in 
Indiana, the Lawrenceburg and Indianapolis, char- 
tered Feb. 2, 1832. A condition of the charter was 
that the work should be under way within three 
years. The difficulties and delays incident to so 
great an enterprise at that early day seemed to 
threaten a forfeiture of the charter, to avert which 
John C. Walker threw up a grade, laid ties, and put 
down rails of hewn timber for a mile and a quarter 
from Shelbyville, and with a wooden car drawn by 
horses opened the road for passenger travel on the 
4th of July, 1834. "Walker's Railroad" is still 
remembered by many old citizens. 

He removed with his family to La Porte, Ind., in 





ji,/UfuJA^>^< 



I 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



295 



1836, and died ten years later. The children of 
Mr. and Mrs. Walker were William, James (de- 
ceased), and Benjamin, of Chicago ; Mrs. McCoy, of 
California ; Mrs. Cummins and Mrs. Holcombe, of 
Indianapolis ; Mrs. Teal (deceased), of Shelbyville, 
Ind. ; Mrs. Ludlow and Mrs. Garland Kose (both 
deceased), of La Porte, Ind. ; and the subject of 
this sketch, Dr. John C. Walker, who was born in 
Shelbyville, Ind., on the 11th of February, 1828. 
He was educated by his brother-in-law, Professor 
F. P. Cummins, an eminent teacher and minister. 
He possessed a strong and active intellect, was a good 
student and diligent reader, and, though his regular 
studies were interrupted by an injury to his eyes, he 
acquired a large store of information and varied 
accomplishments. 

Early in his career he purchased the La Porte 
Times, which, as editor and proprietor, he made the 
most influential paper in Northern Indiana. It was 
the first paper in the State, perhaps in the country, 
to antagonize the methods and dogmas of the Know- 
Nothing party, then becoming powerful for evil. Its 
editor was soon recognized as a man of mark. He 
was elected to the Legislature of 1853, and took a 
high rank in that body. One of his reports was pub- 
lished in full by State Superintendent Larrabee in his 
edition of the school laws, with the following intro- 
ductory note : " In order to explain in the best man- 
ner possible the act of March 4, 1853, amending the 
school law, I would call attention to the following 
clear, concise, and beautiful report made to the House 
of Representatives by Mr. John C. Walker, of La 
Porte, chairman of the Committee on Education." 
He was then twenty-three years of age. In March, 
1855, he purchased, with Charles Cottom, now of 
the New Albany Ledger, the Indianapolis Sentinel, 
which he edited for nearly a year, making it, though 
at a heavy loss financially, a powerful party organ. 
In 1856 he was nominated for Lieutenant-Governor 
on the ticket with the eloquent Willard, but being 
under the constitutional age he was obliged to with- 
draw. A. A. Hammond, who was substituted in his 
place, became Governor of Indiana by the untimely 
death of Governor Willard. Resuming control of 
the La Porte Times, he was chosen by his party, in 



1858, to make the race for Congress against Schuyler 
Colfax, then editor of the South Bend Tribune. 
This contest resulting unfavorably, he began prepar- 
ing for the notable campaign of 1860, in which he 
played a distinguished and honorable part, support- 
ing with vigor and success, and against powerful 
opponents, .the Douglas wing of the party. 

Col. John C. Walker was a War Democrat, and 
took the first opportunity to enter the service of the 
Union. He was elected to command the Thirty-fifth 
Indiana Volunteers by the captains of the regiment 
in the fall of 1861, and with it went to the field 
early in the winter thereafter. For a while he was 
stationed near Bavdstown, Ky., where he soon estab- 
lished a high character among his brother-officers and 
the people of that town and neighborhood. He was, 
while there, and as early as Jan. 17, 1862, a member 
of a board for the examination of officers touching 
their qualifications and fitness for the service, and in 
that capacity evinced a large knowledge of tactics and 
the details of the military art. He displayed great 
ability as a drill-officer and disciplinarian, and brought 
his regiment rapidly to a high state of efficiency in all 
soldierly qualities. From Bardstown he was ordered 
farther South, and in the spring and summer of 1862 
was employed constantly in active service in Tennessee, 
marching over much of that great State. His last 
service was performed without orders from any supe- 
rior, but under the highest instincts and most ohival- 
ric sense of soldierly honor, in marching with his 
regiment forty miles to Murfreesborough when that 
place was about to be attacked. For this gallant act 
he "received the formal and written approval of Gen. 
Buell." He was soon after stricken down with typhoid 
fever, and his health, never very robust, required 
relaxation and rest. His commanding officer, under 
these circumstances, gave him leave to return to In- 
diana. He did so, and while at his home, at La Porte, 
Governor Morton, without the slightest intimation of 
any fault in his career as an officer or ofi"ense at his 
presence at home, procured his dismissal or discharge 
from the army. Not for disloyalty, not for incompe- 
tence, not for cowardice was this done. He was the 
very beau ideal of a soldier, and a thousand men per- 
haps yet live in Indiana who can say that no Bayard 



296 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ever rode against the enemy with a more splendid 
courage. His discharge bore date Aug. 6, 1862, 
when he had been in service nearly a year. He had 
established a high character for courage and efficiency 
as an officer, and without a stain upon his record he 
was ruthlessly stricken down. The act was an aston- 
ishment to himself and his friends; and when he had 
vainly tried to procure justice he accepted the inevita- 
ble, but not with resignation. 

Being in New York as agent of State at the time 
of the culmination of his difficulties, he arranged for 
a complete and honorable settlement of his accounts 
with the State, and went to Europe, where he re- 
mained till 1872. In London he studied medicine at 
King's College, and married Miss Laura Seymour, 
daughter of Harry Marchmont Seymour, an officer 
of the British navy. Their children are Reginald 
John Crawford, Evangeline Fanny Hortense, and 
Mary Ethel McCoy. 

After his return to this country he continued his 
studies at tlie Indiana Medical College, from which 
he obtained the doctor's degree. He settled in Shel- 
byville, and there successfully practiced his profession 
till 1879, when he was appointed assistant physician 
in the Hospital for the Insane. In that institution 
he died on Saturday, April 14, 1883, at about eleven 
o'clock, of quick consumption, superinduced by dia- 
betes, with which he had suflfered for more than a year. 

He was a man of a most noble nature, chivalrous 
in his devotion to principle and friends, fair and not 
implacable to his enemies. His intellectual ability 
was of a high order. He was thoroughly well in- 
formed, a pleasant conversationalist, a delightful com- 
panion, full of reminiscences of great men and stir- 
ring times. He possessed a decided literary gift, was 
a facile and vigorous political writer, and sometimes 
practiced his pen in poetry. A many-sided man, 
endowed by nature with noble and delightful talents, 
he was, in the best sense of the words, a gallant 
gentleman. Mrs. Walker, his widow, now fills the 
position of matron of the male department of the 
Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis. 

Samuel M. Brown, M.D.— The earlier members 
of the Brown family, who are of English descent, 
settled in South Carolina. His father, John Brown, 



was born Feb. 14, 1791, and resided in Abbeville 
district of that State, where he was an enterprising 
farmer. He was united in marriage to Bliss Mar- 
garet Miller, of the same district, and had chil- 
dren, — Jane, Elizabeth, Nancy, Catherine, and 
Samuel M. He contracted a second marriage with 
Miss Jane Lyons, and had one son, John. The 
death of Mr. Brown occurred March 8, 1864. His 
son Samuel M. was born May 27, 1823, in Abbeville 
district, S. C, where his early youth was spent. At 
the age of twelve he removed' with his father to 
Clinton County, Ind., where his time was divided 
between labor on the farm and attendance at such 
schools as were accessible. The medical profession 
offered many attractions to the young man, and in- 
duced him to become a student in the office of Dr. 
Martin Gentry, of Clinton County, a physician of 
ability and experience. During the winters of 1847 
and 1848 he attended lectures at the Medical College 
of Ohio, in Cincinnati, and in the spring of the 
latter year began his professional career at New 
Bethel, Marion Co., where he has been since that 
date engaged in active practice. He was for many 
years the only physician in the place, and found an 
extended field of labor requiring not less ability than 
unceasing toil. He has been successful in his pro- 
fession as the result of industry and thorough knowl- 
edge of both the theory and practice of medicine, 
while a broad experience has ripened his natural 
capabilities. He is a member of the State Medical 
Society, and also identified with the Acton Lodge of 
Free and Accepted Masons. He was married on the 
15th of June, 1852, to Miss Mahala S., daughter of 
Henry Brady, of Warren township, Marion Co. 
Their children are Henry J., Eldorus 0., Corydon S., 
Arthur V., and Charles. He was married again, Oct. 
16, 1869, to Miss Matilda McGaughey, whose chil- 
dren are Harry, Edward A., Frank T., and Rachel. 
The doctor is in politics a Democrat, and manifests a 
lively interest in the success of his party. He was 
the nominee of the Democracy for the position of 
member of Assembly, but defeated, as a result of the 
Republican majority in the district. He is a member 
of the New Bethel Baptist Church, and Mrs. Brown 
of the Presbyterian Church of Acton. 





'7^ 




iM^ 



^^^^>'>^uc^.y^% 




CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



297 



Samuel McG-aughey, M.D. — David McGaughey, 
the grandfather of the doctor, was of Scotch-Irish 
descent, though a native of Scotland. He married a 
Miss Litle, and had five daughters and four sons, 
among whom was Robert L., the father of the subject 
of this biography. He married Mary Ann, daughter 
of Ezekiel Clark, to whom were bora six sons and six 
daughters. The birth of Samuel, the third son, 
occurred July 22, 1828, in Franklin County, Ind., 
where his life until his eighteenth year was passed in 
the improvement of such educational advantages as 
the vicinity aiforded. After a brief period of teach- 
ing, finding his tastes in harmony with an active pro- 
fessional career, he began the study of medicine with 
Dr. D. S. McGaughey, of Morristown, Shelby Co., 
Ind., under whose preceptorship he continued for three 
years. During this time he attended three courses 
of lectures at the Ohio Medical College, Cincinnati, 
from which institution he graduated in 1851. His 
first field of labor was at Palestine, Hancock Co., 
Ind., where he located the following year. He sub- 
sequently spent two years in Marietta, Shelby Co., 
and in May, 1856, made Acton, Marion Co., his resi- 
dence. He at once engaged in practice of a general 
character, which steadily increased until it became 
extensive and laborious. He was for a brief period 
associated with Dr. P. C. Leavitt, a very successful 
practitioner, who served with credit in the army, and 
on his return resumed his practice, which was con- 
tinued until his death. 

Dr. McGaughey is a Republican in politics, though 
neither his tastes nor the demands of his profession 
lead to active participation in the political events of 
the day. He is identified with the order of Masonry, 
and a member of Pleasant Lodge, No. 134, of Free 
and Accepted Masons, of Acton. He is descended 
from Scotch Presbyterian stock, and a member of the 
Acton Presbyterian Church, as also one of its trus- 
tees. Dr. McGaughey was in 1852 married to Miss 
Ann A., daughter of Daniel W. Morgan, to whom 
were born children, — Robert and Otto Livingston. 
Mrs. McGaughey died in 1857, and he was again 
married in 1858 to Miss Mary S. Boal, whose chil- 
dren are Rachel, Mellie (deceased), Elizabeth (de- 
ceased), Jennie, and Samuel. 



Among the oldest of living practitioners, equally 
respected in social and professional life, are Dr. John 
M. Gaston, somewhat retired since an accident that 
crippled him for life some years ago, and cost the 
city some ten thousand dollars' damages ; Dr. Frisbie 
S. Newcomer, who has served the city in the Council 
frequently and well, and served also in the faculty of 
one of the medical colleges ; Dr. James H. Wood- 
burn, also a professor in one of the medical colleges, 
superintendent of the Hospital for the Insane, and 
an active and valuable member of the City Council ; 
Dr. Thaddeus M. Stevens, a native of Indianapolis, 
nephew of the celebrated Pennsylvania statesman, 
actively connected with all hygienic movements and 
boards of health, and the author of more publica- 
tions on the hygienic conditions of the city than any 
other member of the profession ; Dr. William C. 
Thompson, one of the leading moral reformers of 
the State, for one term a senator in the Legislature 
from this county, and all the time the family physi- 
cian of Governor Morton and his attendant in his 
last illness : Dr. John M. Dunlap, son of the pioneer 
Dr. Livingston Dunlap, for many years an assistant 
in the Insane Hospital ; Dr. Theophilus Parvin, now 
a professor in the Jefferson Medical College, of Phila- 
delphia, hut for many years among the most eminent 
physicians of Indiana, and especially distinguished as 
a medical writer ; Dr. John M. Kitchen, who has prob- 
ably been longer in the practice than any one now 
living in the city, but not so long a resident here ; 
Dr. James W. Hervey, widely known as a writer on 
professional and social questions. Dr. James K. Bige- 
low. Dr. L. D. Waterman, Dr. Charles D. Pearson, 
Dr. Bryan, Dr. Fred Stein, Dr. D. H. Frank, and Dr. 
W. N. Wishard are of rather later date, coming during 
or since the war. Of very recent additions to the 
profession here, among natives of the city. Dr. Calvin 
I. Fletcher may be named, with Dr. Frank Morrison, 
of the Medical College of Indiana, for a creditable 
position in graduating and efiicient prosecution of 
their profession since. The female physicians of the 
city during the past year were Annie B; Campbell, 
E. A. Daniels, Ella Deneen, Mary A. Ellis, Amanda 
M. George, Martha Grimes, Rachel Swain, Elizabeth 
Schmidt, and M. F. J. Pointer. 



298 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



On the 7th of September, 1870, a stock compaDy 
was formed with one hundred thousand dollars capital, 
— liable to enlargement at any time, — in twenty-five 
dollar shares, to establish an institution for the treat- 
ment of deformities, deficiencies, and injuries requir- 
ing surgical skill and mechanical appliances. Drs. 
Allen and Johnson, of the Surgical Institute, were to 
be tlie surgeons. One share of twenty-five dollars 
entitled the holder to nominate one patient for treat- 
ment ; one hundred dollars gave the right to an 
annual nomination of a patient ; one thousand dollars, 
to the nomination of a free bed annually ; and five 
thousand dollars, to a perpetual free bed, passing to 
heirs or assigns. The intention was to treat the 
classes of cases specified as cheaply as possible, or 
free if possible, and provide them at the same time 
comfortable homes as cheaply as possible. The Sur- 
gical Institute seems to have been adopted as the 
requisite provision, and sixty patients received in the 
first year, fourteen from the city, and the others from 
seventeen other counties in the State. The ofiicers 
of the association were James M. Ray, President ; 
Barnabas C. Hobbs, Addison Daggy, W. P. Johnson, 
A. L. Roache, Vice-Presidents ; William H. Turner, 
Recording Secretary ; K. H. Boland, Corresponding 
Secretary ; John C. New, Treasurer. 

The National Surgical Institute was incorporated 
on the 24th of July, 1869, under the control of 
Dr. Horace R. Allen and Dr. W. P. Johnson, with 
a capital stock, as appears by a publication made 
authoritatively in 1876, of five hundred thousand 
dollars, with the object of " treating all cases of sur- 
gery and chronic diseases ; also of engaging in the 
manufacture of surgical and mechanical appliances, 
splints, bandages, machinery, and other articles needed 
for the treatment of the afilicted ; and also with 
authority to teach others the same art." There are 
four branches of the Institute, — the Central in In- 
dianapolis, the Eastern in Philadelphia, the South- 
ern in Atlanta, Ga., the Western in San Francisco. 
The Central, or Indianapolis division occupies a four- 
story block of buildings, covering, with the shops 
and subordinate buildings, nearly an acre of ground 
on the northeast corner of Georgia and Illinois 
Streets. There are sleeping-rooms in the buildings 



for three hundred patients. In the machine-shop, 
run by a forty-horse engine, are all the machines and 
appliances required to make the numerous and varied 
forms of apparatus used in the Institute. From 
twenty to thirty hands are always employed here, 
and the expense of it is set at seventy-five thousand 
dollars a year. The patterns of all the apparatus 
used in the myriad forms of deficiency, deformity, and 
disease treated are the invention of Dr. Allen, who 
has developed " Mechanical Surgery" to a degree that 
enabled him when recently in Europe to give some 
valuable instruction to the Orthopedic and other 
hospitals of the class in England and on the conti- 
nent. No less than forty thousand patients have 
been treated in the Institute in the fifteen years of 
its existence. There is an average of one hundred 
and seventy-five patients always under treatment and 
living in the establishment. Previous to the location 
of the Institute in Indianapolis, it had been main- 
tained by Drs. Allen and Johnson at Charleston, 
III. It is estimated that it brings to the city every 
year ten thousand people as visitors, who pay the 
railroads one hundred thousand dollars a year, and 
leave in the city, for one expense or another, fully 
five hundred thousand dollars. Although organized 
as a private enterprise, the Institute is constantly 
sought by surgical cases as a public hospital, and there 
are treated the frightful injuries of railroad accidents, 
the stabs and shots of street rows, the broken limbs of 
builders falling from houses, the carelessly burned by 
gas or explosive lighting-oils, and all the many varie- 
ties of injury that occur continually in a large and 
busy city full of steam machinery and manufacturing 
apparatus. If the patient can pay he is expected to 
pay. If he cannot or will not, that is the end of it. 
Hundreds of dollars of unpaid fees and unexpected 
fees are bestowed in gratuitous surgical services 
here every week. Dr. Allen, besides his professional 
inventions, has invented some valuable agricultural 
machinery, and is a liberal contributor to the develop- 
ment of the enterprise and business of the city. Dr. 
J. A. Minich has been associated with Drs. Allen and 
Johnson from the establishment of the Institute here, 
and is one of the most skillful and estimable members 
of the profession in the city. 



CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



299 



Dentists, — The earliest practitioner of dentistry 
as a specialty was Dr. Joshua Soule, son of Bishop 
Soule, of the Methodist Church, who came here as 
early as 1832 or 1833, if not earlier. He was town 
clerk in 1835 and 1836, and in 1837 was a mem- 
ber of the Council for the Second Ward and presi- 
dent that term, preceding the late Judge Morrison. 
The next year he was clerk again. His oflSce was 
on the east side of Illinois Street for a considerable 
time, half-way between Maryland and the alley next 
the Occidental Hotel. His wife was a sister of Joseph 
Lawson, for thirty years or more a sort of town butt 
for the boys to have fun with. The next dentist of 
whom any distinct memory or record remains was 
David Hunt, who came here about 1840, and had 
an office in the southwest quadrant of Circle Street 
till his death, about 1846 or 1847. His brothers, 
Andrew and George, followed in the same business 
after his death, and were the principal dentists for 
several years before and after 1850. Dr. G-. A. 
Wells came then, and is now probably the oldest 
dentist in continuous practice in the city, with the 
exception of Dr. George Hunt. Dr. David Hunt was 
probably the first man in the city to make false 
teeth singly or in sets forty years or more ago. 

The Indiana Dental College was established in 
1879, and provided suitable quarters in the upper 
stories of the Etna building, on North Pennsylvania 
Street. The announcement of the fifth term contains 
the appended list of members of the faculty : John 
H. Oliver, M.D., Professor of Anatomy; Junius E. 
Cravens, D.D.S., Professor of Operative Dentistry ; 
Edward F. Hodges, M.D., Professor of Physiology; 
Milton H. Chappell, D.D.S., Professor of Dental 
Pathology and Therapeutics; John N. Hurty, M.D., 
Professor of Chemistry ; Thomas S. Hacker, D.D.S., 
Professor of Mechanical Dentistry ; Clinical Profes- 
sors, Junius E. Cravens, D.D.S., Thomas S. Hacker, 
D.D.S., John H. Oliver, M.D., Clinical Lecturer on 
Oral Surgery ; W. S. Wilson, D.D.S., of Brooklyn, 
N. Y., Geni.'ral Demonstrator of Practice. With an 
ample number of assistants. 

The Board of Health is appointed by the Council 
and Board of Aldermen at the beginning of every term, 
and charged with the especial duty of attending to the 



hygienic condition of the city. They see to the clean- 
ing of alleys, the removal of refuse, the scraping of 
gutters, and whatever they deem necessary to health 
or protection against epidemics. The " pest-house," 
a small collection of buildings on the west bank of 
Fall Creek, above Indiana Avenue, for the care of 
patients with infectious diseases isolated here, is 
under the control of the Health Board. The or- 
ganization of the board was first made in 1850, but 
for some years there was so much ill-feeling between 
the members that they did no good till 1854, when 
Dr. Jameson became a member and managed to put 
the concern in working order. It has continued 
with more or less efficiency since, but with more 
power and more effective service in the last four or 
five years than before. The present members are 
Dr. Elder, president of the State Board of Health, 
Dr. Sutcliffe, and Dr. M. T. Kunnells. 

The City Dispensary was organized June 10, 1879, 
and placed first in the charge of Dr. William B. 
Fletcher, now superintendent of the Hospital for the 
Insane. The next physician in charge was Dr. C. 
A. Bitter; the present one is Dr. J. J. Garver. The 
report for the past year is not yet made up, but for 
the year before there was shown to have been 3799 
patients treated at the office, — now on Ohio Street 
opposite tlie City Library, — 1221 at their homes, 
and 80 at the station-house, a total of 5100. Visits 
made, 3193; prescriptions furnished, 10,352. The 
average cost of each prescription was 12 J cents. The 
city appropriates annually $1500 to the dispensary, 
and the County Board makes a like appropriation of 
the same amount. It is a separate institution, in 
no way connected with the Bobbs Dispensary, which 
is under the direction of the faculty of the Medical 
College. 

The County Infirmary, or County Asylum, 
formerly the poor-house, with a farm of one hun- 
dred and sixty acres, is located in Wayne township, 
about three miles northwest of the city. The ground 
was purchased, in 1832, of Elijah Fox. The origi- 
nal "poor-house" was Mr. Fox's farm-house, a log 
cabin of two rooms. It was enlarged occasionally as 
required, chiefly by a large building in 1845. An 
addition for pauper insane was made in 1858, but 



300 



HISTORY OF INDIA.NAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



in 1869, the aceomtnodations proving inadequate, 
the present large and handsome edifice was begun. 
The corner-stone was laid on July 28, 1869, and in 
October, 1870, the building was dedicated with ap- 
propriate ceremonies by the Young Men's Christian 
Association. The front is two hundred and four 
feet, extreme depth one hundred and eighty-four 
feet, height four stories. In the rear is a smaller 
building two stories high and twenty-eight by 
seventy feet. The first superintendent was Peter 
Newland. From 1832 to 1839 a board of directors 
were in control, consisting at one time or another of 
William McCaw, Cary Smith, James Johnson, Isaac 
Pugh, Samuel McCray, George Lockerbie, Thomas 
F. Stout. The superintendents and physicians since 
1840, when the office was created, will be found in 
the list of county ofiicers appended to the liistory. 
The cost of the new buildings was about one hundred 
and twenty thousand dollars, and the value of the site 
about thirty-five thousand dollars. 

There are the names of two hundred and forty-two 
physicians in the City Directory, of whom nine are 
women, besides a score, probably, of women who have 
out signs as midwives. There are fewer lawyers than 
doctors, — two hundred and two only, — and none of 
them are women. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



Military Organizations in Indianapolis — Marion County in the 
War of tlie Rebellion. 

Military Companies. — Military show is as much 
an American passion as money-making, and it goes far 
to create the military strength sometimes needed for 
the enforcement of civil law, and often needed for the 
illumination of civic demonstrations that other gov- 
ernments obtain by conscription under rigorous mili- 
tary systems. We have always had militia systems 
in this country, but they never amounted to anything 
more than an annual holiday in Indiana, and prac- 
tically imposing no duty, imparting no instruction. 



serving no end but the electioneering convenience of 
ambitious ofiicers, they were treated by the practical 
old pioneers with as little consideration as they de- 
served. But the lack of effective means of action 
could not suppress the inborn love of military show 
and glory. No sooner had the annual " musters" 
and the system of which they were the visible sign 
disappeared, as described by ex-Senator Oliver H. 
Smith in his " Early Indiana Sketches," and quoted 
in a preceding chapter, than the organization of vol- 
unteer companies began, with self-imposed rules of 
instruction and discipline strict enough to compel 
close attention and speedy proficiency. These soon 
became an indispensable feature of all popular parades 
that were not partisan, and that necessity reinforced 
the native military spirit in maintaining them. The 
first of these appeared in Indianapolis about the time 
the last militia muster disappeared. It was organ- 
ized, or steps taken to that end, on the 22d of Feb- 
ruary, 1837. Col. A. W. Russell, of the " Bloody 
Three Hundred," was elected the first captain. The 
uniform was of gray cloth with black-velvet trim- 
mings, large bell-shaped black-leather hats of the 
"grenadier" style, with brass plates and chains and 
black pompons. It was a neat uniform, and not 
more stifi' and cumbrous than was deemed necessary 
to military efficiency in that day, when the loose 
blouse and light cap of our civil war would have 
thrown a martinet of the Steuben school into a fit. 

Col. or Capt. Russell had not the time to do much 
for the company, so the following year Thomas A. 
Morris, then a West Point graduate of three or four 
years' maturity, was made captain, and he speedily 
made the company. It rarely turned out more than 
fifty men for parade on the most momentous occasions, 
but their exact step, accurate poise and handling of 
arms, scrupulous cleanliness of dress and brilliance 
of weapons, and their precision in all evolutions, 
made them a " show" that a boy would play " hook- 
ey" to see when he would not even to go skating or 
haw-hunting. The court-house yard was the drill- 
ground and the parade-ground usually, but frequently 
Washington Street was made a more conspicuous 
show-place, and all the moTements then known to 
military art were practiced there. Capt. (now Gen.) 




a, 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



301 



Morris possessed the natural qualities of a military 
commander, developed by a thorough course of in- 
struction at West Point, and when the civil war 
broke out they made him of inestimable value to 
Governor Morton's irrepressible but inexperienced 
energy. He was the commander of all the Indiana 
regiments in the three months' service, and thus 
in command of the first West Virginia campaign, 
where all were sent, which he planned and won be- 
fore Gen. McClellan knew more of it than he could 
learn from the papers. The latter absorbed the 
credit of it, and became cominander-in-chief by 
luckily reaching the field about a week before the 
end of it, and proved before Richmond, as well as 
Rich Mountain, that hig glory was a second-hand 
acquisition. 

Gen. Thomas Armstkong Morris is the third 
son of Morris and Rachel Morris, and was born in 
Nicholas County, Ky., Dec. 26, 1811. In 1821" his 
parents removed to Indianapolis, then a settlement of 
a few families and designated as the place where 
the State capital was to be. In 1823 he began to 
learn the printer's art, and found employment on a 
newspaper which is now the Indianapolis Journal. 
The boy continued at his trade for three years, and 
became an excellent printer, which in those days in- 
cluded the " theory and practice" of hand-press work 
as well as type-setting. He was then sent to school, 
and at nineteen years of age appointed to a cadetship 
at West Point, for which place he started on horse- 
back to Cincinnati, whence the route east was by way 
of the Ohio River. He was graduated in 1834, 
standing fourth in a class of thirty-six, and imme- 
diately brevetted second lieutenant of the First Artil- 
lery, in the regular army. After about one year's 
service at Fort Monroe, Va., and Fort King, Fla., 
he was detailed by the War Department to assist 
Maj. Ogden, of the engineer corps, in constructing 
the National road in Indiana and Illinois, and had 
charge of the division between Richmond and Indi- 
anapolis, Ind. This was the first turnpike road in 
the State. After a year he resigned from the United 
States service and was resident engineer in the Indi- 
ana State service, having charge of the construction 
of the Central Canal during this period. From 1841 



to 1847 he was chief engineer of the Madison and 
Indianapolis Railroad, and built it after its abandon- 
ment by the State at Vernon from that point to Indi- 
anapolis. This was the first railroad in the State. 
From 1847 to 1852 he was chief engineer of the 
Terre Haute and Richmond Railroad, connecting 
Terre Haute and Indianapolis, and now part of the 
" Vandalia." During the same time he was chief 
engineer of the Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Rail- 
road, now part of the " Bee Line." From 1852 to 
1854 he was chief engineer of the Indianapolis and 
Cincinnati Railroad, and from 1854 to 1857 its presi- 
dent. From 1857 to 1859 he was president of the 
Indianapolis and Bellefontaine Railroad, and from 
1859 to 1861 chief engineer of the Indianapolis and 
Cincinnati Railroad. At the beginning of the war 
he was appointed by Governor Morton quartermaster- 
general of the State, and as such had charge of the 
equipment of Indiana's first regiments, which were 
so promptly in the field. As general, he commanded 
the first brigade of troops from the State. He was 
in the West Virginia campaign, and commanded at 
the battles of Philippi, Laurel Hill, and Carriek's 
Ford, all of which he won. His first battle, that of 
Philippi, was the first conflict of the war of the Re- 
bellion. At the termination of the three months' 
service assurance was given Gen. Morris that he 
should immediately receive promotion to a major- 
general's command. This was delayed and a briga- 
dier-general's commission ofiered him, which he 
declined, as also a junior major-general's commission, 
believing his services to have been worthy a more 
speedy recognition. From 1862 to 1866 he was 
chief engineer of the Indianapolis and Cincinnati 
Railroad, and during that time built the road from 
Lawrenoeburg to Cincinnati. From 1866 to 1869 
he was president and chief engineer of the Indianap- 
olis and St. Louis Railroad, building the road from 
Terre Haute to Indianapolis. From 1869 to 1872 he 
was receiver of the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and La- 
fayette Railroad, and in 1877 was appointed as one 
of the commissioners to select plans and superintend 
the construction of the new State capitol, — the same 
position his father held nearly half a century ago 
with reference to the old State capitol, which was 



302 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



torn down to make room for the new. The Madison 
and Indianapolis State Railroad had been undertaken 
as a part of the State system of internal improve- 
ments, built as far as Vernon, and then abandoned. 
Private corporations had been allowed to take charge 
of any of the abandoned schemes, and Gen. Morris 
became the chief engineer of the company which 
assumed the construction of the abandoned railroad. 
He conceived the plan of taking land for subscrip- 
tions to build the road, and was instrumental in 
passing a bill through the Legislature authorizing the 
procedure. Under this bill lands were received by 
the road at an appraised value. Upon these lands 
scrip was issued to the amount of the appraisement. 
The scrip of the company was used to pay for the 
construction of the road, redeeming the scrip with 
lands on presentation. This is the first instance 
where land was used as the basis of railroad construc- 
tion. With the increase of the number of railroad,? 
centring in Indianapolis, Gen. Morris conceived the 
idea of a system of union tracks and a union depot. 
He drew the plans and superintended the construc- 
tion of the edifice, which was completed in 1853, 
and was the first union depot in this country. He 
is now president of the water-works company, and 
it has been under his experienced and wise direction 
that the great new "gallery" and inexhaustible supply 
of pure water have been secured. 

The life of the .subject of this biographical sketch 
has been one of constant activity. From the time he 
entered West Point in 1830, a boy not yet out of his 
teens, to the present time, when he is engaged in the 
construction of the new State capitol, there is hardly 
a period that has not its enterprise calling for active 
work. All these schemes have been of public con- 
cern. First in the employ of the United States, then 
of his State, he has since that time been at the head 
of various railroads, especially in their construction 
and early management, and finally crowned his work 
by again serving the United States during the war, 
and later entering the State service. This work Las 
been a pioneer work, so to speak. It has fallen to 
bis lot to be the first in more enterprises of difi^erent 
kinds, and all of public importance, than often falls 
to the lot of any one person. 



The Guards were incorporated in 1838, and con- 
tinued in efiicient existence till 1845. In 1840 or 
1841 they were followed by the Marion Riflemen, 
commanded by Thomas Mc. Baker. They were uni- 
formed in blue " hunting shirts," much like an old 
" wamus" or a modern "blouse," fringed in the 
backwoods style of buckskin dress, and armed with 
breech -loading rifles clumsy and ugly beyond any 
conception by these who never saw them. The 
lower six inches of the barrel was cut ofi', worked on 
a hinge at the breech, and pushed up at the upper 
end by an awkward big trigger, no easier loaded than 
a muzzle-musket, and liable to be fired with the 
movable breech partly raised when there was danger. 
In time the weapon was discarded, and it and the ac- 
coutrements — belts, plates, cartridge-boxes, ramrods 
— were left uncared for in one of the garret-rooms 
of the Governor's house in the Circle, where they 
were a store of material for the fun of the boys for 
years. The military spirit continued active till about 
the time the Mexican war was close at hand. The 
two city companies in 1842 formed a battalion for 
regimental drill, with Hervey Brown, brother of 
Hiram, lieutenant-colonel, and George W. Drum, 
major. Parades were frequent and encampments no 
rarity. So that when the Mexican war came it 
struck a community here in a better condition of 
military feeling than the civil war did. As related 
in the general history, three companies were raised 
here for that service. 

The first was commanded by James P. Drake, sub- 
sequently State treasurer, with John BIcDougall as 
first and Lew Wallace as second lieutenant. When 
the company was massed with others in the First In- 
diana Regiment, Capt. Drake was chosen colonel. 
The regiment passed its year of service in watching 
stores and hospitals at Matamoras and up the Rio 
Grande. When discharged, shortly after the battle 
of Buena Vista, Capt. McDougall, who had succeeded 
Capt. Drake, raised a second company here in the 
spring of 1847, and Edward Lander, brother of Gen. 
Fred, of the civil war, raised another in the fall. 
These latter were given a public welcome on their 
return in October, 1848. There was to have been a 
big demonstration, a barbecue, and other expressions 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



303 



of popular admiration, but tte day was bad, the rain 
incessant and chilly, and the show consisted of little 
more than a speech from Senator Edward A. Hanno- 
gan in the State-House yard. Everything; was unfa- 
vorable to the orator, and nothing is remembered now 
of his speech but an adapted quotation from Blark 
Antony. Pointing to a flag which had been torn 
by a mesquit bush, he said, " See what a rent th.it 
twenty-four-pounder made." In July, 1847, the 
body of Trusten B. Kinder, — son of Isaac, an old 
settler of Indianapolis, — who had gone to a south- 
ern county of the State to practice law, and there 
joined the Second Indiana Regiment, so defamed 
by Jeff. Davis' report, and been killed in the battle of 
Buena Vista, was returned here and buried in the 
old cemetery with military honors and a popular 
demonstration never witnessed at a funeral here be- 
fore nor ever since, except at the death of Governor 
Morton. A strenuous effort was made to obtain a 
roster of the companies that went from this county 
to Mexico, but the records have been so indifferently 
preserved that no satisfactory result was possible. 
Adjutant-General Carnahan had copies of the Indi- 
ana rolls made at his own expense in Washington, 
but they do not show the residences of the men except 
as the name might indicate it to the neighbors. 

The City Guards were formed in 1852, with 
Governor Wallace as captain, and the next year the 
Mechanic Rifles were organized, but both soon col- 
lapsed under the indifferent feeling of the times. 
Railroads, manufactures, material improvements, were 
absorbing men's attention then, and mere decorative 
avocations received little encouragement. Prom this 
time till 1856 — making a period of military deca- 
dence altogether extending from about 1847, with 
only this temporary revival to break it, to 1856 — 
there was as little military splendor shining about 
Indianapolis as any city of any age since men began 
being soldiers. Ten years was long enough for the 
growth of a second crop of military spirit, and the 
presence of the St. Louis Guards here in 1856 
(February) was just the favoring condition to sprout 
the seed. The National Guards were formed here 
that year, — dressed in blue, with caps and white 
plumes, — and continued in existence until it went 



into the civil war in the Eleventh Regiment. It 
was commanded while on the peace establishment 
by William J. Elliott, Thomas A. Morris, George F. 
McGinnis, Irwin Harrison, brother of the general 
and senator, John M. Lord, a Mexican war veteran, 
and Winston P. Noble, son of Governor Noble. The 
City Graj's were organized in the summer of 1857, 
uniformed in gray with bear-skin shakos, and went 
into the war as Company A of the Eleventh Regi- 
ment. The City Grays Artillery was organized in 
1859 as a supplement of the infantry company, and 
was commanded by Capt. John H. Colestock. An 
accidental explosion of the gun ruined his arm, and 
the organization went down. In 1858, Capt. John 
Love, afterwards a valuable assistant to Governor 
Morton in organizing the first troops and getting 
them ready for the field, formed a cavalry company 
called the Marion Dragoons, but it soon collapsed 
under the heavy pressure upon a volunteer body of 
the expense of maintaining horses as well as men. 

On the 22d of February, 1860, the Montgomery 
Guards, of Crawfordsville, commanded by Capt. Lew 
Wallace, visited Indianapolis, and in connection with 
the Capital companies gave a parade on the 22d, fol- 
lowed by a zouave drill by drum beat that was much 
admired, and impelled the formation of a company 
called the Independent Zouaves here, commanded 
by Capt. Frank Shoup, who resigned before the war 
broke out, went South, and became a rebel brigadier. 
Mr. Ignatius Brown says he was the first man to pro- 
pose the use of negroes as soldiers by the Confed- 
erates ; if so, it was his only claim to distinction. No 
one here ever heard anything definitely of him after- 
wards. The Zouaves became Company H of the 
Eleventh Regiment. On the 27th of June, 1860, 
a military convention, in.spired and directed by Capt. 
Lew Wallace, met here, representing eleven volunteer 
companies, and decided to hold a regular encampment 
on the military ground, then the State fair ground, the 
following 19th of September. It came and continued 
about a week, and contained the Indianapolis Guards, 
Grays, and Zouaves, the Montgomery Guards (Craw- 
fordsville), the Fort Harrison Guards (Terre Haute), 
Vigo Guards (Terre Haute). Gen. Love was com- 
mandant and Capt. Shoup adjutant. In August, 1860, 



304 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



a company of Zouave Cadets was formed, and in Oc- 
tober the Zouave Guards, Capt. John Pahnestock. 
The former continued for a year or two, with Capt. 
George H. Marshall, but mostly entered the national 
army at one time or another. The latter went into 
the Eleventh Regiment as Company K. When the 
call for troops was made by Governor Morton, these 
four companies — the Guards, Grays, Zouaves, and 
Zouave Guards — filled up and were all in camp by 
the 17th of April. This was quick work. The 
President's proclamation calling for seventy-five thou- 
sand men was issued April 15, 1861. Governor Mor- 
ton's calling for the State's quota of six regiments 
was issued next day, the 16th, and these four compa- 
nies filled to their limit and went into camp on the 17th. 

After the close of the war there appeared to be 
little disposition to play at soldiering. There had 
been too much of the real thing to make an imita- 
tion an amusement. A battalion of National Guards 
was soon after organized, however, largely composed 
of veterans ; but in a couple of years it went to 
pieces, and in 1870 only one company was left, with 
an independent Irish company called the Emmett 
Guards. Within the last half-dozen years there has 
been a revival of military feeling, and several com- 
panies have been organized here. The exertions of 
Adjutant Carnahan have put the volunteer companies 
of the State in better condition than they have ever 
been before; the encampments and prize-drills held at 
Indianapolis annually, inviting a great many compa- 
nies from all parts of the State and from other States, 
contributing effectively to that end. The Indianapo- 
lis companies now are the following : 

The Indianapolis Light Infantry. Captain, James 
R. Ross ; First Lieutenant, William McKee ; Sec- 
ond Lieutenant, R. P. Scott. 

The Richardson Zouaves. Captain, B. P. Rich- 
ardson ; Pirst Lieutenant, W. J. Kercheval ; Second 
Lieutenant, H. J. Haldrick. 

Tecumseh Rifles. Captain, E. J. Griffith ; First 
Lieutenant, Prank Richards ; Second Lieutenant, C. 
S. Todd. 

The Streight Rifles. Captain, Lawson Seaton ; 
First Lieutenant, W. H. Murphy ; Second Lieuten- 
ant, G. W. Davis. 



The Indianapolis Light Artillery. Captain, George 
W. Johnson. 

At the first grand encampment and prize-drill held 
here, under the management of the " Raper Com- 
mandery" of the Masonic order, but directed wholly 
by Gen. Carnahan, July 4, 1882 (with some days 
preceding), there were in attendance from other 
States the Crescent Rifles, of New Orleans (took 
second prize in the competitive drill) ; the Louisi- 
ana Rifles, of the same city ; the Chickasaw Guards, 
of Memphis, Tenn. (took the first prize in the 
competitive drill) ; the Porter Rifles, Nashville, 
Tenn.; the Quapaw Guards, from Little Rock, 
Ark. ; Company G of the Pirst Missouri Regiment ; 
two other Missouri companies ; one company from 
Geneva, N. Y. ; four companies from Illinois ; three 
companies from Ohio ; two companies from Michi- 
gan ; two batteries from New Orleans ; one battery 
from Nashville, Tenn. ; one from' Louisville, Ky. ; 
one battery from Danville, 111. ; one battery from 
Chicago, 111. ; two batteries from St. Louis, Mo. ; 
one battery from Grcencastle, Ind. (Asbury Cadets, 
took first prize in artillery drill) ; the Indianapolis 
Light Infantry, and eighteen companies from other 
parts of Indiana. 

At the encampment of Aug. 17, 1883, most of 
the companies from other States were here that at- 
tended the first one, with the Light Infantry, from 
Paris, 111., the Branch Guards, of St. Louis, and 
one or two other St. Louis companies. The first 
prize in drilling was taken by the Indianapolis Light 
Infantry ; the second, by the Branch Guards, of St. 
Louis. There were thirty-six Indiana companies in 
attendance. Besides these-displays of military spirit 
and efficiency, there are occasionally parades of the 
veterans of the war, when general meetings of the 
Grand Army of the Republic are held at the capital. 
The Raper Commandery of Knights Templar the 
past year attended the competitive drill and parade 
of the order in San Francisco, and carried ofi" the 
second prize, a mounted knight in bronze with gold 
trappings and armor, set upon a pedestal of gold-bear- 
ing quartz, and valued at two thousand five hundred 
dollars. The latest phase of the military spirit of 
Indianapolis is the project of building an armory 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



305 



adequate to the needs of all the companies, with a 
vast parade-room and public hall capable of seating 
seven or eight thfiusand people. Up to the beginning 
of 1884, however, it had not taken on the form of 
definite action. 

The Arsenal. — One of the material results of the 
war affecting the city especially was the establishment 
here of the United States Arsenal, the suggestion, 
doubtless, of that established and conducted by Gov- 
ernor Morton during the war to supply our troops with 
ammunition. The central situation of the city and 
the conspicuous services of Governor Morton readily 
devekped the suggestion into action. Authority was 
given by an act of Congress of 1862, and a temporary 
establishment made in March, 1863, by the late Wil- 
liam Y. Wiley, captain and storekeeper, in a building 
on the corner of Delaware and Maryland Streets. 
He remained in charge at this place till 1870, when 
he resigned. The site for the permanent arsenal 
was selected by Gen. Buckingham, and work upon 
the buildings commenced in August, 1863. They 
were all completed and occupied by 1867-68. There 
are seven buildings, upon seventy-six acres of ground, 
fronting southward on the eastward extension of 
Michigan Street, and entered directly from Arsenal 
Avenue, running nearly a half-mile north from 
Washington Street to the main gate of the grounds. 
The distance to Circle Park is a mile and a half 

The main building, for the storage of small-arms 
(shown in the cut), is one hundred and eighty-three 
feet long by sixty-three wide, three stories high, with 
a square tower in the centre containing an excellent 
public clock. The artillery store-house is two stories 
high, and two hundred and one feet long by fifty-two 
wide. The office is forty-three feet long by twenty- 
two wide, and one story high. The barracks for 
enlisted men are two stories high, eleven hundred 
and five feet long by thirty-two wide. Two sets of 
officers' quarters, eighty feet by forty, two and a half 
stories high. One- set of officers' quarters, forty- 
seven feet long by twenty-eight wide, one story and 
a half high. The magazine is banked about with 
earth, and covered with sod and shrubbery, making 
the most striking feature of the grounds. These 
have been tastefully laid out with walks and shrub- 
20 



bery and carriage drives, and Pogues Cieek helps the 
general eifect of picturesqueness by running for a 
quarter of a mile across the northwest corner. 
Propositions have been made to Congress to donate 
the grounds and buildings to the State or city for 
educational purposes, in case it was determined to 
abandon the arsenal here, for the maintenance of 
which there appears to be no very cogent argument. 
The arsenal gun every morning at six o'clock and 
the evening gun at sunset have come to be as familiar 
sounds in the city as the whistle of locomotives. 

The Civil War. — From the secession of South 
Carolina to the attack on Fort Sumter, opinion was 
divided in Indiana on the measures to be taken with 
the seceded States. The more demonstrative and 
probably stronger division, led by Governor Morton, 
held it the duty of the government to i-educe the 
disobedient States by force, proceeding by aggressive 
warfare, invasion, and destruction of life and prop- 
erty, as in the case of any other public enemy. The 
other division, represented by John R. Cravens, David 
C. Branham, and the Jonriial, under the direction 
of B. R. Sulgrove, thought that an aggressive war 
on the part of the government, which would make 
it strike the first blow and shed the first blood, 
while the South acted only by ordinances and reso- 
lutions, would force all the border States into the 
Confederacy, repel the sympathy of Europe, and 
probably induce alliances there, consolidate Demo- 
cratic sympathy in the North with secession, and 
present a front of hostility against which the govern- 
ment might be broken hopelessly. Considering the 
condition of Indiana after the elections of 1862, — and 
Indiana was no worse than other States, — and the 
course of the Legislature of 1863, and the active sym- 
pathy with the rebellion that made draft riots all over 
the country, with numerous murders of draft officers, 
and considering, further, our narrow escape from an 
English war in the Trent case, it is now far from 
clear that the aggressive policy would have been wise 
or successful. But all differences were blown to 
pieces by the first gun fired at Maj. Anderson's little 
garrison. Those who differed about aggression could 
have no difference about resisting aggression. North- 
ern feeling united instantly and solidly upon war, 



306 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



not only to preserve the Union, but to preserve its 
own government from subversion by one with " sla- 
very for its corner-stone." A general outburst of 
resentment upon the announcement of the attack on 
Sumter was to have been expected in view of the 
effect it would clearly have in effacing differences of 
Northern opinion, but the universal roar of rage and 
raising of armies passed all anticipation. The State 
was a volcano blazing with wrath and pouring 
streams of volunteers to the capital. Every school- 
house became a recruiting-station, and whole com- 
panies were formed of the hands in a single manu- 
factory. The war feeling was roused as it never had 
been before, and probably never will be again. 

Mr. Lincoln's speech from the balcony of the 
Bates House on the afternoon of the 12th of Feb- 
ruary, while on his way to his inauguration, inti- 
mated for the first time authoritatively that his policy 
with secession would be the defensive, to hold the 
government's property and perform the government's 
duties, so far as they were not interrupted, and leave 
violence and its consequences to the secessionists. 
This brought the differing opinions in Indiana into a 
direction of convergence that the attack on Sumter 
completed. There had not been time enough for the 
development of factious or angry feeling before the 
President suggested a policy that tended to union. 
Thus it came that the excitement in Indianapolis 
when the news of the first shot at Sumter arrived 
was fearful. Not violent or noisy, but intense. 
Business was abandoned. The streets were thronged, 
and on every corner was a restless, feverish crowd, 
never a moment still or silent, and never noisy, dis- 
cussing the chances of Maj. Anderson's resistance, 
and the course the President would take. Party 
feeling never spoke. For once there were neither 
Democrats or Republicans in any audible expression. 
A vast meeting was held at the Metropolitan Theatre 
at night to consider the situation and wait for news 
from Charleston. Both parties were equally repre- 
sented in officers, committees, and speakers. About 
half-past nine the news came that Maj. Anderson had 
surrendered. " War !" was the response of every- 
body who said anything. Those who thought other- 
wise were shrewd enough to say nothing. It would 



not have been safe then to talk as thousands freely 
talked two years later. All night long the streets 
were patrolled by eager waiters on the news, and 
crowds collected about the newspaper offices or in 
convenient saloons, as if waiting would bring news 
when the offices were closed. The next day the 
military companies of the city began recruiting, and 
on Sunday it was kept up without interruption. On 
Monday morning the President's proclamation came, 
calling for seventy-five thousand volunteers, and 
with it an order of the War Office assigning to In- 
diana a quota of six regiments. The Governor's 
proclamation appeared next day, and on Wednesday 
all the Indianapolis companies were completed and 
in camp. 

For a year this condition of loyal feeling continued 
throughout Indiana and the Northwest. The defeat 
at Bull Run stimulated instead of repressing it. The 
West Virginia campaign, so successful and so largely 
the work of Hoosier soldiers and generalship, encour- 
aged it. Governor Morton had more men than he 
knew what to do with. His applications to the War 
Office for the reception of regiments from the State 
were treated more like importunities for favors than 
offers of the lives and powers of the best men in the 
country. The sagacious Cameron was satisfied that 
we needed no troops but infantry, and no arms but 
smooth-bore muskets, and rejected offers of cavalry 
and artillery enough to have made a large army. 
His incompetence would have ruined a cause less 
completely identified with the life and hope of a great 
nation. Not less than thirty thousand men were 
tendered by Governor Morton for the six thousand 
called for by the quota. The six regiments of three 
months' men were organized in a week and camped 
at the old fair (or military) ground, and a week 
later they were visited there and addressed in a pa- 
triotic speech by Stephen A. Douglas, the last he 
ever made in Indiana. Every hour of the day nearly 
companies came up into the city from the Union 
Depot seeking a chance to fight, and marching to 
old fifes and drums that had been lost since the 
militia muster and the excursion of the " Bloody 
Three Hundred." Crowds of boys and admiring 
country girls watched the recruiting squads on cor- 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



307 



ners or followed them as they followed a circus pa- 
rade. Recruiting flags were hung about in scores of 
places on the business streets, and the rattle of the 
drum kept company with the minutes, as Webster 
might say, from dawn till dark. The reaction came 
with the failure of the Peninsular campaign, and 
desertions became as frequent as enlistments. Then 
volunteering lost its meaning, and became only a 
way of evading a conscription maintained by high 
bounties. 

The regiments of this State were numbered con- 
tinuously with the five that had been raised in the 
Mexican war. Thus we had in the three months' ser- 
vice, and later in the three years' service, the Sixth 
Regiment, Col. Thomas T. Crittenden, of Madison ; 
the Seventh, Col. Ebenezer Dumont, of Indianapolis ; 
the Eighth, Col. William P. Benton, of Richmond; 
the Ninth, Col. Robert H. Milroy, of Rensselaer, 
Jasper Co. ; the Tenth, Col. Joseph J. Reynolds, of 
Lafayette, succeeded by Col. Mahlon D. Manson, of 
Crawfordsville ; the Eleventh, Col. Lewis Wallace, of 
Crawfordsville, formerly of Indianapolis. The Elev- 
enth contained so many Indianapolis men that the 
ladies of the city made up a handsome silk flag and 
presented it to the regiment in the State-House yard, 
on which occasion the colonel, with an eye to dra- 
matic efiect, had the whole thousand men kneel 
and swear to " remember Buena Vista." The rele- 
vancy of that memory to the occasion on which it 
was produced, with as striking a coup de theatre as 
" Puff's" unanimous prayer in the " Critic," needs 
elucidation. Jeff. Davis had reported Indiana troops 
as acting cowardly at the battle of Buena Vista, — and 
some few had, especially Lieut.-Col. Bowles, after- 
wards a Son of Liberty and a convicted traitor, — and 
Jeff. Davis' stigma had stuck and stung for fifteen 
years. Davis was now head of the Rebellion. Thus 
the recall of the Buena Vista slander was made, logic- 
ally enough, an incentive to martial ardor in a war 
half a generation later. 

The whole quota of the State served in West Vir- 
ginia. The Sixth, under Gen. T. A. Morris, was at 
Philippi, 3d of June, the first firing and fighting of 
the war ; then at Laurel Hill and at Carrick's Ford, 
near which the rebel general Garnett was killed July 



12th. The Seventh was also at Philippi, then joined 
Gen. Morris and went to Bealington, whence the rebels 
under Gen. Garnett retreated on the night of the 11th 
of July, and were followed by Gen. Morris to Carrick's 
Ford. There a stand was made and broken by a 
charge of the Seventh across the river, where they cap- 
tured the rebel baggage, and, at the next ford, three- 
fourths of a mile away, they broke the rebels again and 
killed Gen. Garnett, the first general oflScer killed in 
the war. The Eighth and Tenth Regiments were put 
in the brigade of Gen. Rosecrans, and with him took 
part in the battle of Rich Mountain on the morning of 
the 11th of July. The Ninth was in the brigade of 
Gen. Morris, with the Sixth and Seventh, and was at 
Laurel Hill and Carrick's Ford. The Tenth, as just 
stated, was in Gen. Rosecrans' brigade. The first 
Union ofiicer seriously wounded in the war was Capt. 
Chris. Miller, of Lafayette, of this regiment. He 
was shot through the body from the shoulder to the 
hip, and was thought mortally wounded. He recov- 
ered, however, but it required nearly a year of hos- 
pital confinement. The Eleventh was stationed at 
Evansviile from the 8th of May till the 8th of June, 
and was then sent to West Virginia, where it cap- 
tured Romney, June 10th. On the 26th a squad of 
mounted scouts, composed of thirteen picked men of 
different companies, commanded by Corp. David B. 
Hay, while returning from a scouting expedition 
overtook forty-one mounted rebels and attacked them, 
killing eight in a chase of two miles and capturing 
seventeen horses. While crossing the Potomac at 
Kelly's Island they were attacked by seventy-five of 
the enemy, fell back to a good position and fought 
till dark, losing J. C. Hollenbeck, killed— the first 
Hoosier killed in the war, — and David B. Hay and E. 
P. Thomas, wounded. After joining Gen. Patterson's 
forces at Bunker Hill, near Winchester, the regiment 
went to Charlestown and thence to Harper's Ferry, 
and came home July 29th. It was mustered out 
Aug. 2, 1861. 

Col. Ebenezer Dumont, of the Seventh Regiment, 
afterwards a member of Congress from this district 
and a brigadier-general, was the first teacher in the 
" old seminary," and quite as eminent at the bar be- 
fore the war as he was as an officer during the war. 



308 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Gen. Ebenezer Dumont was a native of Ve- j hand. After submitting to such a discipline in 
vay, Switzerland Co., Ind., where he was born childhood, all the exactions of subsequent study or 
Nov. 23, 1814. His parents were among the early ■ business could scarcely have been regarded as 
settlers of that place. His father, John Duniont, ' onerous. From this home school and training he 
one of the most conspicuous men in politics and the pa.ssed to Hanover College, where he studied for a 
law of that early period of the history of the State, time, but did not graduate. His heart was already 
met and married his mother, Miss Julia L. Corey, set upon the law, and on that ground he refused an 
at Greenfield, Saratoga Co., N. Y. He was a na- appointment as cadet at West Point which was sent 
tive of New Jersey, she of Marietta, Ohio. They to him while at Hanover. He read law with his 
were married Aug. 16, 1812, and soon thereafter | father, and before he was twenty-one years old 
removed to Vevay, where they spent the remainder entered upon the practice of his chosen profession, 
of their lives. She died in 1857, he in 1871. She ' ITe settled at Wilmington, in Dearborn County, and 



was a teacher, poet, and 
author, and in all these 
respects one of the most 
conspicuous persons in 
the State. He was a law- 
yer of sound learning, an 
orator of great power and 
eloquence, a politician of 
broad views and upright 
character, and in all re- 
lations a man of integrity 
and public spirit. 

The general received 
his early education in a 
school taught by his 
mother in his native vil- 
lage. He could not have 
had a more careful and 
thorough instructor. An 
examination of the work 
exacted of her son al- 




GEN. EBENEZER D0MONT. 



following the county-seat 
thence to Lawrenceburg, 
remained there until the 
spring of 1853, when he 
removed to Indianapolis to 
assume the duties of presi- 
dent of the State Bank, 
to which ofiBce he had 
been elected by the Gen- 
eral Assembly. 

He early established a 
character as a lawyer and 
business man. He never 
shrunk from any amount 
of labor essential to a per- 
fect knowledge of the 
matter in hand, either in 
the one character or the 
other. No one who 
knew him ever made 
any calculations of sue- 



most makes one's head ache to think of his labors. I cess when opposed to him on account of any remiss- 
From the time he was ten years old until he I ness in the duty of preparation, for it was known 



passed from her instruction to Hanover College 
she exacted written essays at his hands upon every 



that he would exhaust not merely all the usual re- 
sources of the affair, but equally all the unusual 



branch of study in which he was engaged. These j resources also. Some of his greatest triumphs in the 
little essays, in the cramped and difficult hand of j law were the result of his vigilance in reading 
childhood, contain a child's discussion of every rule ) closely the newspapers, and learning of the passage 



of grammar from the first principles of orthography 
to the last of prosody ; and so of arithmetic and the 
other branches of knowledge taught in a common 
school of a very high grade. All these show the 
corrections of the faithful mother in her own clear 



of some act of Congress or of the Legislature in 
advance of its regular publication upon which a case 
might turn. An instance of this kind is remembered 
to have occurred in the District Court of the United 
States in 1858. Two brothers were indicted for 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



309 



passing counterfeit Spanish silver coin. The law as 
published in the statute-book was plain, and under 
it they were clearly guilty. He produced an act of 
Congress, passed only a few days before the alleged 
crime, demonetizing such coin, and the prosecution 
was at an end. His law-book for the purpose was a 
clipping from a newspaper. It is believed that he 
never lost an advantage that any amount of vigilance 
or labor could have gained ; and it is certain that 
this is as true in regard to his watchfulness of the 
slips and omissions of his adversary as of his own 
preparation and use thereof in the management of 
his affairs in court or ordinary business. 

Gen. Dumont married Miss Mary A. Chuk, 
April 18, 1839. She was the only daughter of i 
William V. Chuk, Esq., at the time and for many 
years afterwards the clerk of the Dearborn Circuit 
Court. They lived together until his death, and 
had born to them twelve children, eight of whom, 
one son and seven daughters, still live to comfort 
Mrs. Dumont, their mother, in her declining years. 

The people of Dearborn County frequently in- 
trusted him with the management of their affairs, 
and twice at least made him their representative in 
the General Assembly. He held the office of county 
treasurer several years between 1840 and 1845, and 
represented the county in the Legislature in 1838 
and 1853. In the last term of his service he was 
elected Speaker of the House, and discharged the 
duties of the position with impartiality and ability. 
It was a time of high political excitement, and he 
took an active part in the debates of the House. 
Many of his speeches were printed at the time, and 
made a wide and favorable impression of his ability 
and character throughout the State. A quaint and 
queer humor runs through them all, that would 
enable one who knew him well to say they were his 
even if published without a name. They are all 
marked by strong practical sense, and generally filled 
with public spirit. It was in the course of this 
session that he was chosen president of the State 
Bank. The choice resulted from a truce between 
his friends and those of the then Lieutenant-Governor, 
James H. Lane. Before that they had been openly 
at war. As a result of the compromise, Lane was 



freed from the local opposition of Dumont, and was 
elected to Congress. At the close of his term in 
Congress, Lane removed to Kansas, where, after a 
stormy career, his life ended in a sad tragedy, and, 
as already said, Dumont settled in Indianapolis, in 
the quiet but responsible position of president of the 
State Bank and ex officio president of the Board of 
Sinking Fund Commissioners. These offices he filled 
until the expiration of the bank's charter, and closed 
its operations. It was necessary thereafter to con- 
tinue the Board of Sinking Fund Commissioners as 
an independent organization, and the Legislature ac- 
cordingly reorganized it, and provided for a presi- 
dent thereof, to be elected, like the members, by the 
General Assembly. At the regular session of that 
body in 1859 he was elected president, and held the 
position until he resigned to take the command of 
the Seventh Regiment of Indiana Volunteers at the 
outbreak of the rebellion in 1861. 

He had already devoted a year to the military 
service of the United States in the war with Mexico, 
as lieutenant-colonel of the Fourth Regiment of In- 
diana Volunteers, and had won distinction both for 
courage and capacity in that service. His gallantry 
was conspicuous in the capture of Huamantla ; and 
Gen. Lane employed his learning and talents to aid 
him in the government of Orizaba after its capture. 
He had been consistently a Democrat from 1840 till 
the assault upon Fort Sumter ; but in the strife be- 
tween Mr. Douglas and the administration be had 
adhered to the former. His place upon the fall of 
Sumter was at once chosen with friends of the Union 
and the foes of secession ; and never did any man 
give heart and soul more entirely to any cause than 
he gave himself to the maintenance of the Union 
and its authority. He presided over the first grand 
rally of the people of Indianapolis on the night of 
the bombardment of Sumter, and by his bold and 
patriotic speech gave solidarity and energy to the 
purposes of the people. He was dispatched to Wash- 
ington by the Governor to learn something of the 
purposes and plans of the administration, and, if pos- 
sible, to ascertain how the power of the State might 
be best brought to the aid of the government in 
suppressing the rebellion. " Upon his return home 



310 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



he was appointed colonel of the Seventh Regiment of 
Indiana Volunteers. At the head of this regiment he 
served with distinction during the three months' cam- 
paign of 1861 in West Virginia, being prominently 
engaged in the surprise of Philippi, the skirmishes 
at Laurel Hill, and the battle of Carrick's Ford," his 
regiment, led by himself, closing that affair by the 
capture of one gun, forty-one wagons of the enemy's 
train, and the death of Gen. Robert S. Garnett. 
'• At the close of the campaign," returning home, he 
" reorganized his regiment for three years, and at its 
head returned again to West Virginia, and while 
there participated in the battle of Greenbrier under 
Gen. Joseph J. Reynolds. Soon after this engage- 
ment he was appointed a brigadier-general of volun- 
teers by the President, and ordered to Louisville, Ky. 
He passed the winter of 1861 and 1862 at Bards- 
town, Bacon Creek, and other points between Louis- 
ville and Nashville. Although his health was ex- 
tremely poor, yet he clung to his command, and per- 
formed his duties for montiis when he should have 
been at home under treatment. He was subsequently 
placed in command of Nashville, Tenn., where his 
spirit, vigilance, and energy secured the flag more 
re.speotful treatment from its foes than could other- 
wise have been looked for at their hands. It was 
while there that he organized and led his celebrated ! 
pursuit of Gen. John Morgan, whom he well-nigh 
captured at Lebanon, Tenn., and whose fine mare, 
' Black Bess,' he did capture, together with many 
prisoners. It was in this pursuit that he perpetrated 
one of his drollest pieces of humor at the expense of 
a Kentucky colonel of cavalry. That officer, finding 
his men worn out by the fatigues of the march, sent 
his adjutant forward to inform the general that ' the 
pursuit must stop, for his men were asleep in the 
saddle.' The adjutant accordingly rode forward and 
reported to the general as directed by his colonel. 
The general inquired very seriously, ' Is it true that 
your colonel's men are asleep in their saddles ?' 
' Yes, general,' answered the adjutant, ' it is.' 
'Well, then,' said the general, 'you ride back to 
your colonel, and tell him for God Almighty's sake 
not to wake them up.' And so the conference ended, 
the pursuit being continued without a moment's pause. 



" His health, however, finally disqualifying him for 
service in the field, he accepted the nomination of 
the Republican party of his district for Congress in 
1862, and was duly elected at the October election of 
that year. In 1864 he was re-elected, and thus 
served his country faithfully according to his convic- 
tions of duty during four years. His feeble health 
impaired his ability to labor, and so rendered his 
congressional career less conspicuous than it other- 
wise manifestly would have been. Nevertheless, it 
was by no means without distinction for patriotism 
and ability. Some of his speeches display great 
research and power, and they are nearly all pervaded 
with the quaint, pungent humor which he displayed 
in earlier life. For instance, he opened his speech 
upon the Supreme Court's decision in the Garland 
case, involving the validity of the 'iron-clad oath,' 
as it was called, by sending to the clerk's desk and 
asking to have read the following paragraph : 

" ' A hotel-keeper in Washington posted on his 
dining-room door the following notice : " Members of 
Congress will go to the table first, and then the gen- 
tlemen. Rowdies and blackguards must not mix 
with the Congressmen, as it is hard to tell one from 
the other." ' Laughter followed, and upon its subsi- 
dence Mr. Dumont said, ' I do not think the para- 
graph just read has much application to the remarks 
I shall beg leave to submit; but, seeing that some of 
the members are a little drowsy, and fearing that no 
remarks of mine would disturb their slumbers, I 
thought I might perhaps accomplish the object by 
bringing to their attention this brutal assault on their 
own reputation. I do not wish to move in the matter 
myself, being young and inexperienced, but would 
suggest the raising of a committee to find out the 
name of the assassin, and have him dealt with for 
his impertinence and vulgarity.' The speech that 
followed this beginning is an able one, and abounds 
with many home hits at the assumption of official, 
and especially judicial, infallibility for men whose 
opinions before their election or appointment were 
regarded as of little or no value. This is illustrated 
by anecdotes from home life ; and then the score is 
made even by a story of a justice of peace elect 
coming to the clerk of Dearborn County, and asking 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



311 



that ofiScer to qualify him. ' Hold up your hand,' 
said the clerk ; ' I'll swear you in, but all hell can't 
qualify you.' His speech on the pay of the army 
was regarded at the time as a very able, satisfactory, 
and complete discussion of the subject." 

At the close of his congressional career, March 4, 
1867, he retired to his farm, and for a while did not 
seek any official position. He nevertheless kept up 
an active participation in politics, acting earnestly 
with the Republican party. He was always a foe to 
flattery, and hated even the ordinary civilities ten- 
dered to men of his position and rank at public 
meetings. It was such feelings that led him on one 
occasion, when introduced to a large political meeting 
in what he regarded as too flattering terms, to say 
when he came forward, " I was just thinking, when 
my friend, the president of the meeting, was speaking 
in such glowing and extravagant terms of the great 
and glorious Gen. Dumont, who was about to address 
you, that when I should come forward some man of 
sense, and with a keen relish for the ludicrous, too, 
might be standing in the outskirts of this vast crowd, 
who would exclaim to those about him, ' Great God ! 
is that little pinnikin the great Gen. Dumont, about 
whom all this fuss is made ? Pshaw ! he's nothing.' 
And he would not be very far wrong, either." Such 
a beginning of course at once relieved him of all 
embarrassment, by establishing the best relations 
between himself and the audience, and by teaching 
them not to expect too much at his hands, enabled 
him to more than meet their expectations, and so 
secured him an attentive and kindly hearing through- 
out. 

In the winter of 1870 and 1871, having formed 
the design to emigrate to the West, he sought and 
received the appointment of Governor of Idaho. 
While engaged in the pursuit of the position he 
was taken severely sick at Washington. From 
this attack he never fully recovered ; but upon re- 
turning home set actively to work in making prepa- 
rations for his removal to the seat of his new position 
and duties. Under this labor his health broke com- 
pletely down, and after lingering in great weakness 
and suffering for a few days, during all of which he 
maintained his intellectual faculties in full and per- 



fect clearness and vigor, he died at his residence, 
south of the city, at four o'clock and sixteen minutes 
in the morning of April 16, 1871. As an evidence 
of his mental clearness, it may be stated that a very 
short time before his death he directed a friend to 
write his will. Dictating to him the terms thereof, 
he began, '■ I, Ebenezer Dumont, being weak in body, 
but of sound mind, do make this my last will and 
testament," etc. The will was written, but in the 
hurry and excitement of the amanuensis, the words 
"but of sound mind" were omitted; and when in 
reading it over he came to the omission, he stopped 
the reading and insisted upon the insertion of the 
omitted clause. A legal friend who was present 
told him not to mind it, as the validity of the will 
would depend upon the witnesses. He replied, " I 
know that as well as you ; but I want to be one of the 
witnesses, for I think I know my mental condition as 
well and even better than any of you." The clause 
had to be inserted as his testimony. 

His remains were attended from his home to the 
city by a large body of his friends and neighbors, 
who were met at the city limits by a military escort 
composed of his old comrades in arms with a band 
of music, and conducted thence to the First Presby- 
terian Church, where appropriate funeral services 
were held, conducted by the Rev. H. A. Edson, 
D.D. The brief discourse which he delivered on 
the occasion so fitliingly and truly characterized the 
man in the higher aspects of his nature and life, that 
his words shall close this very inadequate sketch : 

"All who knew him were certainly impressed with the nn- 
common firmness and bravery of his will. For years he carried 
a burden of ill-health which would have laid most men entirely 
aside from active employment. Yet he carried it unflinchingly. 
He seemed sometimes to conquer the physical suffering and 
exhaustion by the mere force of his mind. It is touohingly 
told us that once during the West Virginia campaign, when 
overtaken by violent illness, and entreated to go back to Graf- 
ton, where he might have some necessary comforts, he stoutly 
refused, saying that if his brave men could lie on the ground 
and take the rough fare, he could do it too, and would. The 
tenacity of his purpose was conspicuous everywhere. Wben 
he took hold his grip was like a vise. 

" His integrity in all the relations of commercial and politi- 
cal life his friends speak of with admiration. In his connec- 
tion with the early legislation of the State, as president of the 



312 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



State Bankj during the commotion of civil war, in Con- 
gress, and in private business affairs, he evinced a haughty 
contempt of peculation and dishonesty, and discharged his 
public trusts without a stain upon his integrity. At a period 
when many snatched eagerly at opportunities for questionable 
gain, he did his duty and kept his hands clean. Everything 
like deception and falsehood he despised. He was inclined to 
take the direct line to any object he sought, and was little 
disposed to use diplomacy. He spoke out plainly what he 
believed to be the truth. At times he would attack a sup- 
posed iniquity with something like ferocity. It is said that 
his father often showed the same characteristic, during a 
session of the Legislature in early times securing a life-long 
friend by the courage with which, on a mere suspicion of 
wrong, he took up the cause of certain minors whom a shrewdly 
devised bill was to defraud of their estate. The son would 
have been capable of the same service, and under the like cir- 
cumstances would have been sure to undertake it without fear. 
He was a man who eared more to be true to his convictions 
than to count the fav()r of any one. And this example of stern 
integrity is one which we may well cherish in these days of 
commercial dishonesty and political intrigue. 

" It is as a patriot and soldier, however, that he made him- 
self most noticeable, and rendered the highest service. There 
is no possibility of putting into words the intensity of his 
hatred of treason in those days when all the people here were 
united in the defense of the flag that on Sumter's walls had 
been defiled. His whole soul blazed against the crime that 
would strike at our liberties. Some of you well remember him 
at the breaking out of the war, how, at the first recruiting meet- 
ing, he offered to the government a horse with a man on it; 
and many of you, his comrades, will not forget how gallantly 
he rode that horse to battle. He never lost the heat of his 
patriotic devotion. If he could speak to-day he would tell us 
what a joy it is to be wrapped in the old flag for which he 
fought. The value of our free institutions, the happy condi- 
tion of our people, and the wickedness of any attempt to over- 
turn the government he felt with all the intensity of his soul. 
Whatever looked to him like treason against his country he 
was eager to resist and strike at Avith all his strength. This 
patriotism, that was with him a passion, deserved and gained 
the respect of men who opposed him. I do not doubt that 
many of you who differed most widely from him in sentiment 
were compelled to admire the zeal and courage with which he 
discharged what he deemed his duty to the land he loved. 
Nor should it be forgotten that this strong nature, this stern 
soldier had depths of tenderness, not indeed for every eye, but 
quick upon occasion to carry to the unfortunate relief and 
sympathy. 

"Words, however, cannot describe the man. You knew 
him. Let your memory paint and keep the picture. He had 
qualities we ought to emulate. He did not live in vain, for 
though his sword will not flash again in battle, though he 
sleeps his last sleep, careless of the earth's commotion, it will 



not he forgotten how dearly he loved the starry banner, nor 
how sternly he hated all its foes. May God keep the memory 
of such patriots green." 

The volunteers beyond the number required for 
the State's quota were formed into six regiments of 
one year State troops, under an act of the Legisla- 
ture, then sitting in extra session on the Governor's 
call. All but one subsequently enlisted for three 
years in the service of the national government. 
They were reviewed on the 24th of May by Gen. 
McCIellan, on the open ground north of the fair or 
military ground, extending to Indiana Avenue on 
the north and to the Fall Creek race on the west. 
The first camp in the city was that on the fair ground, 
and was called Camp Sullivan, from Col. Jerry Sulli- 
van, of the Thirteenth Regiment, who commanded 
it. The next was formed in the new fair ground, 
— now the Exposition or fair ground, — and called 
Camp Morton. The men here made serious com- 
plaints of their provisions, and the Legislature, with 
an eye to votes at home more than justice away from 
home, censured the commissary — the late Isaiah 
Mansur — severely, though he served without pay, 
furnished meat from his own packing-house, advanced 
his own money for fresh bread, sugar, and butter, and 
took the chance of reimbursement from the Legisla- 
ture. Subsequently this censure was revoked and 
Mr. Mansur complimented for his efficiency and dis- 
interestedness. He was a room-mate of Governor 
Morton's at Oxford (Ohio) College, and helped the 
latter with money in his college course. The truth 
was that the men were mostly well-to-do farmers or 
sons of farmers or mechanics in good circumstances, 
and were used to living in better style than any one 
familiar with a soldier's life could hope for. They 
knew nothing of camps or military service, and of 
course felt abused when they found their patriotic 
devotion fed less appetizingly than by their every-day 
food at home. Once they mutinied against the sutler 
and tore his stalls to pieces. But these freaks of in- 
experience never outlasted the first few weeks of 
camp duty. The men readily adapted themselves to 
military discipline from the freedom of home. Camp 
Morton became one of the great prison camps after 
the surrender of Fort Donelson in February, 1862. 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



313 



Camp Burnside was formed oq Tinker Street 
(now Seventh), just south of Camp Morton, and was 
made a neat and well-ordered little military town by 
the Seventy-first Regiment, under Col. James Riddle, 
and later by theVeteran Reserve Corps. It was 
here, during the tenancy of the Seventy-first, in the 
summer of 1862, that the first military execution of 
the war took place. The offender was Robert Gay, 
charged with being a spy and deserter, and convicted 
by court-martial. He was shot in the old Hender- 
son orchard, between the fair ground and Camp 
Burnside, near the present line of Delaware Street, 
a block north of Seventh. The regiment and spec- 
tators formed three sides of a square, open on the 
east side. Into this space Gay was brought by the 
guard, and stationed in front of his coffin, which was 
lying on the ground. He made a brief speech, 
denying all guilty purpose, and told the firing party, 
standing about ten steps in front of him, to " hold 
here," laying his right hand on his heart. He then 
sat down on his coffin, and was blindfolded, and the 
signal to fire was given by dropping a handkerchief. 
Every ball but one of the nine fired struck his heart, 
and would have killed him instantly if there had been 
no other. One struck him in the neck, and would 
have made a mortal wound. One gun was lefc 
blank, and all were taken by chance, so that no man 
knew whether his gun helped in the execution or not. 
Gay sat upright for a second after the firing, and fell 
back dead in a great pool of blood, of which not a 
drop showed in front. In 1864 three " bounty 
jumpers" were shot on the same ground, near the 
south bank of the State ditch, under the command of 
Gen. Alvin P. Hovey. These were all the military 
executions in or about the city, though preparations 
were made by Gen. Hovey for hanging Bowles, Mil- 
ligan, and Horsey, the Sons of Liberty, convicted 
by court-martial in 1864 of conspiring with the 
rebels to overthrow the State government, and release 
the rebel prisoners in Camp Morton. Their death 
sentence, however, was commuted by President John- 
son to imprisonment for life in the Ohio penitentiary, 
whence they were released by a decision of the 
Supreme Court of the United States shortly after. 
Mr. Milligan was recently allied with the Republicans 



of Huntington County against the regular Demo- 
cratic ticket, showing rather ludicrously one of the 
"revenges" brought round by the "whirligig of 
time." Another convicted Son of Liberty, H. H. 
Dodd, made his escape from the United States build- 
ing where he was confined, and went to Canada. He 
is now said to be the editor of a Republican paper 
in Wisconsin. 

From the 22d of February, 1862, to about the 
1st of September of the same year. Camp Morton, 
as before stated, was made a prison camp in charge 
of the State, and here were confined the prisoners 
surrendered at Fort Donelson till an exchange was 
made in August following. There were three thou- 
sand seven hundred here at first, but in a few weeks 
about fifteen hundred more came from Terra Haute 
and Lafayette, and were accommodated with precisely 
the same quarters, furniture, and food as our own 
men who were encamped there. After the exchange 
of prisoners the camp was unoccupied till another 
large arrival from Vicksburg in the summer of 1863. 
The camp was refitted, commodious hospitals and 
other buildings erected, and the Fifth Regiment of 
the Veteran Reserve Corps, under Col. A. A. Stevens, 
put in charge. This was all done by the national 
government, the State having no concern with the 
prison after the exchange in 1862. From three 
thousand to six thousand prisoners were kept here 
during the remainder of the war. Col. Richard 
Owen, and the Sixtieth and Fifty-third Regiments 
and Kidd's Battery, and Col. D. Garland Rose and 
the Fifty-fourth Regiment, had charge of the camp 
while in the hands of the State. 

When the first division of prisoners arrived here 
from Port Donelson they were fearfully afflicted with 
pneumonia and camp diarrhoea. The First, Fourth, 
and Twenty-sixth Mississippi Regiments suffered 
worst, though a number of Tennesseans and Ken- 
tuckians were severely afflicted, all alike from ex- 
posure in the ditches and rifle-pits of Fort Donelson, 
; with inadequate food and clothing. The first night 
they slept on the floor of the Union Depot, and all 
night long there was an incessant storm of coughing, 
j groaning, and implorations for help. The next day 
! the physicians of the city prescribed for more than 



314 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



five hundred out of three thousand seven hundred, 
or one in every seven was helplessly sick. A hospital 
was made first of the old Athenasum Theatre, in the 
third story of the northwest corner of Maryland and 
Meridian Streets. Then Blackford's four-story build- 
ing, on the east side of Meridian near "Washington, 
was taken entirely for hospital use, under charge of 
the late Dr. Talbott Bullard, brcther-in-Iaw of Henry 
Ward Beeeher. The people of the city, men and 
women, served as nurses without charge, and witli 
many valuable additions to hospital fare from their 
own home supplies. But, in spite of all care and 
effort, hardly an hour passed for the first five days 
that a death did not occur, and the mortality con- 
tinued for a month or more till the weather moder- 
ated. Then both sickness and mortality almost dis- 
appeared. The dead were buried, in plain wooden 
coffins, in a lot on the northern limit of Greenlawn 
Cemetery, near the Vandalia Railroad, whence they 
were removed, some to their homes by relatives or 
friends, many to Crown Hill, in a few years. All 
the graves were marked. The other prison camps, 
Dennison at Columbus, and Douglas at Chicago, were 
conducted like that at Camp Morton, and the con- 
trast between them and Andersonville and Salisbury 
and Libby is striking. Visitors from Kentucky to 
sons and relatives in the camp, after the surrender 
of Fort Donelson, were so frequent as to make a 
serious annoyance at the Governor's office with 
requests for admission. 

The prison experience of our Indiana soldiers in 
the South was not quite so pleasant as that of South- 
ern men here. Gen. Coburn, of the Thirty-third 
Regiment, was the first to come home from Libby 
and enlighten Indianians on the treatment of prison- 
ers there. The romantic escape of Col. A. D. 
Streight, of the Fifty-first Regiment, from Libby 
was known all over the country at the time, and is 
not forgotten yet. 

Gen. Abel D. Streight. — The family of Gen. 
Streight are of English extraction, though his father, 
Asa, was a native of Vermont. He was at the 
age of five left fatherless, and bound out to a family 
residing near Elmira, N. Y., where he remained until 
his majority was attained, when Spencer, Tioga Co., 



N. Y., became his home. Here he married Lydia, 
daughter of Phineas Spaulding, and had children, — 
Maria (Mrs. Clark Townsend), Francis (deceased), 
Abel D., Susan H. (Mrs. Cornelius Ives), James P., 
Benjamin F., Sylvester W., Charles F., and Jane. 
Mr. Streight after his marriage settled in AVheeler, 
Steuben Co., and engaged in farming pursuits until 
seventy years of age, when he abandoned active labor. 
His death occurred in June, 1883, in his eighty-fourth 
year. His son, Abel D., was born June 17, 1828, 
at Wheeler, Steuben Co., N. Y., and passed his 
boyhood years upon a farm. He was afforded the 
ordinary advantages of a common school, and at the 
age of seventeen purchased from his father his time 
until twenty-one, paying him sixty dollars per year 
for the same. Having a taste for mechanics he 
readily acquired the carpenters' craft without in- 
struction, and before attaining his nineteenth year 
had taken the contract for the erection of a large 
mill, which he successfully completed. At this early 
period he also owned a saw-mill acquired by the pro- 
ceeds of his own labor. Gen. Streight then engaged 
in the lumber business at Wheeler, N. Y., where he 
remained until his removal to Cincinnati in 1858. 
The following year found him a resident of Indianap- 
olis, where he embarked in publishing, and continued 
thus employed until the beginning of the late civil 
war. It was at this crisis that the patriotism, earnest- 
ness, and indomitable purpose of Gen. Streight were 
brought into prominent notice, and marked him as a 
man of foresight and possessing all the qualities of a 
successful leader. Realizing the importance of prompt 
and energetic measures for the preservation of the 
Union, he published an exhaustive pamphlet, in which 
he clearly embodied the cause of the nation's calamity, 
and indicated the measures necessary to insure the 
supremacy of the laws, the integrity of the Constitu- 
tion, and the preservation of the Union. He be- 
lieved compromise with the enemies of the govern- 
ment to be a mistake, and advocated forcible means, 
if necessary, to compel obedience to the laws. He 
proved conclusively tlie fallacy of a temporary pacifi- 
cation policy, and by voluminous quotations from 
letters written by the founders of the government 
demonstrated it to be a government of the people 




-•'-^^iyAHR'Xc'hie 




MILITARY MATTEES. 



315 



collectively, and not of the States. In defense of 
the Union, whose integrity he so earnestly defended 
with his pen, he entered the army on the 4th of 
September, 1861, as colonel of the Fifty-first Indiana 
Volunteer Infantry, and did effective service until 
March 13, 1865, when he retired with the brevet 
rank of brigadier-general, having participated in the 
battles of Shiloh, Perryville, Stone River, Day's Gap, 
Crooked Creek, Blunt's Farm, engagements with 
Wheeler's Cavalry at Dalton and Shoal Creek, near 
Florence, Ala. (in which he commanded five bri- 
gades), Columbia, Tenn., Franklin, Tenn., Nashville, 
and again at Columbia, in which he forced the pas- 
sage of Duck River. He was on the 3d of May, 
1863, taken prisoner and confined in Libby prison, 
Richmond, Va., until Feb. 9, 1864, when, with one 
hundred and eight of his fellow-prisoners, he escaped 
by a tunnel dug from the prison-walls to the street, 
and after an interval of rest re-entered the service. 
In prison he was like the shadow of some great rock 
in the desert. Men instinctively gathered round him. 
He was their counselor, friend, and champion. In 
him they reposed all confidence, intrusting to him 
their money and laying before him their grievances, 
and sharing with him their every thought. It was 
Gen. Streight who defiantly wrote the rebel Secretary 
of War, compelling an increase of rations and more 
humane treatment. The enemy feared him while 
they hated him, and if recaptured his life would 
have paid the forfeit of his daring and patriotism. 
On returning again to civil life he resumed the 
business of a publisher, in connection with the cul- 
tivation of a farm in the suburbs of the city. In 
1865 he embarked in the lumber business, making 
a speciality of walnut and hard-wood lumber, to 
which was subsequently added chair-manufacturing 
on an extensive scale. 

Gen. Streight, when a resident of New York State, 
manifested a keen interest in politics, and frequently 
as a Republican participated in the various local cam- 
paigns. In 1876 he was elected to the State Senate 
here, running one thousand ahead of his ticket. 
Here he was conceded to be one of the leaders of 
the party. Among other measures supported by 
him was the introduction of a bill providing for the 



erection of a new State-House building, the principal 
provisions of which were adopted. In 1880 he was 
one of the Republican candidates for the nomination 
for Governor. Though not the successful aspirant 
for gubernatorial honors, the press was unanimous in 
its endorsement of his irreproachable honesty, iron 
will, uncommon intelligence, and thorough patriot- 
ism. Gen. Streight was married Jan. 14, 1849, to 
Miss Lavina McCarty, of Bath township, Steuben 
Co., N. Y. They have one son, John, who is en- 
gaged in the lumber business at Nashville, Tenn. 

The Eleventh Regiment, while reorganizing for 
the three years' service, was encamped on the west 
bank of the river, near Cold Spring. Camp Car- 
rington, near the extreme northwest corner of the 
city, on the high ground between the canal and Pall 
Creek, was the largest and best arranged camp in the 
State. Camp Noble was the artillery camp, on 
the northern limit of the city, west of Camp Burn- 
side. It was arranged by Col. Frybarger, and oc- 
cupied by the Twenty-third Battery, Capt. J. F. 
Myers. The artillery practice-ground was on the 
farm of Mr. Paddock, between the Bluff road and 
the bluff of the river bottom. The Second Cavalry, 
Col. John A. Bridgland, was encamped four miles 
north, near Fall Creek. The colored regiment. Col. 
Charles Russell, was in Camp Fremont, east of the 
lower end of Virginia Avenue. The Nineteenth 
Regulars, Lieut.-Col. King, was stationed in Indian- 
apolis for some months in 1861. 

The Soldiers' Home and the State Arsenal remain 
to be noticed among the more durable preparations 
for the emergencies of the war. The arsenal was 
the growth of Governor Morton's determination that 
the Indiana troops should go to the field fully pre- 
pared for any service, and as the national arsenals 
could not supply sufficient good ammunition, he es- 
tablished the State Arsenal to help. It did that, and 
often helped the general government, too. The 
quartermaster supplied the material, and the Eleventh 
Regiment furnished the workmen, and on the 27th 
of April the arsenal was put in operation by moulding 
large quantities of bullets in hand-moulds with a 
blacksmith's furnace, and packing the cartridges in 
the next room. It was superintended by Herman 



316 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Sturm, and at first was carried on in Ott's cabinet- 
factory, opposite the State-House. Then it was re- 
moved to the temporary buildings north of the State- 
House, and finally to vacant ground east of the city, 
on the old Noble farm. In the fall of 1861, Secre- 
tary Cameron, with Adjutant-General Thomas and 
Senator Chandler, of Michigan, came to the city 
from Louisville (where they had seen General Sher- 
man and decided that he was " crazy," because he 
wanted two hundred thousand men to take and hold 
the East Mississippi Valley, from the Ohio to the 
Gulf), and after examining the State Arsenal, ap- 
proved it highly. It was discontinued on the ISth 
of April, 1864, after three years of service, in which 
it had turned out $788,838.45 worth of work, and 
had made for the State a profit of nearly ten per 
cent, or $77,457.32. 

The Soldiers' Home, like the arsenal, was the 
suggestion of Governor Morton's restless solicitude 
for the welfare of the State's troops. This city was 
the main depot, recruiting station, drill-camp, and 
preparatory school of the whole State, and it was the 
chief resting-place of other troops passing east or 
west to the front. Of course, they always landed 
here hungry, dusty, and tired, and a sound sleep or a 
bath and a good meal were sometimes worth a man's 
life. The Soldiers' Home was a sort of military 
hotel in which all the accommodations were free. 
During the first months of the war the State Sanitary 
Commission had agents at the Union Depot to supply 
passing troops and take care of the sick at hotels ; 
but this was expensive and inconvenient, and a camp 
was established on the vacant ground south of the 
depot, with hospital tents and other conveniences, 
and maintained until 1862, when the Governor re- 
solved to establish a permanent home. Quartermas- 
ter Asahel Stone selected the grove on the west side 
of West Street, just north of the Vandalia Railroad, 
and here temporary, but adequate and comfortable 
frame buildings were erected, enlarged, and added to 
till they could accommodate 1800 with beds and 
8000 with meals every day. Prom August, 1862, to 
June, 1865, the Home furnished 3,777,791 meals, 
and during the year 1864 furnished an average of 
4498 meals a day. The bread was supplied by a 



bakery maintained by the quartermaster with such 
strict economy and wise forecast that the rations of 
flour, to which the men served in the Home were en- 
titled, sufficed for all they needed, and for thousands 
of loaves distributed among the poor besides. The 
saving in the rations of other articles amounted to 
$71,130.24. The saving of flour, after all bread 
supplies were completed, the sale of ofial, and a sut- 
ler's tax paid $19,642.19. Thus the Home was sus- 
tained in all its expenses almost wholly by the rations 
of the men provided for in it. On holidays the 
ladies of the city furnished festival dinners of their 
own preparation, waited at the table, and did all the 
service. A Ladies' Home, for the care of soldiers' 
wives and children, was opened in a building near the 
Union Depot, in December, 1863, taking care of an 
average of one hundred a day during the remainder 
of the war. 

The State Sanitary Commission was first sug- 
gested by the necessities of the State troops in West 
Virginia among the mountains in the early fall or 
latter part of the summer of 1861. Governor Morton's 
endless difficulties in getting winter clothing and 
supplies through the elaborate entanglement of gov- 
ernment " red tape" put his mind upon doing the 
necessary service in a better way, and thus came the 
Sanitary Commission of Indiana. The late Rob- 
ert Dale Owen, the State's military agent in New 
York, made the first step in the scheme by purchas- 
ing, under the Governor's direction, twenty-nine 
thousand overcoats, some at seven dollars and seventy- 
five cents each, some at nine dollars and twenty-five 
cents. The United States Quartermaster, Meigs, re- 
fused to pay more than the regulation price for the 
latter, and the State assumed the extra one dollar 
and a half. Morton said, " If the general government 
will not pay at the current rates, Indiana will, for 
she will not allow her troops to suffer." Socks, shoes, 
and caps were lacking, blankets were defective and 
insufficient in quantity. To supply these deficiencies 
the Governor, on the 10th of October, 1861, issued his 
first appeal to the " women of Indiana." The re- 
sponse came in blankets, shirts, drawers, socks, and 
mittens, sheets, pillows, pads, bandages, lint, and 
dressing-gowns for hospital use, to the amount of 



MILITAEY MATTERS. 



317 



many thousands of dollars. This was the first sani- 
tary work of the war done anywhere by State or 
nation. Competent agents were appointed and sent 
to the best points to carry on this work, which was 
to " render all possible relief to our soldiers, espe- 
cially to those who were sick or wounded, whether in 
transit, in hospitals, or on the battle-field." Sanitary 
stores were sent to them for distribution. Besides 
these agents there were special agents, surgeons, and 
nurses, — many of the latter among ladies of high 
social position. From this city Mrs. Coburn, wife of 
Gen. Coburn, and Miss E. H. Bates, daughter of the 
first sheriff, were largely engaged in hospital service. 
Combined with the sanitary service there were agents 
to take care of the men's pay and bring it home free 
of cost to their families, to write letters for them, to 
see to the burial of the dead and the preservation of 
relics, and keep registers of all the men in hospitals, 
with date, disease, wound, and date and cause of 
death, if death ensued, for the information of rela- 
tives and friends, to assist returning soldiers in get- 
ting transportation, to look after returning prisoners, 
and in every way to be careful and affectionate 
guardians. Dr. Bullard, Dr. Parvin, and Rev. T. A. 
Goodwin were effectively engaged in these duties at 
one time or another, while Dr. William Hannaman 
was chief sanitary agent all the time, assisted by 
Alfred Harrison. The Commission during the time 
of its existence, from February, 1862, to the close of 
the war, collected in cash $247,570.75 and in goods 
$359,000, making a total of sanitary contributions 
made in the State in about three years of $606,570.75. 
An additional sum of $4,566,898 was contributed by 
counties, townships, and towns to the relief of sol- 
diers' families and soldiers disabled by disease or 
wounds, making a total voluntary outlay in Indiana 
of over five millions of dollars, besides thousands of 
which no account was ever made. 

Some of the political incidents of the war are worth 
noting as an indication of the feeling of the people. 
At the outset there was never a word of sympathy 
with the rebellion heard. The feeling was all loyal 
or silent. One of the city papers neglected to hoist 
the national flag on its building, and the proprietor 
came near being mobbed by the intolerant patriots. 



He and others suspected of Southern sympathies 
were made to take the oath of allegiance. As the 
war grew to be a familiar idea, and its conduct showed 
bad feeling and incompetent management, popular 
sentiment changed. Opposition began to speak more 
plainly and to take on a party aspect. That doubly 
embittered old differences. The loyal men talked of 
the others as traitors, and treated them as unfit for 
respectable society ; the latter retorted by censures 
of the tyranny of the government and the inefficiency 
of its conduct. At a county convention in the court- 
house square on the 2d of September, 1862, some 
of the Democratic speakers, especially the late Robert 
L. Walpole, bitterly denounced the war, the govern- 
ment, and the soldiers. There were many of these 
in the crowd, and they were irritated. A riot fol- 
lowed, and some of the rebel sympathizers barely es- 
caped with their lives ; if they had been caught they 
would have been killed. At the October election 
the opponents of the war were excluded from the 
polls by threats of violence. In 1864, while the 
Nineteenth Veteran Regiment was here on a fur- 
lough allowed to re-enlisted veterans, the Sentinel 
made some allusion to the appearance of the men in 
a party procession the day before, and an angry crowd 
assailed the office with the avowed purpose of " clean- 
ing it out," but were defeated by the resolute obstruc- 
tion of Provost -Marshal (afterwards Governor) Baker. 
It was then in all Gen. Butler's operations south of 
Richmond and was conspicuous at Wathal Junction. 
The Democratic State Convention in 1864 came' 
here armed, and kept up a considerable fusilade as 
it went away in the evening. The Eastern trains 
were stopped and the jubilant shooters compelled to 
give up their weapons to the number of several 
hundred. 

The Legislature of 1863 was adverse to the war 
and the party sustaining the war. It refused to re- 
ceive Governor Morton's message. It tried to de- 
prive him of the constitutional command of the State 
militia. It proposed no less than thirty measures of 
truce or peace with the Confederate States. It failed 
to make any appropriations to carry on the State civil 
government or the military contributions to the gen- 
eral eovernment. This forced Governor Morton to 



318 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



raise money by loans and popular contributions both 
for these purposes and for the payment of interest on 
the State debt to avoid the ruinous imputation of 
repudiation, which was so disastrous from 18-41 to 
1846. He constituted a " financial bureau" to meet 
tlie emergency, and for two years governed without 
any connection with the other State oifices, which 
were in the hands of political antagonists and friends 
of the Confederacy. The Legislature of 1865, how- 
ever, was of a different complexion, and legalized all 
the Governor's acts, paid his debts, and reimbursed 
his loans and contributions. 

The most conspicuous feature of the political an- 
tagonism to the war were the " Treason Trials" of 
1864. H. H. Dodd was first arrested on informa- 
tion, anonymously conveyed to the Governor by a 
lady in New York, that boxes of revolvers and am- 
munition had been sent to Dodd, marked " Sunday- 
school books," which were concealed or stored in the 
Sentinel hmldiag. This was the story at the time. 
Governor Morton, however, said that while the in- 
formation came to him anonymously from a lady 
whom he never discovered, the boxes, when discov- 
ered, were merely marked " books" and " stationery." 
The "Sunday-school" was a humorous addition. 
Dodd was tried by court-martial, convicted, sentenced 
to death, and escaped as already related. At the 
same time William A. Bowles, the reversed hero of 
Buena Vista and head of the Sons of Liberty in 
this State, with Lamdin P. Milligan, Stephen Hor- 
sey, Andrew Humphreys, and the late Horace Hefi- 
ren, were arrested. Later the first three were tried 
and convicted by court-martial, as above related. 
Humphreys was convicted, but sentenced to a re- 
straint within limits at home, and later was par- 
doned ; the late Dr. John C. Walker, colonel of the 
Irish regiment, a leader of the Sons of Liberty, went 
to England and was never disturbed ; Heffren turned 
State's evidence and convicted his associates. 

Several rebel raids were made or attempted into In- 
diana under the encouragement of the sympathizing 
associations to which these men and many thousands 
of others belonged. The first was led by Adam R. 
Johnson on Newburg, Warrick Co., July 18, 1863. 
The next was led by Capt. Thomas H. Hines, of 



Morgan's division, June 17, 1863, entering this 
State eighteen miles above Cannelton, with sixty-two 
men. All but a dozen of them were captured in 
two days in Crawford County, after stealing a con- 
siderable number of good horses. The great raid, 
however, was that of Gen. John H. Morgan, with a 
brigade of two thousand four hundred and sixty men 
and four guns. They crossed the Ohio at Branden- 
burg, Ky., and passed into the interior of the State 
as far as Vernon. The home troops of the " Legion" 
and temporary volunteers met in University Square 
here, and drilled two or three times, the banks sent 
away their specie, and railroad travel southward was 
interrupted a little, but that was the worst effect in 
the city of the great Morgan raid. How it turned to 
a retreat in one day, and a flight the next day, and a 
surrender of most of the command in Ohio in a day 
or two more, everybody knows. A horrible catas- 
trophe marked the fir.st movement of troops here to 
meet the raid. A Michigan battery which had been 
stationed here for .some time was hurrying from the 
artillery camp down Tennessee Street to Indiana 
Avenue, on its way to the depot, when the jolting of 
one of the caissons exploded a percussion shell and 
all the contents of the caisson with it, blowing two 
of the men over the tops of the shade-trees along the 
sidewalk, tearing them into fearful fragments, and 
killing them instantly, and mortally wounding a man 
and boy of the city who happened to be passing. It 
was about sundown of the 9th of July. 

The worst efieot of the political hostility to the 
war was not the conspiracies of secret orders of rebel 
sympathizers, the Knights of the Golden Circle and 
Sons of Liberty, nor the open legislative action in 
embarrassment of the efforts of the State and nation 
for the prosecution of the war, but in the encour- 
agement to desertion, the organized protection of 
deserters, and the cool, calculating murder of draft- 
ofiScers in three or four counties, and draft-mobs in a 
dozen. The soldiers at first did not properly under- 
stand their relation to the government. They thought 
that an enlistment was like any other engagement for 
service, terminable at any moment by giving up all 
claim to wages for the abandoned time. When the 
service became hard and the discipline unsparing. 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



319 



they got leave of absence to go home and stayed at 
home, protected by their friends of the anti-war 
party. Others deserted outright without any pre- 
tense of furlough. Organizations were made to pro- 
tect them from arrest, and parties searching for them 
were fired upon repeatedly. Letters were written 
from home urging desertion, and these were some- 
times published by the faithful recipients to expose 
the machinations of disloyal men. The effect of the 
combined adverse influences was that two thousand 
three hundred deserters came home from Indiana 
regiments alone in December, 1862-63. The dis- 
couragement of enlistments was a logical and inev- 
itable part of the same impulse and movement. Nat- 
ural conditions favored it. Wages rose rapidly with 
the vast reduction of the working force of the State, 
and with the depreciation of currency the prices of 
everything else rose. The volunteer of 1861 went out 
when the government's pay was about as good as any 
other employer's, and the service was not thought 
harder. It was a sort of national picnic with some 
chances of danger and hard usage. The paymaster 
would leave enough at his visits to make a comfort- 
able support for the family at home. In less than 
two years a great change had come. Wages were 
high, living costly, the soldier's pay, though increased, 
was relatively less. The family would be left with 
inadequate support, or trusted to the chance assist- 
ance of neighbors. The co-operation of these nat- 
ural conditions with political antagonism forced 
upon all governments, national and local, the payment 
of large bounties to secure volunteers, under the 
President's calls, who should enable the community to 
avoid a draft. As the war went on and more men 
went to the field, and currency sank lower and prices 
rose higher, bounties mounted too ; and under the 
last call for three hundred thousand men, Dec. 24, 
1864, the national, county, and city bounties to vol- 
unteers in Indianapolis, with the advance pay, gave 
every man nearly one thousand dollars before he went 
into camp. 

The city made an appropriation of ten thousand 
dollars on the 20th of April, 1861, for the support of 
the three months' men. Other smaller sums were 
frequently given to supply fuel, provisions, clothing, 



and other necessaries to destitute families. In Au- 
gust, 1864, a purchase of two hundred cords of wood 
was made, and the following winter three thousand 
two hundred dollars was appropriated to similar service. 
Here and all over the State contributions of fuel and 
food were made by farmers who turned the occasion 
into a sort of holiday, and paraded the streets in long 
processions of loaded wagons to the music of a band 
or a drum and fife. Occasionally emulation would 
bring into a town huge wagons, each loaded with a 
whole winter's supply of wood for a single family. 
Some would have five cords, some seven, some more 
than that, and one bold donor from Perry township 
brought into Indianapolis once ten cords, and a lib- 
eral supply of flour, meat, and potatoes. Local fairs 
and private contributions raised large sums for sani- 
tary purposes as well as for soldiers' families. A 
fair held on the fair ground, in connection with the 
regular State agricultural fair in 1864, raised forty 
thousand dollars. But the support of soldiers' fam- 
ilies formed only a small part of the account of cities 
and counties in dealing with our volunteers. Boun- 
ties were the main source of expense. 

Going into the army had come to be viewed in a 
business aspect, mainly or wholly. The volunteers 
" meant business" and meant very little sentiment. 
So bounties were made to fit the emergency, like any 
other inducement to labor when hands are scarce. 
In the fall of 1862 the city appropriated five thou- 
sand dollars for bounties, which served for five or six 
months. On the 14th of December, 1863, twenty- 
five thousand dollars was appropriated to bounties, 
and ward committees raised considerable sums in ad- 
dition by contribution, This enabled the city to 
avert the draft. The next summer, which completed 
the three years of many of the early regiments, saw 
a constant succession of veterans coming home on the 
long furlough allowed by the government to those 
that re-enlisted. These were uniformly met and 
welcomed, and paraded, and feasted by Governor 
Morton, Mayor Caven, and the citizens; and occa- 
sionally some of the veterans would take the city's 
bounty and credit themselves here, counting thus 
against a future draft. The Seventeenth Regiment, 
one of the re-enlisted veteran regiments, had its 



320 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



whole force credited to Indianapolis, asking no bounty. 
Subsequently, however, some of the men hinted that 
it was hardly fair to pay raw recruits a thousand dol- 
lars and veterans of three years' service nothing, and 
the city thought so, too, and gave them five thousand 
three hundred and fifty-five dollars, which was all 
they asked. 

On the suggestion of Governor Morton, the Gov- 
ernors of Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa met 
here April 24, 1864, and recommended to the Presi- 
dent to accept a force of eighty-five thousand men for 
one hundred days from these States, to guard Gen. 
Sherman's communications while he was marching to 
the sea. The President consented. Indiana was as- 
signed seven thousand four hundred and fifteen men, 
and the city's quota was raised at once. The home regi- 
ment, the One Hundred and Thirty-second, under 
Col. Samuel C. Vance, Lieut.-Col. Samuel A. Cra- 
mer, and Maj. Hervcy Bates, took away a larger 
number of well-known citizens than any during the 
whole war. and they did good service, too. Under the 
call for three hundred thousand men, Oct. 17, 1863, 
increased Feb. 1, 1864, to five hundred thousand, 
and on March 14th to seven hundred thousand, no 
draft was made. The State had filled her whole 
quota of the three calls, with two thousand four hun- 
dred and ninety-three men to spare on the next one. 
On the 18th of July a call was made for five hun- 
dred thousand more, and the city's quota was fixed 
at one thousand two hundred and fifty-eight. For 
once the citizens had to move promptly and vigor- 
ously to escape a draft. Meetings to raise the requi- 
site bounties to allure volunteers were held through 
the summer, and forty thousand dollars subscribed 
and eight hundred men enlisted. But we were still 
four hundred and fifty men short. The " enrolled 
men" on the conscription record raised a considerable 
sum to secure substitutes, but still the deficit was not 
made up. Then the Council made on the 28th of 
September an appropriation of ninety-two thousand 
dollars, and on October 3d another of forty thousand 
dollars, to help in the strait; and during October 
and November the quota was filled without a draft at 
a cost of one hundred and eighty thousand dollars. 
On Dec. 24, 1864, the last call for troops was made. 



The State's quota of the three hundred thousand was 
twenty-two thousand five hundred and eighty-two, of 
which two thousand four hundred and ninety-three 
had been paid by over-enlistment on previous calls. 
The Council appropriated the unexpended remainder 
of the previous appropriation, — twenty-five thousand 
dollars, and later twenty thousand dollars. This was 
insufficient, and in January, 1865, the mayor recom- 
mended further appropriations and drafting by wards. 
The Council fixed upon one hundred and twenty-five 
thousand dollars, to be paid in one hundred and fifty 
dollar bounties, with ten dollars premium for each re- 
cruit ; and three days later made the bounty two hun- 
dred dollars, and obtained an order from Washington 
for a draft by wards. In February the Council gave 
four hundred dollars to every man who should be 
drafted if he had purchased a fifty-dollar city order. 
On the 22d of February the citizens, to the number 
of four thousand four hundred, petitioned the Coun- 
cil to raise four hundred thousand dollars on city 
bonds to pay adequate bounties and fill the city's 
quota. The order was made and the bonds prepared 
and sent to New York, but none were sold. On the 
6th of Blaroh one hundred thousand dollars was bor- 
rowed of five banks — twenty thousand dollars of each 
— at twelve per cent., and this was appropriated in 
four hundred dollar bounties. When the quota was 
nearly full it was found that some idiot in the War 
Office had made a blunder in fixing the city's credits 
for volunteers, and that the quota was filled with 
hundreds to spare. A fourth of the loan was saved. 
The war expense from May, 1864, to May, 1865, 
which included the great bulk of the outlay for boun- 
ties, was seven hundred and eighteen thousand one 
hundred and seventy-nine dollars. The whole war- 
expense of the city was about one million dollars. 

These large appropriations made high taxes and 
finally considerable debts. But the city was grow- 
ing rapidly, business of all kinds was flourishing, and 
high taxes were easily borne comparatively. The 
rate ran from $1.50 to $1.75, exclusive of State and 
county taxes, during the greater part of the war and 
the year following. Then came a clamor against 
such onerous rates, and a reduction was made till 1875, 
when the tax was made $1.50 again. Then it was 



MILITARY MATTERS. 



321 



reduced a little, and the next year a provision of the 
charter limited the total, including school and library 
tax, to f 1.12. It is now at the limit. By the same 
provision the city debt v^as limited to two per cent, 
of the tax duplicate. That is also at the limit. The 
history of the city's debts is very short. In 1849 the 
amount was $6000 ; it was mostly paid by a special 
tax in 1850. In 1851 it was $5400, paid in 1854, 
except $557. In 1855 it was $10,000, and in 1856 
$15,300. Jerry Skeen was appointed a special agent 
to negotiate $30,000 of city bonds in 1856 to pay 
the debt and put a little by for an emergency, and 
pledged the whole of them for $5000 to bet on the 
Democratic ticket that year. The city lost enough 
by these operations to make the debt in 1857 $23,740. 
In 1859 it was reduced to $9300, raised to $11,500 
in 1860, and to $46,000 in 1861. In 1862 it was 
reduced to $16,500, in 1863 to $11,250, and later 
paid off. The war and big bounties and high prices 
left a debt of $368,000 in 1868, which was reduced 
to $100,000 in 1869, with $260,000 in cash in the 
treasury to pay it, as related in the services of Dr. 
Jameson as financial manager of the Council from 
1863 to 1869. 

In concluding this sketch of the history of the city 
and county during the war, it may not be irrelevant 
to note that a distinctively German regiment (the 
Thirty-second), Col. August Willich, and a distinct- 
ively Irish regiment (the Thirty-fifth), Col. John C. 
Walker, of Sons of Liberty fame, first, and then 
Col. Bernard F. Mullen, were organized and drilled 
and prepared for the field in the city camps. How 
many men enlisted in them from the city or county 
does not appear in the adjutant-general's report, as 
the residences are not given in the cases of several 
companies of both. The colonels (Willich, Von 
Trebra, and Erdelmeyer, of the Thirty-second) were 
all of this city, as well as Lieut.- Col. Hans Blume 
and Maj. Peter Cappell, but very few others were, 
and the residences of none of the enlisted are noted. 
Of the Thirty-fifth (Irish) Regiment a roster of the 
Marion County men is appended, with those of the 
other regiments which contained companies largely 
recruited in this city. 

The Grand Army of the Republic, a better memo- 
21 



rial organization than the Cincinnati of the Revolu- 
tionary war, is largely represented among the veterans 
of the civil war, and in the city are the General 
Thomas Post, and the George H. Chapman Post, 
named from the late Gen. Chapman, of the city. The 
order in the State is represented by a weekly news- 
paper called the Grand Army Guard. 

The efi^ect of the war upon the city was instant 
and obvious, and increased continually. Previously 
the commercial business had been almost wholly 
retail, and conducted almost wholly on Washington 
Street. There were family groceries and bakeries 
and an occasional drug-store dropped about on con- 
venient corners in more remote sections, but they 
formed no considerable part of the total. With the 
impulse derived from the large accumulations of 
temporary population and the trades that thrive by 
them came a permanent growth of improvements. 
A considerable portion of Illinois and Meridian 
Streets, between Washington and the depot, had been 
open ground, built up in spots with cheap frames on 
Illinois and large residences on Meridian. These 
vacancies were mainly filled and the little houses put 
aside for bigger ones, and both streets made almost 
solid masses of building. On Meridian Street they 
soon came to be used for wholesale trade chiefly, and 
then the commerce of the city may be said to have 
first put on an aspect of wholesale trade. There had 
been wholesale houses, off and on, since 1857, but 
the business did not amount to enough to make it a 
distinctive feature of the general city trade. On 
Illinois Street retail shops, saloons, and restaurants 
took the space, and they, with the hotels, still domi- 
nate that now most crowded and busy street of the 
city, except Washington. From these, in a year or 
two, the improving impulse spread north of Wash- 
ington and along the avenues, and began to efi^aoo 
completely the country-town aspect which the city 
had worn in some measure since its foundation, in 
spite of the growth imparted by railroads and en- 
larged business. With a population of eighteen 
thousand six hundred in 1860, and with large manu- 
factories scattered about in the creek valley, Indian- 
apolis was still only a country town in appearance, 
with all its business on one street, and its gas and 



322 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



paving and draining barely begun. The ruagnitudo 
of the change may be judged from a few facts. In 
1865, the first year of which a full report was made, 
" permits" were issued for sixteen hundred and 
twenty-one buildings, at an estimated cost of two 
million dollars ; nine miles of streets and eighteen 
miles of sidewalk were graded and graveled, and 
one mile of streets bouldered, four miles of sidewalk 
paved, and three miles lighted with gas. In 1866 
the building permits were eleven hundred and twelve, 
with an estimated cost of one million and sixty-five 
thousand dollars, eight and a half miles of streets 
and sixteen miles of sidewalks were graded and 
graveled, a third of a mile bouldered, two miles of 
sidewalks paved, and three miles lighted. In 1867 
the buildings were seven hundred and forty-seven, at 
a cost of over nine hundred thousand dollars ; four 
and a half miles of streets and nine miles of side- 
walks were graded and graveled, a half mile of 
streets was bouldered, two and a quarter miles of 
sidewalk paved, and four and a half miles lighted. 
This impulse of improvement continued, as heretofore 
related, till the panic of 1873 began to be operative 
here, about 1874-75, and by that time the population 
had swelled to threefold its former mass. It was 
eighteen thousand six hundred in 1860, and forty- 
eight thousand two hundred in 1870, increased by a 
corrected return made a few months later to fifty-two 
thousand, or nearly three times the population of the 
previous census. 

The final development of the city as a centre of 
commerce and manufactures would doubtless have 
come in time from its natural advantages, if there 
had been no war and no artificial advantages to 
hasten it, but 1865 found a breadth and permanence 
of growth that would not have been found in 1870 if 
there had been no war. A consciousness of strength 
was universal, and in the year the war closed, high 
as taxes were, the citizens petitioned the Council to 
give subsidies to four railroad enterprises, — the Vin- 
cennes, sixty thousand dollars ; the Indiana and Illi- 
nois Central (now Indianapolis, Decatur and Spring- 
field), forty-five thousand dollars; the Indianapolis, 
Bloomington and Western, forty-five thousand dollars ; 
and the Indianapolis and Cincinnati Junction, forty- 



five thousand dollars. The last took its subsidy upon 
the express condition of locating its machine-shops 
here, and didn't do it. The Indiana and Illinois 
Central subsidy was never drawn from the treasury, 
although many supposed it was. The reorganized 
company, the Indianapolis, Decatur and Spring- 
field, finished the line to the city very recently, but 
never claimed the money. That road is now perma- 
nently leased to or consolidated with the Indianapo- 
lis, Bloomington and Western, and the forty-five 
thousand dollars is a subject of litigation between the 
trustee of Centre township and the County Board. 
The trustee wants the township's portion of the sub- 
sidy for public purposes, and the question is in court. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 

Sketches of the Services of Regiments — Rosters of OERcers and 
Enlisted Men from Marion County Serving in the Several 
Regiments. 

In the following pages are collected the names of 
all the men who entered the service of the United 
States for three years from Marion County, where 
they formed the whole or greater part of the com- 
pany. Names of residfents scattered about in com- 
panies raised elsewhere are omitted, the intention 
being to preserve the record of Marion County and 
Indianapolis companies only. Preceding each is a 
brief sketch of the history, condensed from Adjt.- 
Gen. Terrell's ofiicial report. The names of all offi- 
cers, company or field, appointed from the county or 
city to any State regiment are given up to the 
Seventy-ninth. After that there are no appoint- 
ments from this county but of old officers assigned to 
new regiments, except in a few cases. 

Seventh Regiment. — Colonel, Ebenezer Dumont, 
com. Sept. 13, 1861 ; pro. brig.-gen. U. S. Vols., 
Sept. 3, 1861. 

Chaplains, James Kiger, com. Sept. 13, 1861 ; 
res. March 13, 1863 ; William R. Jewell, com. Aug. 
21, 1863 ; must, out Sept. 20, 1864, time expired. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



323 



Surgeon, George W. New, com. Sept. 4, 1861 ; 
dis., reeom., and must, out Sept. 20, 1864. 

Eig'htli Regiment. — Adjutant, Charles 0. How- 
ard, com. Sept. 2, 1861 ; pro. capt. 18th U. S. In- 
fantry. 

Ninth Regiment. — Quartermaster, James J. 
Drum, com. Aug. 28, 1861 ; died at Indianapolis May 
31, 1863. 

Assistant Surgeon, William B. Fletcher, com. 
March 20, 1862 ; declined. 

Tenth Regiment. — First lieutenant Co. F, Sam- 
uel C. Vance, com. May 20, 1862 ; dismissed April 
27, 1863. 

Eleventh Regiment, — The Eleventh Regiment 
was reorganized and mustered in for the three years' 
service on the 31st of August, 1861, with Lewis 
Wallace as colonel, and left Indianapolis for St. 
Louis on the 6th of September, arriving there on the 
8th, and leaving the day following for Paducah, 
Ky. Here Lieut.-Col. George F. BIcGinnis was 
promoted colonel in place of Lewis Wallace, ap- 
pointed brigadier- general. The regiment remained 
at this post till Feb. 5, 1862, when it was sent up 
the Tennessee River to within six miles of Fort 
Henry, thence to Fort Heiman, and on the 15th to 
Fort Donelson, where it was put in Col. Smith's 
brigade of Wallace's division ; engaged in the battle 
there, and lost four killed and twenty-nine wotinded. 
It returned on the 17th to Fort Heiman, and on the 
6th of March took steamer to Crump's Landing, a 
little below Shiloh battle-field. It took part in the 
second day's battle, fighting from half-past five in the 
morning to half-past four in the evening, losing 
eleven killed and fifty-two wounded. Oa the 13th 
of April it moved toward Corinth, and during the 
last of that month made two marches to Purdy and 
back. Corinth being evacuated on the 30th of May, 
Wallace's division was ordered to Memphis. In July 
it was sent by steamer to Helena, Ark., from which 
place, on the 4th of August, it marched to Clarendon, 
returning on the 19th, after a march of one hundred 
and thirty miles and the loss by guerillas of one 
killed and two wounded. During the fall and winter 
the regiment engaged in expeditions from Helena to 
White River, to Tallahatchie River, to Duvall's 



Blufi', and to Yazoo Pass. Col. McGinnis being ap- 
pointed brigadier-general in March, 1863, Lieut.- 
Col. Dan Macauley was promoted colonel. The 
Eleventh embarked from Helena on the 11th of 
April and reached Milliken's Bend on the 14th, 
where it joined Grant's army, being in McGinnis' 
brigade of Hovey's division of McClernand's corps 
(the Thirteenth). Upon its arrival the corps pro- 
ceeded to Carthage, and thence to Perkins' Planta- 
tion, near Grand Gulf Here the army awaited, on 
transports, the result of the attempt of the gunboats 
to silence the rebel batteries. The bombardment 
proving unsuccessful, the troops were disembarked 
and marched around to a point opposite Bruinsburg, 
and on the 30th of April were crossed over the 
river and marched to Port Gibson, where, on the 1st 
of May, an engagement was fought, the regiment 
capturing a battery and having a loss of one man 
killed and twenty-four wounded. The next day the 
town was entered, and on the 3d of May the march 
was resumed. Od the 16th the Eleventh engaged 
in the battle of Champion Hills, losing one hundred 
and sixty-seven in killed, wounded, and missing. 
On the 19th it moved to Black River, and on the 
21st marched to the vicinity of Vicksburg, where it 
remained until the 4th of July, when the surrender 
took place. The casualties to the regiment during 
the siege were three killed and ten wounded. On 
the 5th of July it marched with an expedition to 
Jackson, Miss., with constant skirmishing on the 
way, there being nine men wounded. Returning to 
Vicksburg, it remained in camp until August, when 
it was transported to New Orleans, and on the 13th 
of August, 1862, was sent to Brashear City and 
through the Teche Country to Opelousas, near which 
place, on the 21st of October, there was a heavy 
skirmish. Returning from this expedition, the regi- 
ment, on the 20 th of November, marched with 
Cameron's brigade to the banks of Lake Tasse, where 
a camp was captured. On the 22d of December it 
arrived at Algiers, and on the 19th of January, 1864, 
marched to Madisonville, where, on the 1st of Feb- 
ruary, the regiment re-enlisted as veterans. Going 
to New Orleans, it embarked on the 4th of March 
for New York City, from whence it came to Indian- 



324 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



apolis, reaching there on the 21st, where it was pub- 
licly received by the citizens and addressed by Governor 
Morton. Upon the expiration of its veteran fur- 
lough the regiment departed for New Orleans, reach- 
ing there on the 8th of May, where it remained until 
July. On the 11th of July it was assigned to the 
Second Brigade, Second Division of the Nineteenth 
Army Corps, and on the 19th embarked under 
sealed orders. Reaching Fortress Monroe on the 
28th, it proceeded to Washington and then to Har- 
per's Ferry. Moving to Cedar Creek, it skirmished 
all day of the 13th of August, and on the 15th 
reached Winchester, from which place it made sun- 
dry marches, and on the 22d had a skirmish near 
Halltowii. On the 24th in a reconnoissance it lost 
two men killed and eight wounded, and on the 6th 
of September it had a skirmish at Berryville. On 
the 19th it took part in the battle of Opequan, losing 
eighty-one in killed and wounded. On the 26th it 
pursued the enemy to Fisher's Hill, and on the 22d 
was engaged in the battle at that place, skirmishing 
all night and following the enemy to Woodstock, 
losing two men killed and four wounded. On the 
25th it pursued the rebels to New Market, where 
they made a stand, but being flanked were forced to 
retreat to Harrisonburg, which place was reached by 
the regiment on the 26th, skirmishing all the way. 
Leaving this place on the 6th of October, the regi- 
ment returned to Cedar Creek on the 10th, and on 
the 19th was engaged in the battle at that place, 
having fifty-two killed, wounded, or missing. Upon 
the conclusion of Sheridan's campaign in the Shen- 
andoah Valley the troops went to Baltimore, arriving 
there on the 7th of January, 1865, where it remained 
on duty till its muster-out on the 26th of July, 1865. 
On the 3d of August it returned to Indianapolis, 
where it was publicly received by the Governor on 
behalf of the people of the State on the 4th, and in 
a few days afterwards was finally discharged from ser- 
vice. During its three years' service the regiment 
marched nine thousand three hundred and eighteen 
miles. 



Lewis Wallace, com. Aug. 31, 1S61 ; pro. brig. -gen. U.S.V. Sept. 
8, 1861; later maj. -gen. 



George J. McGinnis, com. Sept. 3, 1861 ; pro. brig.-gen. U.S.V. 

Not. 29, 1862. 
Daniel Maeauley, com. March 10, 1863; must, out July 26, 

1865, as brev. brig.-gen., term expired j re-entered service 

as col. 9tli Regt. Hancock's corps. 

Lieutenant- Coloneh. 
George F. McGinnis, com. Aug. 7, 1861; pro. col. 
William J. H. Robinson, com. Sept. 3, 1861 ; res. Sept. 3, 1862. 
Daniel Maeauley, com. Sept. 4, 1862; pro. col. 
William W. Darnell, com. March 10, 1863 ; must, out July 26, 

1865, term expired. 

Majors. 
William J. H. Robinson, com. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. lieut.-col. 
Daniel Maeauley, com. April 21, 1862; pro. lieut.-col, 
William W. Darnell, com. Sept. 4, 1862 ; pro. lieut.-ool. 
George Butler, com. March 10, 1863; must, out July 26, 1865, 

term expired, 

AdjutantB, 
Daniel Maeauley, com. Aug. 31, 1831; pro. maj. 
John P. Megrew, com. April 30, 1862 ; pro. eapt. Co. D. 
John T. Maeauley, com. May, 1864; pro. capt. Co. E. 

Quarterviasters. 
Joseph P. Pope, com. Aug. 13, 1861 ; must, out June 24, 1863, 

for prom, to capt. and A.C.S. 
John W. Coons, com. June 14, 1863; must, out Dee. 11, 1864, 

term expired. 
Charles N. Lee, com. April 30, 1865 ; must, out July 26, 1865, 
term expired. 

Chaplain. 
Henry B. Hibben, com. August, 1861 ; res. May 12, 1864. 

Surgeon. 
John A. Comingore, com. Dec. 26, 1862 ; res. Sept. 13, 1864. 

Assistant Surgeons. 
Henry Clay Brown, com. Oct. 7, 1861 ; died of disease, March, 

1862. 
John A. Comingore, com. April 9, 1862; pro. surg, 
James I. Rooker, com. April 23, 1362 ; add. asst. surg. pro tem, ; 

reeom. asst. surg. 
H. F. Barnes, com. April 23, 1862 ; add. asst. surg. pro tem. 
William Rockwell, com. March 20, 1863 ; res. June 27, 1863. 
James Wilson, com. Aug. 15, 1863 ; res. Feb. 27, 1865. 
William A. Todd, com. April 19, 1865 ; must, out July 26, 1865, 

term expired. 
John P, Avery, com. April 20, 1865 ; must, out July 26, 1865, 

term expired. 

Company A. 
Captains. 
George Butler, com. Aug. 24, 1861 ; pro. maj. 
Henry Kemper, com. March 10, 1863; must, out July 26, 1865, 

term expired. 



MAKION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



325 



First Lieutenants. 
Joseph H. LiTsey, com. Aug. 24, 1861 ; pro. eapt. Co. H. 
David B. Hay, com. April 1, 1862; res. Oct. 29, 1862. 
Henry Kemper, com. Oct. 30, 1862 ; pro. capt. 
Benjamin F. Copeland, com. March 10, 1863; must, out Dec. 

12, 1864, term expired. 
Edmund P. Thayer, com. Deo. 1.3, 1864; pro. capt. Co. B. 
William A. Talbott, com. Dec. 14, 1864 ; hon. disch. May 30, 

1865. 

Second Lieutenants. 

David B. Hay, com. April 24, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Henry Kemper, com. April 1, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Benjamin F. Copeland, com. Oct. 30, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
George Simmons, com. April 10, 1863; pro. 1st lieut. 
Edmund P. Thayer, com. May 1, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 
Charles 6. Louoks, com. Deo. 13, 1864; must, out June 26, 

1865, term expired. 

Company B. 

Captains. 

Charles W. Lyman, com. Aug. 24, 1861 ; pro. capt. and asst. 

qm. U.S.V. Sept. 28, 1861. 
Daniel B. Culley, com. Aug. 31, 1861; pro. capt. 
Edmund P. Thayer, com. Dec. 14, 1864; must, out July 26, 

1865, term expired. 

First Lieutenants. 
Daniel B. Culley, com. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. capt. 
John P. Megrew, com. Deo. 6, 1861; pro. adjt. 
Charles N. Lee, com. Jan. 12, 1865; pro. q.m. 

Second Lientenants. 
James F. Troth, com. Aug. 31, 1861; res. Sept. 1, 1863. 
Charles N. Lee, com. May 1, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 

COMPANV C. 

First Lieutenants. 
Jacob D. Leighty, com. Nov. 13, 1862; res. Jan. 19, 1864. 
George Simmons, com. May 1, 1864; must. Dec. 18, 1864, term 
expired. 

Second Lieutenants. 

Henry McMulIen, com. Aug. 31, 1861; pro. 1st lieut. 
Stoughton A. Boatright, com. Dee. 19, 1864 ; must, out July 
26, 1865, term expired. 

Company D. 
Captain. 
John P. Megrew, com. Nov. 13, 1862; must, out July 26, 1865, 
term expired. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Lycurgus L. Allison, com. Jan. 1, 1862; res. April 22, 1862. 

Company E. 
Captains. 
Dewitt C. Rugg, com. Aug. 24, 1861 ; pro. maj. 48th Begt. Ind. 
Vols. Nov. 24, 1861. 



Nicholas E. Ruckle, com. Dec. 4, 1861; res. Feb. 24, 1865; pro. 
col. 148th Ind. Regt. 

John T. Macauley, com. Feb. 26, 1865 ; must, out July 26, 1865 ; 
term expired. 

First Lieutenants. 

Henry Tindall, com. Aug. 31, 1861; res. Dec. 1.5, 1861; re- 
entered capt. 63d Regt. 

Henry AVentz, com. Feb. 24, 1863; must, out Dec. 9, 1864, 
term expired. 

Second Lientenants. 

Nicholas R. Ruckle, com. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. capt. 

Jacob D. Leighty, com. Jan. 13, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. Co. C. 

Henry Wentz, com. Nov. 13, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 

GeorgeMcDougal, com. April 24, 1863; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps. 

Company F. 
First Lieutenant. 
John L. Hanna, com. Aug. 24, 1861; res. October, 1862; re- 
entered as capt. 79th Regt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
M'^illiam C. Baker, com. Jan. 13, 1862; res. Oct. 2, 1862. 
John T. Macauley, com. May 14, 1864; pro. adjt. 

Company G. 
First Lieutenant. 
David Wilson, com. Sept. 9, 1863; trans, to Co. H. 

Second Lieutenant. 
John W. Coons, com. Oct. 19, 1862 ; pro. q.m. 

Company H. 

Captains. 

Frederick Kneffler, com. Aug. 24, 1861; app. capt. and 

A.A.G. Sept. 8, 1861; col. of 79th Ind. Regt. and brev. 

brig. -gen. 
Joseph H. Livsey, com. Jan. 1, 1862; must, out Jan. 1, 1862; 

recom. capt. March 22, 1863 ; app. capt. and A.A.G. May 5, 

1863. 
David Wilson, com. May 8, 1865 ; must, out as 1st lieut. July 

26, 1865, term expired. 

First Lieutenants. 
Louis Pause, com. Nov. 12, 1863 ; trans, to Co. F. 
David Wilson, com. Sept. 9, 1863; pro. capt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Samuel J. Wilson, com. Aug. 24, 1861; res. Aug. 1, 1862; re- 
entered as capt. 54th Ind. Regt. 
David Wilson, com. Aug. 1, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. Co. G. 

Company K. 
Captain. 
I William W. Darnel, com. Aug, 24, 1861 ; pro. maj. 



326 



HISTOEY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



First Lieutenants. 

Samuel A. Cramer, com. Aug. 9, 1861; res. May 26, 1S62; re- 
entered as 1st lieut. 63(i Ind. Kegt. 

Charles MoGinley, com. Sept. i, 1862; res. Nov. 18, 1864. 

■William M. Apple, com. Nov. 19, 1864; hon. disch. June 24, 
1865. 

Second Lie^Uenants, 

Theodore B. Wightman, com. Aug. 24, 1861; res. March 26, 
1862; re-entered as 1st lieut. 63d Ind. Regt. 

Charles MoGinley, com. May 30, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 

Sergeant-Major. 
Fishback, Owen F., Jr., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Jan. 17, 
1862. 

Quartermaster-Sergeant. 
Greenfield, Daniel C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Jan. 17, 
1862. 

Commissary -Sergeant, 
Test, Miles H., must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Memphis, Tenn., 
July 15, 1862. 

Hospital Steward. 
Rockwell, "William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; pro. asst. surg. 

Principal MnsiciANS. 
Biedmastfr, Charles A., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

14, 1862. 
Macauley, John T., must. Aug. 31, 1861; app. sergt.-maj.; 

pro. 2d lieut. 

Band. 
Armstrong, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 

1862. 
Bieber, Louis, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 
Goldsberry, Samuel S., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

14, 1862. 
Goldsberry, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Jan. 27, 1862, 

not a musician. 
Henninger, Theodore, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

14, 1862. 
Henninger, Edward, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 14, 

1862. 
Hunt, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 
Jose, Albert, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 
Jameson, Alexander C, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Dec. 24, 

1861, disability. 
Kiefer, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 
Kauffeld, Frederick, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 14, 

1862. 
Landauer, Frederick, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 14, 

1862. 
Maxen, John H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. April 8, 1862, 

not a musician. 
Mayhew, James N., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 

1862. 
Perkins, Jewett, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 



Pyle, John E., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. for disability. 

Ruth, Louis, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 

Peck, George, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; app. qm.-sergt. 

Schellsmidt, Ferdinand, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. April 3, 
1862, disability. 

Webb, Ira C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disoh. Jan. 1, 1862, not a 
musician. 

Wolfram, Christian, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. May 15, 1862, 
disability. 

■Wagner, Anton, must. Aug. 31, 1 861 ; disch. April 8, 1862, not 
a musician. 

Craven, Aries, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disoh. Deo. 3, 1861, disa- 
bility. 

Thyser, Oscar, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 14, 1862. 

Enlisted Men, Co. A. 

First Sergeant. 

Allison, Lycurgus L., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. Co. D. 

Sergeants. 
Kemper, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Copeland, Benjamin F., must. Aug. 31, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Simmons, George, must. Aug. 31, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Thayer, Edmund P., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; pro. 2d 

lieut. 

Corporols. 
Talbott, Abner F., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disoh. Aug. 19, 1863, 

by order of War Dept. 
Bradshaw, Oliver L., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Aug. 16, 1863, 

accidental wounds. 
Sirronia, Leo D., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. October, 1863, 

disability. 
Carpenter, Charles E., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran; must, out 

July 26, 1865. 
Greenleaf, Clement A., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out April 

26, 1865. 
Lawhead, Frank, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out April 26, 1865. 
Hall, Charles F., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Fox, George B., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Nov. 16, 1861. 

Musicians. 
Thayer, Levi C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disoh. May 2, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Stout, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 



Pottage, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out 

July 26, 1865. 

Pricates. 
Alexander, Joseph N., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Nov. 26, 1862, 

disability. 
Arnett, Josiah, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; app. corp. ; must, out Aug. 

30, 1864. 
Avard, Jerome, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



327 



Barry, Michael, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran j app. corp j must. 

out July 26, 1865. 
Barreman, Alexander S., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran. 
Boyoe, William 6., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died Sept. 26, 1864, of 

wounds at Wincliester. 
Brooks, Samuel M., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Brown, Jonathan, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Brown, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Burris, Harrison, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Bullock, Ezekiel, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Butterfield, John S., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Burt, Joseph H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Burnian, Cornelius, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Helena Sept. 

7, 1862. 
Carr, George, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Carleton, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; killed at 

Cedar Creek Oct. 19, 1864. 
Clark, Charles T., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Corwin, Oscar B., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Copeland, James T., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Aug. 18, 1862, 

disability. 
Cummer, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Paducah Dec. 

10, 1861. 
Davis, Bbenezer, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; disch. May 8, 

1864, for prom, in U. S. colored troops. 

Day, Joseph B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died ,at Cairo, 111., Oct. 9, 

1862. 
Dedart, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; disch. May 26, 

1865, disability. 

Duohine, Alexander, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Duley, Henry C, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 

Ellis, John S., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died June 1, 1863, of wounds 

at Champion Hills. 
Fenton, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out July 26, 

1865. 
Griswold, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Sept. 17, 1862, 

disability. 
Greenleaf, William A., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. June 10, 

1862, disability. 

Hankinson, Joseph H., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Sept. 

26, 1865. 
Hickey, Thomas, must. Aug. 31,1861; veteran; app. sergt. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865 ; one of Dr. Kane's men. 
Homburg, William C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Aug. 18, 

1863, wounds at Shiloh. 

Huddleston, James P., must. Aug, 31, 1861; must, out July 26, 

1865. 
IngersoU, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out July 26, 

1865. 
Jackson, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Kenroy, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Key, Nathan, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



Knight, AVilliam W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Lendormi, Paulin, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Loueks, Charles O., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Martin, Frank M., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out April 26, 

1865. 
McNair, Peter, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Paducah Nov. 17, 

1861. 
McGuey, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Champion Hills 

May 16, 1863. 
McCIain, Josiah B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Indianapolis 

April 28, 1862, of wounds at Fort Donelson. 
Mount, William P., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Nones, William C, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Jan. 16, 1863, 

for wounds. 
Norton, Michael J., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out 

July 26, 1865. 
Nye, Edwin, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Phipps, William C, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; app. Corp.; must, out 

Aug. 30, 1864. 
Keynolds, George H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Redfield, Alexander, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Oct. 1, 1861, 

disability. 
Eeeder, Joseph H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Roberts, Benjamin W., must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Keokuk, 

Iowa, Oct. 5, 1862. 
Service, Charles F., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Shaw, Daniel W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Smith, Milton D., must. Aug. 31, 1861; died May 18, 1863, of 

wounds at Champion Hills. 
Talbot, William A., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; pro. 1st 

lieut. 
Thompson, W. H., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. June 16, 1863, 

disability. 
Williams, Albert J., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Williams, Thomas, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Wills, William F., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Wilson, William F., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Winnings, Archibald, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Young, Isaac, must. Aug. 31, 1361 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 

Enlisted Men, Compant B. 
First Sergeant. 
Winchel, John J., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Clarendon, 
Ark., Aug. 13, 1863. 

Sergeante. 
Henry, Boyal R., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Foster, Edwin R., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. U. S. 

colored troops. 
Calloway, John P., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Simpson, William M., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



328 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Corporals, 
Torrence, Davis, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Kejjler, Andrew J., must. Aug. 3], 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Thompson, David J., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Endaly, Elisha, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Johnstone, James A., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran. 
Beymer, John G., must. Aug. 31, 1861 j veteran. 
Goodwin, James, must. Aug. 31,1861; veteran; app. sergt.-maj.; 

pro. 1st lieut. 
Mollvain, Moses E., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Miislcianx. 
Shawver, Amos, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Privates. 
Epler, Jacob, must. Aug. 31, 1S61 ; veteran: diseh. May 15, 

1865, for blindness. 
Fellinger, John N., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out 

July 26, 1865. 
Fitzgerald, Isaac, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. for wounds at 

Champion Hills. 
Faucet, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. Corp.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Fergason, Samuel B., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Gogen, Richard, must. Aug. 31, 1861; trans, to Co. A. 
Gardner, Hiram, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Hinsley, Benjamin, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Hidey, Archibald C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Hunter, Washington, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Howard, John F., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at New Orleans, 

Oct. 10, 1863. 
Iriok, Adam W., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. Istsergt. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Ingling, Apollo, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. Corp.; 

sergt. ; must, out July 26, 1865. 
Kempton, Almon B., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Krause, Albert, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Larimer, Thomas, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. corp. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Loy, Tobias, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Lowlyes, Hiram T. E., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 

30, 1864. 
Moran, Thomas, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Maugley, Joseph E., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
MoKnight, Thomas A., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

30, 1864. 
McKinney, Solomon B., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. May 31, 

1863, for wounds at Champion Hills. 
McLean, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
MoNuleflF, Daniel, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Helena, Ark., 

Nov. 27, 1862. 



Overman, Joseph R., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Owen, Elijah G., must. Aug. 31, 1861; killed at Shiloh April 

7, 1862. 
Petty, James E., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Pratt, Moses, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out June 

24, 1865. 
Pile, James, must. Aug, 31, 1861. 

Purdy, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Perrin, Pulaski, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Patrick, Rogers, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Deo. 22, 1861, 

disability. 
Rosemier, Andrew, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Rhoades, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Richardson, David R., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Dec. 22, 

1861, disability. 

Reaves, King H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Shipley, Delancy R., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. October, 1862, 

disability. 
Shafer, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. corp.; sergt.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Sanders, Jacob, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out July 

26, 1865. 
Smith, Henry C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Simpson, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Shuster, Theodore, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out 

April 26, 1865. 
Snapp, Anamus, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Aug. 22, 1862, 

disability. 
Springer, Ira W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Stookwell, Alfred, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Spotswood, Richard E., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Smith, J. Mortimer, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Thorp, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. Corp.; 

sergt. ; must, out July 26, 1865. 
Tarrance, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Tarrance, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Thornbrough, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. May 9, 

1863, for wounds at Port Gibson. 
Viets, Jesse L., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Williams, Albert, must. Aug. 31, 1S61; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Weaver, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Enlisted Men, Compant E. 

First Sergeant. 

Rupley, Michael H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disoh. June 28, 

1862, disability. 

Sergeants. 
Leighty, Jacob D., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Carnes, John C, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Nov. 28, 1861, 
for accidental wounds. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAE OP THE REBELLION. 



329 



Vanblaricune, James, must. Aug. 31, 1S61; disch. Dec. 13, 1861, 

disability. 
Carter, AVilliam E., must. Aug. 31, 1S61; veteran; pro. 2d lieut. 

Corporals. 
Smith, William H. H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Cosper, James S., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Champion Hills 

May 16, 1863. 
Wentz, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Wallace, William B., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Hollopeter, Abel L., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Bodey, Martin F., must. Aug. 31,1861; disch. Feb. 5, 1863, 

disability. 
Strong, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt.; pro. 

2d lieut. 
Teadley, Andrew J., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Sept. 5, 1862. 

Musicians. 
Stout, David B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 
Watson, Elmer, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. May 1, 1862, dis- 
ability. 

Wagoner. 
■Robinson, Matthew B., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. June 6, 

1862, disability. 

Privates. 

Ball, Harrison, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. April 11, 1864, dis- 
ability. 

Barney, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 

Barr, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. May 4, 1863, dis- 
ability. 

Bartlett, Peter B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. March 20, 1863, 
disability. 

Bauseman, Amos, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 
1864. 

Beam, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 

Boots, James M., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. March 12, 1863, 
disability. 

Bralten, Jesse W., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. April 16, 1862, 
disability. 

Brown, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Memphis July 2, 

1863, of wounds at Champion Hills. 

Brown, Charles W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; sentenced by G.C.M. 

to serve one year over term. 
Camp, Jo.seph M., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; died Oct. 20, 

1864, of wounds, Winchester. 

Campbell, Charles W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

31, 1864. 
Cloud, Anthony P., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Coppock, Jehu L., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
De Long, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at New Albany, Ind., 

April 1, 1862. 



Depew, James W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Helena, Ark., 

Sept. 20, 1862. 
Depew, Elijah J., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Paducah, Ky., 

May 6, 1862. 
Doherty, Oliver S , must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Eller, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Emery, John, must. Aug. 31,1861; died June 10, 1863, of 

wounds at Champion Hills. 
Eyestone, George, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Furnish, John L., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Feb. 24, 1862, 

disability. 
Hall, William H. H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Helena, Ark., 

Nov. 6, 1862. 
Haynes, Seymore P., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at St. Louis 

June 22, 1863. 
Headley, Cornelius, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died May 10, 1862, 

of wounds at Shiloh. 
Hill, Lewis G., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Memphis July 3, 

1863, of wounds at Champion Hills. 
Horn, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Jackson, Edwin C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. April 30, 

1862. 
Litzell, Peter, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Long, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Maurde, Lewis C, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Matthews, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; app. Corp.; killed 

at Champion Hills. 
Maxwell, Hugh, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Meitz, August, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 
Merryman, George W., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. July 11, 

1862, disability. 
Morris, Garland H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Myers, Jerome, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Paducah April 16, 

1862, of wounds at Shiloh. 
McDougall, George P., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

31, 1864. 
McNabb, John 0., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. June 28, 1862, 

disability. 
McNabb, William C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Sept. 10, 

1862, disability. 
Rinhart, John H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at St. Louis July 

2, 1863, of wounds at Champion Hills. 
Rockwell, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Shafer, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Shull, Freeman F., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Paducah, Ky., 

Nov. 16, 1861. 
Shell, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; app. corp. ; killed at Cham- 
pion Hills May 16, 1863. 
Smith, Samuel, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died May 16, 1862. 
Snnth, Philander, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. June 30, 1862. 
Spetler, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Stewart, Jacob, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



330 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



steward, David W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Turner, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Paducah, Ky., 

Oct. 1, 1861. 
Vance, Van Buren, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disoli. July 8, 1862, 

disability. 
Whitcomb, William E., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Woodcos, Nelson C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Dec. 13, 1861, 

disability. 

Enlisted Men, Company H. 
First Sergeant. 
Hacker, James V., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

SergeaiHs. 
Boatright, S. A., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran; trans, to Co. C; 

pro. 2d lieut. 
Griffin, Frank E., must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Paducah, Ky., 

Oct. 24, 1861. 
Bhoads, William F., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

. 1864. 
Bingham, William B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; diseh. June 18, 
1863, for pro. in U. S. colored troops. 

Corjioruh, 
Carrell, William M., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Skinner, William B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Champion 

Hills May 16, 1863. 
Bodkin, Henry C, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Wilson, David, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Welsh, Michael, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; lost in disaster 

of steamer "Sultana" April 27, 1865. 

MusiciciDs. 
Ewing, William B., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Helena, Ark., 

Sept. 29, 1862. 
Robinson, John R., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; diseh. July, 1862. 

Wagoner. 
Hoskins, Robert, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 

Privates. 

Attland, Hiram, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. July 14, 1862, 

disability. 
Bard, John W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Bentley, Edwin P., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1862. 
Branam, Landus, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1862. 
Brooks, Charles A., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Indianapolis 

Aug. 31, 1862. 
Coats, Joseph G., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Coleman, Henry C, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Crawford, John T., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Devan, John W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



France, Cyrus H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Friend, Peter, must. Aug. 31, 1861; died at Jackson, Miss., 

July 17, 1863. 
Glidewell, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861; killed at Champion 

Hills May 16, 1863. 
Goddard, Samuel, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Graver, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861 : died at St. Louis July 19, 

1863, of wounds at Champion Hills. 
Hadden, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Heath, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Hill, John W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Huddleson, Irvin, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Jenkins, Andrew T., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Jerls, John W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Johnson, Barclay R., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
King, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Larimore, Washington M., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

30, 1864. 
Maher, Patrick, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. April 9, 1863, 

disability. 
Mathena, Thomas J., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Meltzer, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Miller, Edward, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Mills, Edwin H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Shiloh April 7, 

1862. 
Moore, William R., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Moore, Thomas C, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Morris, William P., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
McAlister, John A., must. Aug. 31, 1S61 ; disoh. June 10, 1864, 

disability. 
Mcintosh, William H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 

30, 1864. 
Negley, David D., must. Aug. 31, 1861; diseh. Aug. 4, 1864, 

for pro. to 124th Regt. 
Neiman, Jacob F., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; app. corp. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Newberry, Jefferson, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Norton, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. corp.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Odell, Sanford T., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Osborn, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Memphis July 20, 

1862. 
Parks, John W., must. Aug. 31, 1861; killed at Fort Donelson 

Feb. 15, 1862. 
Parr, William M., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Pollam, Martin L., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
Pollam, Samuel, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Robinson, John R , must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; app. sergt. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Rhom, George W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



MAKION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



331 



Ruckle, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Shiloh April 7, 

1862. 
Shultz, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Stapp, Thomas, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt. j 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Stephenson, William L., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Tiffy, Isaac, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Wells, James D., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 30, 

1864. 
West, Andrew J., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at Warrenton, 

Miss., June 28, 1863. 
Williams, Henry F., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Enlisted Men, Company K. 
First Sergeant. 
Franklin, Charles W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Sergeants. 
Frick, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
McGinley, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Bemer, Oscar F., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Frank, Frederick, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Corporals. 
Dixon, Wiley H., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

. 1864. 
Seifritz, Thomas, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Feb. 21, 

1865. 
Childs, George D., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. Sept. 17, 1862, 

disability. 
Dodd, William H. H., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Shiloh 

April 7, 1862. 
Vandegrift, Millard, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 
1864. 

Musicians. 
Darnall, Lewis L., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disoh. Oct. 6, 1862, 

disability. 
Lendormi, Ernest, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 
1864. 

Wagoner. 
Green, James, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



Ackerman, Sebastian, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Apple, Andrew J., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out 

July 26, 1865. 
Apple, Henry F., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Apple, John V., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; killed at Grand Gulf 

May 19, 1863. 
Apple, William M., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; pro. 1st 

lieut. 
Bastian, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out 

July 26, 1865. 



Barrenflnger, Christian, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Feb. 

12, 1865. 
Brown, Charles H., must. Aug. 31, 1861; killed at Champion 

Hills May 16, 1863. 
Brown, Cyrus W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran. 
Belser, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Bierbower, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; app. q.m.- 

sergt, ; must, out July 26, 1865. 
Brackel, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out July 

26,1865. 
Blake, John C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; trans, to Vet. Res. 

Corps. 
Burris, Miles, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; died at New Orleans June 

20, 1864. 
Buesing, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; died Oct. 8, 

1864, of wounds at Winchester. 
Brown, William T., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Cooke, James M., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Corrigan, William, must. Aug. 31,1861; veteran; app. Corp.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Crutohfield, James N., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Crosley, Joseph L., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; died at New 

Orleans May 16, 1864, of accidental wounds. 
Deitz, Anton, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Ege, William W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; disch. April 17, 1863, 

disability. 
Elbrict, Henry, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Feb. 21, 1865. 
Ernst, Lewis, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Feb. 21, 1865. 
Faas, Christian, must. Aug. 31, 1861; trans, to Co. A; must. 

out Aug. 30, 1864. 
Fleming, George W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; app. sergt. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Gassey, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Giles, George W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Griffin, John W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Hale, Andrew M., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Hinds, James H., must. Aug. 31, 186!; veteran; app. Corp.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Haffy, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 

Huber, George, must. Aug. 31, 1S61 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 
Jenkins, John C, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; must, out 

June 24, 1866. 
Jourigan, Eli, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; app. corp. ; must. 

out July 26, 1865. 
Junker, Herman, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Kesler, William, must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Sept. 13, 1862, 

disability. 
Knodel, Ernst, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 
Kraipke, Charles, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt. 

disch. April 12, 1864, for wounds. 
Law, AVarner, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Linderman, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 



332 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



McCue, John, must. Aug. .31, 1861; disch. Deo. 24, 1861, disa- 
bility. 
Miller, Julius, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. corp. ; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Miller, Lewis, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out July 26, 

1865. 
Moran, John, must. Aug. 31, 1861; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps. 
Newman, George, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Pickel, Daniel, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt.; 

niust. out July 26, 1865. 
Perry, James W., must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. Corp.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Perry, Lycurgus, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; died at Fred- 
erick Sept. 13, 1864, of wounds received at Halltown. 
Rufert, Herman, must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 
Roarerty, Joseph, must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Sbultz, Frederick, must. Aug, 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Sykes, George W., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Strauser, Herman, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Thurber, Edward E., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Tedrow, Goorge W., must. Aug. 31, 1861. 
Townsend, Thomas, must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Whaley, Elias, must. Aug. 31, 1861; veteran; app. sergt.; 

must, out July 26, 1865. 
Walker, George G., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Wilson, James P., must. Aug. 31, 1861; disch. Sept. 17, 1862, 

disability. 
Wite, John L., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; veteran ; disch. May 24, 

1865, for wounds. 
White, John S., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 1864. 
WarBeld, William AV., must. Aug. 31, 1861; killed at Shiloh 

April 7, 1862. 
Weigart, William L., must. Aug. 31, 1861 ; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 
Young, John B., must. Aug. 31, 1861; must, out Aug. 31, 

1864. 

TMrteentll Regiment.^ — This regiment first en- 
listed in the State service for a year, but was changed 
to a three years' national regiment in camp in this 
city. It left here July 4, 1861, and joined Gen. 
McClellan's forces at Rich Mountain on the 10th; 
fought next day, losing eight killed and nine wounded. 
After this for several months it was engaged on the 
Cheat River Mountains in all kinds of service, help- 
ing to defeat Gen. Lee at Cheat Mountain, 12th and 
13th of September. It was then scouting through 



the Kanawha and Holly Riyer region, went to Bev- 
erly, Va., and thence went to join Gen. Lander. In 
March, 1862, it was put in Gen. Shields' division, 
went to Winchester, and after a short excursion to 
Strasburg engaged in the battle of Winchester, 
losing six killed and thirty-three wounded. It 
thence joined the pursuit of Stonewall Jackson as 
far as Columbia Bridge. In a reconnoissance at 
Summerville it lost four wounded and twenty-four 
prisoners. It then went to Harrison's Landing, on 
James River, and remained till the evacuation on 
15th of August, and went to Fortress Monroe. For 
nine months it was on the Nansemond River; en- 
gaged in the battle of Deserted Farm, Jan. 30, 1863, 
the defeat of Gen. Longstreet, April 10th to May 3d, 
and tore up forty miles of railway track from two 
railroads in six days in May. In these operations it 
marched four hundred miles, lost two killed, nine- 
teen wounded, and seven prisoners. On August 3d 
it reached Charleston Harbor, and remained till Feb- 
ruary 23d, engaging in all the fighting on Morris 
Island and at Forts Wagner and Gregg. From Feb. 
23 to April 17, 1864, it was at Jacksonville, Fla. 
It was then in all Gen. Butler's operations south of 
Richmond and was conspicuous at Wathal Junction, 
losing in all its engagements two hundred men. On 
June 1st it joined the Army of the Potomac. It was 
engaged at Cold Harbor and about there till the 12th 
of June. On the 15th it joined the assault on the 
rebel works at Petersburg. The non-veterans left on 
the 19th and came to this city, where they were mus- 
tered out June 24th. The others were engaged at 
Petersburg, and after the explosion remained in the 
trenches till September. It was in the battle of 
Strawberry Plains on the 15th of September, and in 
the operations against Richmond on the north side 
of the James River, at Chapin's Blufi' and Fort Gil- 
more, and the attack on the rebel works in front of 
Richmond, Oct. 10, 1864. In November it was sent 
to New York to keep the peace at the election ; then 
joined the expedition to Fort Fisher, and returned to 
Chapin's Bins' on the 31st of December. When the 
non-veterans left Gen. Butler consolidated the vet^ 
erans and recruits and made five companies, in- 
creased to a full regiment by five companies of 



MARIOX COUNTY IN THE WAE OF THE REBELLION. 



333 



drafted men. On the 3d of January, 1865, it 
sailed for Fort Fisher, joined in the attack on 
the 15th, in the capture of Fort Anderson on the 
19th, and the occupation of Wilmington, N. C., on 
the 22d. After some weeks it went to Raleigh, 
thence to Goldsborough. On the 5th of September 
it was mustered out, and reached Indianapolis on the 
15th, with twenty-nine officers and five hundred and 
fifty enlisted men. 

Colonels. 
Robert S. Foster,^ com. April 30, 1862 ; pro. brig. -gen. June 12, 

1863. 
Cyrus J. Dobbs,' com. June 13, 1863; must, out Aug. 5, 1864; 
re-entered as lieut.-eol. in Hancock's corps. 
Surgeon. 
Alois D. Gall, com. Jan. 25, 1862; res. July 15, 1863; was asst. 
surgeon June 19, 1861. 

Company A. 
Captains. 
Cyrus J. Dobbs, com. April 23, 1861; pro. major. 
Abner L. Newland, com. Dec. 7, 1861; res. July 1, 1863. 
Lewis H. Daniels, com. July 8, 1863; must, out July 1, 1864, 
time out. 

First Lieutenants. 
George E. Wallace, com. April 23, 1861; res. Deo. 9, 1861. 
Frank Ingersoll, com. April 20, 1862 ; res. June 24, 1862. 
Martin Hall, com. June 25, 1862 ; resigned. 

Second Lieutenants. 
George H. Eapp, com. April 23, 1861 ; res. Oct. 15, 1861. 
Frank Ingersoll, com. April 1, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Lewis H. Daniels, com. Oct. 17, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
George M. Bishop, com. April 1, 1864; must, out as sergt., time 
out. 

Company H. 

Capta ins. 
Wharton R. Clinton, com. April 23, 1861; res. March 6, 1863. 
Wallace S. Foster, com. April 1, 1863; res. July 29, 1863. 
William S. O'Neal, com. July 30, 1863 ; must, out July 8, 1864, 
time expired. 

First Lieutenants. 
D. P. Price, com. April 2.3, 1861; res. Dec. 24, 1861. 
Wallace S. Foster, com. Jan. 15, 1862; pro. capt. 
William S. O'Neal, com. April 1, 1863; pro. capt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
George Seese, com. April 23, 1861 ; died August, 1861. 
William S. O'Neal, com. Dec. 7, 1861; pro. 1st lieut. 

^ Both were lieutenant-colonels and majors, and Dobbs was 
■captain of Co. A. 



Enlisted Men, Company A. 
First Sergeant. 
Ingersoll, Frank, must. June 19, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Sergeants. 
Sneeman, Edward, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Oct. 16, 1862, 

for wounds. 
Bishop, George M., must. June 19, 1861; app. 1st sergt; must. 

out July 1, 1864. 
Owings, Nathaniel J., must. June 19, 1861; pro. capt. 57th 

Regt. 
Walters, James C, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Sept. 18, 1862, 

disability. 

Gor2>orals. 

Bankhart, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Ciaridge, Daniel, must. June 19, 1861; reduced; must, out 

July 1, 1864. 
Newhall, Charles E., must. June 19, 1861 ; reduced; must, out 

July 1, 1864. 
Renno, John, must. June 19, 1861. 
Snyder, Charles, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Sept. 18, 1862, 

disability. 
Ackerly, George H., must. June 19, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Hastier, Frank, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Engeln, William, must. June 19, 1861. 

Musicians. 
Watson, Morris, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Oct. 16, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Newland, Harrod, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 

Wagoner. 
Hall, Martin, must. June 19, 1861. 

Privates. 

Anderson, John, must. June 19, 1861; app. wagoner; must, 
out July 1, 1864. 

Bachman, Benjamin, must. June 19, 1861; app. Corp.; must, 
out July 1, 1864. 

Bailey, Alpheus, must. June 19, 1861; app. sergt.; veteran; 
trans, to 13th Regt. 

Barrett, Green, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 
Regt., reorganized. 

Benkley, John, must. June 19, 1861. 

Blesser, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861 ; killed at Rich Mountain. 

Boots, George, must. June 19, 1861. 

Brice, James G., must. June 19, 1861; app. sergt.; must, out 
July 1, 1864. 

Brown, William D., must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 
13th Regt. 

Clark, Enos, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Sept. 7, 1862, dis- 
ability. 

Clark, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 7, 1862, dis- 
ability. 

Clarkson, Josiah, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864, 



334 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Clifton, Benjamin, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

13tli Regt. 
Crumbo, Charles, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Nov. 23, 1861, 

for wounds. 
Cullen, Garrett, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13tli 

Regt. 
Curl, Matthew, must. June 19, 1861; killed at Foster's Farm 

May 20, 1S64. 
Daniels, Lewis H., must. June 19, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Diokett, John G., must. June 19, 1861; disch. Aug. 3, 1S61, 

disability. 
Dillon, Alexander, must. June 19, 1861. 
Donivan, Timothy, must. June 19, 1861 ; died from sunstroke 

July 7, 1861. 
Duncan, James, mast. June 19, 1861; disch. Aug. 3, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Eiver, Gottli.eb, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Bttinger, Gustavus, must. June 19, 1861; diseh. Jan. 16, 1862, 

for wounds received. 
Foreaore, Virgil, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Jan. 28, 1862, 

disability. 
Forney, Adam, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to 5th U. S. Cav. 
Forrest, James A. must. June 19, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Free, George, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Fullman, Christian, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 16, 1862, 

disability. 
Fullghern, Charles, must. June 19, 1861. 
Gappan, Samuel, must. June 19, 1861. 
Gillmore, William S., must. June 19, 1861 ; captured May 10, 

1864, at Chester station. 
Gillmore, Henry S., must. June 19, 1861 ; captured ; disch. May 

24, 1862. 
Graham, George, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Grave, Clark, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Oct. 16, 1S62, dis- 
ability. 
Hagerty, James, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Hammond, Rezin, must. June 19, 1861. 
Hesse, George H., must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 

1864. 
Hilton, Andrew, must. June 19, 1861; captured; disch. May 

24, 1864. 
Irick, Samuel, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Aug. 11, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Irick, George W., must. June 19, 1861. 

Kief, David L., must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Kimball, George H., must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 

1864. 
Landskron, Robert, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Sept. 7, 1861, 

disability. 
Larkin, James, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 
Regt. 



Latterman, Adam, must. .Tune 19, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Langsdorfif, Theodore, must. June 19, 1861; sergt. ; veteran; 

trans, to 13th Regt. 
Lower, Solomon, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Ludgate, Edwin, must. June 19, 1861 ; died Dec. 23, 1861, from 

railroad accident. 
Lynch, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 29, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Madden, .Joseph, must. June 19, 1S61; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Madden, John W., must. June 19, 1861 ; app. sergt. ; must. 

out July 1, 1864. 
Mackey, Robert, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Malone, David H., must. June 19, 1861; veteran: trans, to 

13th Regt. 
Martin, John R., must. June 19, 1861 ; died of wounds at Ber- 
muda Hundred May 21, 1864. 
Meyer, Henry, must. June 19, 1861; captured ; disch. May 24, 

1862. 
Michael, Philip, must. June 19, 1861; app. corp.; must, out 

July 1, 1864. • 
Miller, James K., must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Mitchell, Charles, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Mitchell, Origen, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Morgan, Daniel W., must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

13th Regt. 
Morris, Henry, must. June 19, 1861 ; died Sept. 24, 1861. 
Murphy, Jonathan, must. June 19, 1861 ; died Aug. 7, 1861. 
McKinley, Alexander, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Deo. 26, 

1862, disability. 
Perkins, Benjamin, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Aug. 3, 1861, 

disability. 
Quillard, Victor D., must. June 19, 1861 ; app. sergt. ; killed at 

Cold Harbor. 
Quigley, William, must. June 19, 1861; captured; disch. May 

24, 1862. 
Quigley, Matthew, must. June 19, 1861; captured; disch. May 

24, 1862. 
Raimer, William G., must. June 19, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Reynolds, William H., must. June 19, 1861 ; veteran; trans, to 

13th Regt. 
Rogers, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861. 
Savage, William B., must. June 19, 1861 ; app. corp. ; must. 

out July 1, 1864. 
Sloan, John W., must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Smith, Nelson W., must. June 19, 1861; killed at Winchester 

March 23, 1862. 
Smith, Thomas, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1S64. 
Sohn, Charles, must. June 19, 1861; discharged. 
Stodard, Frank, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864, 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



335 



Thomburg, John, must, June 19, 1861 ; must, out Julj 1, 1S64. 
Vogan, John, must. June 19, 1861 ; killed at Foster's Farm 

May 19, 1864. 
Wallace, Jeremiah, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 

1864. 
Weaver, George, must. June 19, 1861 ; died Sept. 22, 1861. 
Worrall, James B., must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864, 
Zimmerman, Gottlieb, must. June 19, 1S61 ; veteran ; trans, to I 

13th Eegt. 

Eecnuf^. 

Cooli, James, must. June 19, 1861; captured at Cold Harbor 

June 1, 1S64. 
Qonway, Martin, must. Juno 19, 1861; trans, to IStli Kegt. 
Doherty, James, must. June 19, 1861 ; trans, to 13th Eegt. 
Ketchum, William, must. Juno 19, 1861 ; trans, to 13th Eegt. 
Lander, Edward, must, June 19, 1861 ; trans, to 13th Eegt. 
Moriarty, Patrick, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to 13th Eegt. 

Enlisted Mes, Company H. 

First Sergeant. 

Clinton, John E., must. June 19, 1861; disch. Sept. 9, 1861, 

disability. 

Sergeants. 
Clark, Augustus M., must. June 19, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
O'Neal, William S., must. June 19, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Fox, Joseph W., must. June 19, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Hymer, Stewart B., must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 

1864. 

Coi-porals. 
Durst, William A., must. June 19, 1861; reduced; must, out 

July 1, 1864. 
Woods, John W., must. June 19,1861; diseh. Aug. 3, 1861, 

for wounds at Bich Mountain. 
Cary, Carr, must. June 19, 1S61 ; app. sergt. ; trans, to 13th 

Eegt. 
Yewell, Solomon, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. July 11, 1862, 

disability. 
Noakes, David, must. June 19,1861; died June 4, 1S64, of 

wounds at Chester Station. 
Trautvelt, Eichard, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

13th Eegt. 
McConnell, Martin v., must. June 19, 1861; app. sergt. ; must. 

out July 1, 1864. 
Morrison, Samuel, must. June 19, 1861; app. sergt.; veteran; 

trans, to 13th Eegt. 

Musicians. 
Vaudy, Walter, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; ,trans. to 13th 

Eegt. 
Jones, Eichard, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Eegt. 

Wagoner. 
Mitchell, Eobert S., must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 

Privates. 
Barriklaw, Perry, must. June 19, 1S61 ; app. Corp.; must, out 
July 1, 1864. 



Bear, Peter A., must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Berth, William H., must. June 19, 1861. 

Bell, Benjamin, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Dec. 17, 1861, dis- 
ability. 
Blatter, Frank, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Brannon, Scranton, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to U. S. Cav. 
Brown, Jackson, must. June 19, 1861 ; died at Beaufort, S. C, 

Oct. 23, 1862. 
Burrows, John, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 15, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Burnett, George T., must. June 19, 1861 ; app. corp. ; veteran ; 

trans, to 13th Eegt. 
Carr, Henry, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Oct. 9, 1861, disability. 
Carroll, Charles, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Carnagua, James W., must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. September, 

1861, for wounds at Eich Mountain. 
Chesel, Frank, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Cook, Nerval L., must. June 19,1861; disch. Nov. 20, 1862, 

disability. 
Custer, Thomas, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Eegt. 
Culbertson, Hugh, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 9, 1861, 

disability. 
Depuy, Franklin, must. June 19, 1861. 
Donovan, Obadiah, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Oct. 15, 1863, 

disability. 
Drum, James A., must. June 19, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 13th 

Eegt. 
Ellison, James E., must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Erwin, Eobert, must. June 19, 1861. 

Fletcher, Samuel, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Gallagher, Oscar, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Gardner, Samuel, must. June 19, 1861 ; diseh. Nov. 15, 1862, 

disability. 
Gass, Lewis, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Greenwood, Thomas J., must. June 19, 1861. 
Heath, George H., must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Feb. 15, 1863, 

disability. 
Hemphill, Thomas J., must. June 19, 1861. 
Haines, William, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Dec. 17, 1861, 

disability. 
Hoffman, Hiram F., must. June 19, 1861; disch. August, 1863, 

disability. 
Jennings, Clark, must. June 19, 1861; wounded at Deserted 

House; app. Corp.; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Johnston, Thomas, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 

1864. 
Judd, Phineas, must. June 19, 1861. 

Kelley, John, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. June 30, 1862, disa- 
bility. 
Kirk, John, must. June 19, 1861; disch. September, 1863, dis- 
ability. 
Koehler, Christian, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Nov. 15, 1862, 
disability. 



336 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Lewis, "William, must. June 19, 1861 ; app. corp. ; veteran ; 

trans, to l.Sth Regt. 
Love, James, must. June 19, 1861 ; died at Folly Island, S. C, 

Dee. 10, 186.3. 
Lucas, David, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Lynch, Edward, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; killed near 

Petersburg September, 1864. 
Lynch, James, must. June 19, 1861. 

Lyons, Martin, must. June 19, 1861 ; must out July 1, 1864. 
Maloney, William, must. June 19, 1861; app. Corp.; trans, to 

13th Regt. 
Mullen, Harrison, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Mullen, Lemuel, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Mulcahey, John, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Murrell, Henry, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Morris, Morton, must. June 19, 1861 ; disoh. Oct. 9, 1861, disa- 
bility. 
Moore, Thomas H., must. June 19, 1861; dishon. disch. by 

G.C.M. Dec. 14, 1861. 
Morrison, John, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to Vet. Res. Corps 

Aug. 15, 1863. 
Morrison, Squier, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. June 17, 1862, 

disability. 
MoFarren, George, must. June 19, 1861 ; died at Hilton Head 

Jan. 2, 1864. 
MoNelius, James, must. June 19, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Niegle, Karl, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 
Pemberton, John, must. June 19, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Reese, Norman, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 9, 1861, dis- 
ability. 
Redmond, John F., must. June 19,1861; app. Corp., veteran ; 

trans, to 13th Regt. 
Ritter, Henry, must. June 19, 1861; disch. June 17, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Robinson, Dixon, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Sanders, Addison, must. June 19, 1861. 
Seely, Hiram, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Seely, Charles, must. June 19, 1861; disch. May 25, 1863, 

for wounds at Winchester. 
Sievers, Fritz H. L., must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Nov. 26, 1863, 

disability. 
Shaw, Thomas, must. June 19, 1861 ; died Dec. 10, 1863. 
Smith, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 13th 

Regt. 
Smith, Benjamin, must. June 19, 1861 ; died April 29, 1862. 
Smith, Oliver, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Nov. 15, 1862, dis- 
ability. 
Sorge, John S., must. June 19, 1861; disoh. March 14, 1863, 
disability. 



Sorter, William, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Jan. 1, 1863, dis- 
ability. 

Steiger, Henry, must. June 19, 1861; disch. Oct. 9, 1861, disa- 
bility. 

Stepp, William T., must. June 19, 1861; app. sergt. ; veteran; 
trans, to 13th Regt. 

Stoots, Joseph, must. June 19, 1861, 

Sullivan, Timothy B., must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Nov. 15, 
1862, disability. 

Tawney, Lewis, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 

Thompson, Allen T., must. June 19, 1861; killed at Rich 
Mountain July 11, 1861. 

Thornburgh, Isaac, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 
13th Regt. 

Thornburgh, George, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 
1864. 

Violory, Peter, must. June 19, 1861 ; must, out July 1, 1864. 

Wilson, John, must. June 19, 1861 ; disch. Nov. 20, 1862, dis- 
ability. 

Wilson, George, must. June 19, 1861; must, out July 1, 1864. 

Williams, Lazarus, must. June 19, 1861; scout; captured and 
never heard from. 

Winters, William, must. June 19, 1861; veteran; trans, to 
13th Regt. 

Hecruits. 

Brown, James, must. June 19, 1861 ; trans, to 13th Regt. 

Bossee, Clemens, must. June 19, 1861 ; trans, to 13th Regt. 

Finke, William, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to 13th Regt. 

Gibbon, Conrad, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to 13th Regt. 

Huber, Jacob, must. June 19, 1861; trans, to 13th Regt. 

Hamler, August, must. June 19, 1861 ; trans, to 13th Regt. 

Lowery, George E., must. June 19, 1861 : trans, to 13th Regt. 

Sabatcke, William, must. June 19, 1861; killed at Chester 
Station May 10, 1864. 
Note. — The "transfer to the Thirteenth Regiment," which 
so often, means to the regiment after its reorganization. 



Eighteenth Regiment. 

Lieutenant-Colonel. 
James B. Black, com. Jan. 1, 1865; was maj., and pro. 1st 
lieut. and capt. Co. H ; must. out. 

Adjutant, 
George S. Marshall, com. Aug. 13, 1S61; pro. capt. and A.A.G. 

Sur,,eon. 
S. Clay Brown, com. June 7, 1864; must, out with regt. 

Nineteenth Regiment. — Organized July 29, 
1861, at Indianapolis, with Solomon Meredith as 
colonel, it went to the Army of the Potomac August 
9th, and lost three killed and wounded and three 
prisoners at Lewinsville September 11th. It had 
not much to do then till the night of Aug. 28, 1862, 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



337 



when a severe engagement with Ewell's command 
lost it one hundred and eighty-seven killed and 
wounded and thirty-three prisoners. At the battle 
of South Mountain, September 14th, it lost forty 
killed and wounded and seven missing. At Antie- 
tam it went into the battle with two hundred officers 
and men, and came out with thirty of both. It was 
next engaged in Burnside's attack on the works in 
the rear of Fredericksburg. At Fitzhugh's Cross- 
ing, April 28, 1863, it lost four killed and wounded. 
It reached Gettysburg just as the battle opened on 
the 1st of July. It was the first infantry force to 
engage, and assisted in capturing Archer's rebel 
brigade. In the afternoon it resisted the charge 
made on the First and Eleventh Corps, losing in 
killed and wounded two hundred and ten men of 
two hundred and eighty-eight that went into the 
fight. It was not much engaged after this until it 
joined Grant's movement on Richmond. It was in 
the battles of the Wilderness, North Anna, Laurel 
Hill, and Cold Harbor. It was also engaged in the 
siege of Petersburg. It lost after crossing the 
Rapidan with Grant, — May 4th to July 30th, — 
killed, thirty-six ; severely wounded, ninety-four ; 
slightly wounded, seventy-four ; missing, sixteen ; 
in all, two hundred and twenty. The non-veterans 
left in August, and were mustered out here. The 
remainder *of the regiment, with the recruits, went 
South with the Iron Brigade, to cut the Weldon 
Railroad, in August. In September the remainder 
of the Seventh Regiment was consolidated with the 
Nineteenth, taking its name. It remained in the 
intrenchments at Petersburg till Oct. 18, 1864, 
when it was consolidated with the Twentieth Regi- 
ment. All served together till the muster-out at 
Louisville, Ky., July 12, 1865. 

Colonel. 
John M. Lindley, com. May 13, 1864; must, out as lieut.-ool. 
Oct. 24, 1864, on consolidation with 20th Regt.; had been 
lieut.-col. and maj., and capt. Co. F. 

Adjutant. 
John P. Wood, com. July 29, 1S61 ; res. May 80, 1862. 

Quartermasiftra. 
James S. Drum, com. July '29, 1861; res. July 31, 1862; pro. 
A.C.S. 
22 



John A. Cottman, com. Oct. 1, 1862 ; hon. disch. May 2, 1864 ; 
pro. A.C.S. 

Assistant Surgeons. 

William H. Kendrick, com. July 29, 1861 ; resigned. 
J. N. Green, com. Sept. 14, 1861; res. Dec. 28, 1862. 

Company D. 
First Lieutenants. 
Henry Vandegrift, com. July 29, 1861 ; resigned. 
Lewis M. Yeatman, com. Feb. 12, 1863 ; must, out, time ex- 
pired. 

Second Lieutenants. 

Frederick E. Hale, com. July 29, 1861 ; res. Nov. 28, 1861. 
Lewis M. Teatman, com. Oct. 14, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
George W. Huntsman, com. Feb. 12, 1863 ; dismissed by 
G.C.M. Dec. 6,1863. 

Company F. 
Cajltains. 
John M. Lindley, com. July 29, 1861; promoted. 
James R. Nash, com. April 1, 1864 ; must, out Oct. 22, 1864, 
time expired. 

First Lieutenants. 

Benjamin F. Reed, com. July 29, 1861 ; res. Sept. 21, 1861. 
John A. Cottman,! com. Oct. 15, 1861; assigned to q.m. 
James R. Nash,i com. May 21, 1863 ; pro. capt. 

Company H. 
First Lieutenant. 
Theodore Hudnot, com. July 29, 1861 ; resigned. 

Enlisted Men, Company D. 
First Sergeant. 
Tousey, Omer, must. July 29, 1861; discharged. 

Sergeants. 
Huntsman, George W., must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded. 
Craft, Richard P., must. July 29, 1861; wounded. 
Lawrence, Thomas R., must. July 29, 1861. 
Eanselmeir, William, must. July 29, 1861 ; died July 19, 1862. 

Corjiorals. 
Shipley, James A., must. July 29, 1861 j died at Washington 

Sept. 8, 1861. 
Whitney, Edward B., must. .July 29, 1861 ; app. sergt. ; 

wounded. 
Bare, James 0., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; killed in the 

Wilderness May 5, 1864. 
Johnson, Hutchinson, must. July 29, 1861; killed at Gaines- 

Tille Aug. 28, 1862. 
MoRoberts, Charles L., must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 28, 

1864. 
Bare, DeWitt, must. July 29, 1861; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Phelps, Henry, must. July 29, 1861; must, out July 28, 1864. 

1 Last two also second lieutenants. 



338 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Jack, Walter P., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 
Regt. 



Rice, George, must. July 29, 1861. 

DaTis, James W., must. July 29, 1861; disch. Dec. 2, 1861. 



War/over, 
McCoy, Benjamin F., must. July 29, 1861. 



Aiken, Daniel, must. July 29, 1861; reteran ; wounded; trans. 

to 2ath Regt. 
Alley, Oliver, must. July 29, 1861. 

Amick, Washington, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gaines- 
ville Aug. 28, 1862. 
Andrick, Jacob, must. July 29, 1861. 
Arnold, William, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded; 

trans, to 20th Regt. 
Baker, James, must. July 29, 1861. 
Baker, Isaac, mast. July 29, 1861. 
Ball, Ahab K., must. July 29, 1861. 
Bachus, Matthias, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Bell, Henry, must. July 29, 1861. 

Blair, Milton, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; wounded at Pe- 
tersburg ; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Boyd, John T., must. July 29, 1861; died Sept. 23, 1861, at 

Washington. ' 

Burroughs, John, must. July 29, 1861. 

Cooper, James M., must. July 29, 1861; died Dec. 17, 1862. 
Curson, Edward, must. July 29, 1861; wounded; must, out 

July 28, 1864, as sergt. 
Corragan, James, must. July 29, 1861. 
Cowgill, Isaac, must. July 29, 1861. 

Cutshaw, Harvey N., must. July 29, 1861. ' 

Colloway, Thomas, must. July 29, 1861. 
Darragh, Gillett, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; captured at 

Cold Harbor; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Dimmick, William H., must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 28, 

1864. 
Dolph, Joseph, must. July 29, 1861; died July 7, 1862. 
Dornaw, William, must. July 29, 1861; killed at Gainesville 

Aug. 28, 1862. 
Drysdale, Henry F., must. July 29, 1861. 
Dunn, John C, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Eddy, John, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville Aug. 

28, 1862. 
Everts, William, must. July 29, 1861; wounded; must, out 

July 28, 1864. 
Fidler, Nelson, must. July 29, 1S61 ; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Flagg, William, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded. 
Fletcher, William, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; app. corp. ; 

wounded ; trans, to 20th Regt. 



Fletcher, John M., must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded at Wilder- 
ness. 
Gattenby, John, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; wounded ; trans. 

to 20th Regt. 
Galloway, Harvey, must. July 29, 1861. 
Green, William H., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

20th Regt. 
Hamilton, John, must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Henderson, John, must. July 29, 1861. 
Henderson, Richard T., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans. 

to 20th Regt. 
Henby, William B., must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 28, 

1864. 
Homey, William A., must. Julj' 29, 1861 ; died at Washington 

March 31, 1862. 
HoUoway, David S., must. July 29, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Homiday, Clark, must. July 29, 1861; died July 24, 1863. 
Hobbs, Harvey, must. July 29, 1S61. 
Hughes, James L., must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville 

Aug. 28, 1862. 
Haut, William H., must. July 29, 1861. 
Inlow, Asbury, must. July 29, 1861. 

Jacobs, Milton, must. July 29, 1861; wounded at Antietam. 
Jacks, John W., must. July 29, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. 
Jones, Henry, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville Aug. 

28, 1862. 
Kiser, Henry, must. July 29, 1862 ; veteran ; app. sergt. ; killed 

in the Wilderness May 8, 1864. 
Lacey, Louis, must. July 29, 1862; died Sept. 14, 1862, of 

wounds received at South Mountain. 
May, Richard, must. July 29, 1861; died Nov. 22, 1S62, of 

wounds received at Gainesville. 
Mann, Thomas, must. July 29, 1861. 
Mendenhall, Benjamin, must. July 29, 1861. 
McDaniel, Reason, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

20th Regt. 
McDonald, Daniel B., must. July 29, 1S61 ; wounded. 
McDonald, William C, must. July 29, 1861; killed at Gaines- 
ville Aug. 28, 1862. 
Moore, John W., must. July 29, 1861. 
Munroe, Herman, must. July 29, 1861. 
Ninabee, Herman, must. July 29, 1861. 
Oliver, Abram J., must. July 29, 1861 ; captured at Gettysburg; 

died at Andersonville Sept. 5, 1864. 
Padgett, Richard, must. July 29, 1861; wounded. 
Pearsoll, Samuel, must. July 29, 1861 ; captured at Cold Harbor. 
Phelps, Henry, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Redout, Isaac, must. July 29, 1861. 
Rice, Oliver, must. July 29, 1861. 
Sargent, James, must. July 29, 1861. 
Sargent, John, must. July 29, 1861; died at Washington Nov. 

22, 1861. 
Sherrod, Samuel S., must. July 29, 1861. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



339 



Shipley, Talbert B., must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; wounded in 

the Wilderness ; trans, to 29th Regt. 
Small, William P., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded at 

North Anna; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Smith, Joseph D., must. July 29, 1861. 
Stedman, Arthur, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Stewart, William, must. July 29, 1861. 
Sulgrove, Eli, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Shaw, Augustus D., must. July 29, 1861. 
Tevis, Lloyd, must. July 29, 1861. 

TuUis, Henry B., must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Vanbooth, James, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; app. sergt. ; 

killed at Cold Harbor June 1, 1864. 
Williams, Stephen, must. July 29, 1861. 
Wood, William H. H., must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Lewins- 

ville Sept. 11, 1861. 
Woods, Squire, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded; cap- 
tured in the Wilderness ; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Yeatman, Lewis M., must. July 29, 1861; wounded; pro. 2d 

lleut. 

Enlisted Men, Company F. 
J^irst Sergeant. 
Wheat, Benjamin D., must. July 29, 1861. 

Sergeants. 

Forbes, William, must. July 29, 1861. 

Rarden, John C, must. July 29, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Richardson, Harland, must. July 29, 1861 ; captured at Get- 
tysburg; pro. 2d lieut. 

Dever, James, must, July 29, 1861; captured at Gettysburg; 
died at Andersonville Sept. 19, 1864, 

Corporals, 
Russell, Samuel N., must. July 29, 1861. 
Nash, James R., must. July 29, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Foulk, Austin M., must. July 29, 1861; reduced; captured at 

Gettysburg; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Hartley, Joseph L., must. July 29, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut, 
Wilson, William P., must. July 29, 1861 ; disch. on account of 

wounds received at Gettysburg. 
Agan, James, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville Aug. 

28, 1862. 
Echenbreicher, Christian, must. July 29, 1861; reduced; 

wounded. 
Collins, Cornelius, must. July 29, 1861. 

Musicians. 
Stuart, Andrew T., must. July 29, 1861. 
Martindale, Henry S., must. July 29, 1861 ; died Sept. 28, 1861 . 

Wagoner. 
Foley, Daniel, must. July 29, 1861. 



Privates. 
Bolton, Robert, must. July 29, 1861. 
Brennan, Thomas, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded at Gainesville : 

disch. ; re-enl. in Hancock*s corps. 
Bryan, James H., must. July 29, 1861. 
Bannan, Michael, must. July 29, 1S61; wounded. 
Caffrey, John^ must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Campbell, Michael, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville 

Aug. 28, 1862. 
Cassiday, James, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded. 
Clifford, Burr N., must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Cly, Abram N., must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Cly, John, must. July 29, 1861 ; died Deo. 9, 1862, of wounds 

at Manassas. 
Canine, James, must. July 29, 1861; wounded. 
Collins, James, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
CofiSn, Zaehariah, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded at Cold Har- 
bor; must, out as sergt. July 28, 1864. 
Collins, Nathaniel, must. July 29, 1861. 
Coyle, Patrick, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville Aug. 

28, 1862. 
Debay, John, must. July 29, 1861; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Davenport, John, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Dever, Patrick, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 

Regt. 
Doud, John, must. July 29, 1861. 
Dunlap, David R., must. July 29, 1861; died Sept. 26, 1862, 

of wounds at Antietam. 
Duley, George W., must. July 29, 1861. 
Ellison, James, must. July 29, 1861. 
Evans, Asbury C, must. July 29, 1861. 
Fisher, David M., must. July 29, 1861; wounded; must, out 

July 28, 1864, as sergt. 
Ford, Francis M., must. July 29, 1861; wounded; captured; 

must, out July 28, 1864, as sergt. 
Goggin, John, must, July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville Aug. 

28, 1862. 
Griffin, Nathaniel G., must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded at South 

Mountain. 
Hall, Henry C, must. July 29, 1861. 
Hanna, Josephus, must. July 29, 1861 ; disch. June, 1862, 

disability. 
Hamilton, Archibald E., must. July 29, 1861 ; must, out July 

28, 1864. 
Hand, Levi S., must. July 29, 1861 ; mustered out July 28, 

1864. 
Harman, Daniel, must. July 29, 1861; killed at Gainesville 

Aug. 28, 1862. 
Hardy, Dennis, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded. 
Harting, Michael, must. July 29, 1861 



340 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Hartley, Josiah F., must. July 29, ISCl; died Oct. 22, 1862, 

of wounds at Gainesville. 
Hartman, William, must. July 29, 1861. 
Harris, Thomas, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 

Eegt. 
Hauk, Joseph, must. July 29, 1861. 
Hearst, Christian, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

20th Regt. 
Holden, John, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th 

Regt. ; captured at Wilderness. 
Huff, August, must. July 29, 1861. 
Jenkins, Charles T., must. July 29, 1861. 
Lamb, John A., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded; 

trans, to 20feh Regt. 
Lamb, Isaac, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded. 
Lovette, Gilbert M., must. July 29, 1861; must, out July 28, 

1864. 
Long, Nelson, must. July 29, 1861. 
Maguire,. James, must. July 29, 1861. 
Manning, John, must. July 29, 1861. 
Mankin, Andrew J., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded; 

trans, to 20th Regt. 
Marsh, Christopher C, must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; cap- 
tured at Wilderness; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Miller, William, must. July 29, 1861. 
Miller, Fred., must. July 29, 1861. 
Moriarty, Matthew, must. July 29, 1861; killed at South 

Mountain Sept. 14, 1862. 
McCarthy, John, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded at South 

Mountain and Petersburg; must, out July 28, 1864. 
McCrehan, Daniel, must. July 29, 1861 ; captured at Gettys- 
burg ; must, out March 24, 1864. 
Nash, Richard, must. July 29, 1861; must, out July 28, 1864. 
Newbill, John S., must. July 29, 1861. 
O'Connor, John, must. July 29, 1861; captured; must, out 

March, 1865. 
Quinlan, Daniel, must. July 29, 1861. 
Roberts, Leander, must. July 29, 1861. 
Roetter, August, must. July 29, 1861. 
Roney, Patrick, must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Gainesville 

Aug. 28, 1862. 
Rourk, Maurice, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded at 

Petersburg ; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Russell, Edward J., must. July 29, 1861; wounded. 
Sohmeder, William, must. July 29, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

20th Regt. 
Sharp, Thomas J., must. July 29, 1861 ; discharged. 
Smith, Flemming, must. July 29, 1861. 
Smock, Harvey, must. July 29, 1861. 
Smoek, Charles B., must. July 29, 1861. 
Smock, John W., must. July 29, 1861; veteran; wounded at 

Petersburg; trans, to 20th Regt. 
Sulgrove, Elkanah, must. July 29, 1S61 ; killed at Gettysburg 

July 1, 1863. 



Tharp, William, must. July 29, 1861 ; wounded. 

Timmans, Patrick, must. July 29, 1861; wounded at Wilder- 
ness ; must, out July 28, 1864. 

Waidley, Jesse H., must. July 29, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 
20th Regt. 

Waller, John S., must. July 29, 1861 ; killed at Fitzhugh's 
Crossing April 29, 1863. 

Weidman, George P., must. July 29, 1861 ; died July 24, 1862. 

White, James, must. July 29, 1861; wounded at Gettysburg; 
must, out July 28, 1864. 

Wood, Samuel, must. July 29, 1861. 

Wood, George W., must. July 29, 1861. 

Wood, John P., must. July 29, 1861. 

Wyman, Samuel, must. July 29, 1861. 

Toung, Israel, must. July 29, 1861. 

Twentieth. Regiment. — Organized at Lafayette, 
in July, 1861, came to Indianapolis, where it was mus- 
tered in. It was first set to guarding a Pennsylvania 
railroad near Baltimore. It went to Hatteras Sep- 
tember 27th, and was sent to Hatteras Bank, forty 
miles up, where a rebel fleet of gunboats and trans- 
ports, with infantry, attacked it and drove it to the 
light-house twenty-eight miles away. Its next active 
service was at Newport News, when the rebel ram 
" Merrimac" sunk the national vessels and fought the 
first " Monitor." It joined the Army of the Potomac 
on the Peninsula. On the 25th of June it lost in 
the battle of the Orchards one hundred and forty- 
four men and officers, killed, wounded, and missing. 
It covered the national retreat and was in all the fights 
of the noted seven days. It was in the Second 
Bull Run battle, where its colonel, Brown, was killed. 
On the 1st of September it was in the battle of 
Chantilly. Its great losses required a rest, and it was 
not actively engaged, except in marches, till December 
11th, when it took part in the battle of Fredericks- 
burg with Franklin's corps. It aided in saving three 
Union batteries. It was in the battle of Chancellors- 
ville, and captured for a time the whole Twenty-third 
Georgia regiment, larger than itself. It reached 
Gettysburg in time for the battle. Here its colonel, 
Wheeler, was killed, with one hundred and fifty-two 
men and officers killed and wounded. It was sent to 
New York in the election of 1864 to keep order, and 
rejoined the Army of the Potomac, and was in the en- 
gagements at Locust Grove and Mine Run, in Novem- 
ber. In May, 1864, it crossed the Rapidan with 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



341 



Grant, and was in the battles of the Wilderness, 
Todd's Tavern, and Hatcher's Run, and on the left 
was in all the fighting from Hatcher's Run to the fall 
of Richmond. Its last fight was at Clover Hill, April 
9, 1865. It then went to Washington, and then to 
Louisville, Ky., on June 21st. On the 12th of July 
it was mustered out there with three hundred and 
ninety men and twenty-three officers. 

Lietiteiiant- Colonel. 
George W. Meikel, com. July 3, 1863; killed at Petersburg, 
Va., Sept. 16, 1S64. 

Adjutant, 
John E. Luther, com. May 27, 1863; must, out Oct. 13, 1864; 
term expired. 

Aasiatant Surgeon. 
Daniel H. Prunk, com. June 28, 1862; dismissed, to date Nov. 
15, 1862. 

Company D. 
Caj)tain. 
William D. Vatchett, com. Oct. 23, 1863 ; must out Oct. 6, 1864 ; 
time out; had been 1st and 2d lieut. 

Company H. 
Oaptaina. 
George W. Geisendorff, com. July 22, 1861 ; resigned. 
George W. Mickel, com. Dec. 4, 1861; pro. lieut.-col. 
Charles Liner, com. June 6, 1863; must, out Oct. 10, 1864, 

term expired. 

First Lieutenants. 
George W. Mickel, com. July 22, 1861; pro. oapt. 
William 0. Sherwood, com. Deo. 4, 1861; resigned April 3, 

1863. 
Charles Liner, com. April 4, 1863; pro. capt, 
Harry Geisendorff, com. June 6, 1863; must, out Oct. 10, 1864, 

term expired. 

Second Lieutenants. 
William 0. Sherwood, com. July 22, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Fred. W. Geisendorff, com. Dec. 4, 1861 ; resigned July 29, 1862. 
Charles Liner, com. July 30, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Harry Geisendorff, com. April 4, 1863; pro. 1st lieut. 
William Dickason, com. Aug. 1, 1864; must, out as supply 

aergt., Oct. 29, 1864. 

Enlisted Men, Company H. 
First Sergeant. 
Geisendorff, Fred. W., must. July 22, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Sergeants, 
Kemper, John W., must. July 22, 1861 ; app. 1st sergt. ; disch. 

December, 1862, disability. 
Davis, Moses, must. July 22, 1861; disch. August, 1S62. 



Liner, Charles, must. July 22, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Geisendorff, Harry, must. July 22, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Corporals. 
Crunkleton, Joseph, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. December, 

1861, disability. 
Meek, James C, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured on gunboat 

"Fanny;" disch. May 22, 1862. 
Dickenson, William, must. July 22, 1861 ; veteran ; pro. 2d 

lieut.; died in prison at Wilmington, N. C, July, 1864. 
Ellsworth, Andrew, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. for wounds at 

Orchards. 
Springer, David, must. July 22, 1861 ; trans, to Invalid Corps, 

1862; disch. July 22, 1864. 
Archer, William, must. July 22, 1861 ; killed at Spottsylvania. 
Hiner, William, must. July 22, 1861 ; wounded at Mine Run. 
Kelley, John, must. July 22, 1861; must, out July, 1865. 

Musicians. 

Sackett, Frederick P., must. July 22, 1861; captured on gun- 
boat "Fanny;" disch. May 22, 1862. 

Andrews, John, must, July 22, 1861; captured on gunboat 
"Fanny;" disch. May 22, 1862. 

Wagoner. 
Tull, Newton, must. July 22, 1861; died at Alexandria, Va., 
August, 1862. 

Privates. 

Allen, Henry C, must. July 22, 1861; disch. for disability. 

Allen, John, must. July 22, 1861; disch. December, 1861, dis- 
ability. 

Allen, William, must. July 22, 1861; disch. August, 1862, dis- 
ability. 

Anderson, John, must. .July 22, 1861 ; must, out July 29, 1864. 

Bassett, Harvey, must. July 22, 1861; wounded at Chicka- 
hominy June 25, 1862 ; died in a Richmond prison July 
30, 1862. 

Baylor, James, must. July 22, 1861. 

Beaver, Isaac, must. July 22, 1861; captured at Mine Run; 
must, out Feb. 9, 1865. 

Bennett, Lucius L., must. July 22, 1861; captured October, 
1861. 

Black, Edward A., must. Jul}' 22, 1861 ; killed at Gettysburg 
July 4, 1863. 

Briner, Daniel L., must. July 22, 1861; killed at Spottsylva- 
nia, Va. 

Bushnell, Franklin, must. July 22, 1861; disch. for wounds. 

Cassell, George W., must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. December, 1861, 
for disability. 

Cay wood, Samuel, must. July 22, 1 861 ; trans, to Invalid Corps. 

Chriswell, Thomas, must. July 22, 1861 ; killed at Gettysburg. 

Clayton, James, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured at Chicomico- 
mico; disch. May 22, 1862. 

Clow, David, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; must, out July, 
1865. 



342 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Cooper, Ephraim, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. in 1S62. 
Cottrell, David, must. July 22, 1861'; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Craner, Eli, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Custer, James, must. July 22, 1861 ; died at Newport News 

April, 1862. 
Dennis, Irvin, must. July 22, 1861 ; wounded Sept. 10, 1861 ; 

trans, to 20th, reorganized. 
Diokey, John, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Fagen, Lambert, must. July 22, 1861 ; killed at Orchards June 

25,1862. 
Finley, James, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Ford, James A., must. July 22, 1861 ; veteran; must, out July, 

1865. 
Frizell, Allen, must. July 22, 1861: app. drum-major; must. 

out October, 1864. 
Gamble, Henry, must. July 22, 1861; died at Cockeysville, 

Md., August, 1861. 
Gardner, James, must. July 22, 1861 ; must, out July 22, 1864. 
Geek, Michael, must. July 22, 1861; must, out July 29, 1864. 
Hagan, Samuel, must. July 22, 1861 ; killed at Gettysburg July 

2, 1863. 
Harris, Charles, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. on account of 

wounds received at Gettysburg. 
Hays, Abram, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. December, 1861. 
Hill, Samuel, must. July 22, 1861 ; must, out July 29, 1864. 
Hurlburt, George, must. July 22, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Hufman, John, must. July 22, 1861; killed at Orchards June 

25, 1862. 
Irick, Daniel, must. July 22, 1861; disch. December, 1861, for 

disability. 
Irick, Morris, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. on account of wounds 

received at Fredericksburg. 
Iholtz, Christopher, must. July 22, 1861 ; must, out July 29, 

1864. 
James, Jacob, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; died at Peters- 
burg. 
Jenkins, William, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; trans, to 

20th, reorganized. 
King, James, must. July 22, 1861. 
Kurtz, Frederick, mustered July 22, 1861 ; . must, out July 29, 

1864. 
Lang, Frederick, must. July 22, 1861; disch. September, 1862, 

for disability. 
Lawrence, Frank, must. July 22, 1861; killed in the Wilder- 
ness. 
Leffel, George, must. July 22, 1861; disch. for wounds. 
Lewis, Joshua, must. July 22, 1861; disch. August, 1862, for 

disability. 
Long, Noah, must. July 22, 1861; discharged. 



Miller, Nelson, must. July 22, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Mourer, Michael, must. July 22, 1861 ; veteran ; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Monter, Lewis, must. July 22, 1861; wounded Oct. 29, 1863; 

must, out July 29, 1864. 
O'Haver, Warren, must. July 22, 1861; disch. December, 1861, 

for disability. 
Oxford, Elias, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured on gunboat 

"Fanny;" died at Washington May 19, 1862. 
Piersons, Frank B., must. July 22, 1861 ; captured on gunboat 

"Fanny;" disch. May 22, 1862. 
Powers, Michael, must. July 22, 1861; must, out July 29,1864. 
Eance, Albert, must. July 22, 1861 ; wounded at Spottsylvania. 
Robinson, Solomon B., must. July 22, 1861. 
Euh, William, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. for disability. 
Rule, James M., must. July 22, 1861; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. 
Russell, William P., must. July 22, 1861; killed at Richmond 

June 29, 1862. 
Seraoh, Christian, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured at Chicomioo- 

mico ; disch. May 22, 1862. 
Shallenbarger, Benton, must. July 22, 1861; disch. on account 

of wounds received at Orchards. 
Sharp, Colonel P., must. July 22, 1861 ; veteran; trans, to 20th, 

reorganized. ^ 
Shoof, Jacob, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured at Chicomicomico ; 

disch. May 22, 1862. 
Shur, Christian, must. July 22, 1861 ; must, out July 29, 1864. 
Simpson, Richard, must. July 22, 1861. 
Simpson, William, must. July 22, 1861. 
Smith, Samuel S., must. July 22, 1861. 
Smith, Edward C, must. July 22, 1861; died at Alexandria, 

Va., in 1863. 
Stevens, David, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured at Fredericks- 
burg ; never heard from since. 
Stockwell, Robert, must. July 22, 1861 ; died at Harrison's 

Landing Aug. 9, 1862. 
Sweet, Nelson, must. July 22, 1861; killed at Orchards June 

25, 1862. 
Talbertt, Overton, must. July 22, 1861; disch. December, 1861, 

for disability. 
Templin, George W., must. July 22, 1861 ; wounded at Green- 
dale, Va. 
Ten Eyck, John, must. July 22, 1861 ; must, out July 29, 1864. 
Thompson, William, must. July 22, 1861 ; disch. in 1862 for 

disability. 
Tilbason, John, must. July 22, 1861 ; died of wounds June 25, 

1862. 
Tristy, Miles, must. July 22, 1861 ; captured at Gettysburg. 
Van Horn, Abram, must. July 22, 1861. 
Whealan, Timothy, must. July 22, 1861. 
White, Charles H., must. July 22, 1861; drowned October, 

1861, trying to escape from Hatteras Island. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



343 



Wilson, Robert, must. July 22, 1861; trans, to Co. A. 
"Windle, William, must. July 22, 1861 j captured on gunboat 
"Fanny;" disoh. May 22, 1S62. 

Recruils. 

Angevine, Edward Gr., must. Sept. 26, 1861. 

Atkins, William A., must. Oct. 21, 1862 : trans, to 20th, reor- 
ganized. 

Broderick, John, must. April 1, 1864; trans, to 20th, reorgan- 
ized. 

Barbour, Calrin S., must. Oct. 22, 1862; trans, to 20th, reor- 
ganized. 

Brewer, John, must. ; disch. for disability. 

Beach, Henry, must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Breneshaltz, Sylvester, must. Oct. 27, 1862. 

Clouse, Joseph H., must. Oct. 21, 1862; trans, to 20th, reor- 



Cloidt, Joseph, must. Oct. 21, 1862; wounded in the Wilder- 
ness; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Cain, Hyatt, must. April 12, 1864; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Eaton, John N., must. April 12, 1864 ; trans, to 20th, reorgan- 
ized. 

Fuller, Morris, must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Furgison, John, must. Oct. 21, 1862; trans, to 20th, reorgan- 
ized. 

Gardonier, Edwin T., must. Oct. 21, 1862; trans, to 20th, reor- 
ganized. 

Gardner, Matthew, must. March 12, 1864; wounded at Or- 
chards ; disch. for disability. 

Gardner, Jerome, must. Oct. 21, 1862. 

Hurlburt, George W., veteran. 

Hutchens, Thomas E., must. Oct. 28, 1S62; trans, to 20th, reor- 



Hooker, E. M. B., must. Sept. 26, 1861 ; app. sergt.-major. 

Homer, Bazil, must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

King, William A., must. Oct. 21, 1862. 

Karad, Joseph, must. Oct. 21, 1862. 

Lee, John C, must. Oct. 17, 1863 ; died at Richmond, Va. 

Lang, Fritz, must. Oct. 21, 1862 ; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Laoox, William, must. Oct. 16, 1862; wounded Oct. 1, 1864; 
trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Meeks, Irvin D., must. April 12, 1864; disch. June 13, 1865, 
for disability. 

Miller, Jacob S., must. Feb. 24, 1862; wounded at Petersburg; 
trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Moore, Harrison, must. Nov. 5, 1862. 

Nolaud, James H., must. Oct. 21, 1862; trans, to 20th, reor- 
ganized. 

Ollinger, Henry E., must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Piper, Levi, must. March 12, 1862. 

Potts, Peter H.^must. Deo. 23, 1862; wounded at Spottsylva- 
nia, Va. ; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Piper, Lewis, must. March 12, 1862 ; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Rantz, Robert, veteran ; wounded in the Wilderness ; trans, to 
20th, reorganized. 



Rantz, Calvin S., must. April 12, 1864 ; trans, to 20th, reorgan- 
ized. 

Rantz, Charles E., must. April 12, 1864; trans, to 20th, reor- 
ganized. 

Richmond, Robert T., must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Sparks, John, must. Aug. 26, 1862 ; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Sparks, Lyman E., must. Oct. 21, 1862; wounded in the Wil- 
derness; trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Sharpe, Henry, must. Feb. 12, 1862; disch. for disability. 

Sharpe, William, must. Feb. 28, 1862 : disch. for disability. 

Sharpe, George, must. Feb. 28, 1862. 

Strode, George W., mast. Oct. 21, 1862. 

Shelton, Jonathan, must. Nov. 5, 1862. 

Winch, Frederick, must. July 22, 1861; trans, to Co. F. 

Walters, Solomon, must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Wilson, Moses, must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Wilkey, Benjamin F., must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Weiper, Richard T., must. Aug. 28, 1862. 

Walters, Levi, must. Oct. 4, 1861 ; veteran ; killed in the Wil- 
derness May 5, 1864. 

Walters, John, must. Oct. 4, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out July, 
1865. 

Wilmot, Horace, must. Feb. 18, 1863 ; trans, to 20th, reorgan- 
ized. 

White, William H., must. Oct. 2, 1862; wounded Nov. 2, 1863; 
trans, to 20th, reorganized. 

Wyatt, William E., must. Oct. 13, 1862; trans, to 20th, reor- 
ganized. 

Wooley, Charles, must. Oct. 21, 1862; veteran; trans, to 20th, 
reorganized. 

Younkin, Michael. 

Younkin, Christopher. 

Twenty-first Regiment.First Heavy Artillery. 

Majm: 
Isaac C. Hendricks, com. Feb. 3, 1865. 

Adjutant, 
Henry P. McMillan, com. Aug. 5, 1862; hon. disch. April 21, 
1865. 

Chajjlain, 
Nelson L. Brakeman, com. July 23, 1861; app. hospital chap- 
lain U.S.A. 

Company B. 

First Lieutenants. 
AYilliam M. Conner, com. Jan. 6, 1864; hon. disch. Oct. 31, 

1864. 
Thomas J. Raper, com. Oct. 1, 1864. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Thomas J. Raper, com. Jan. 6, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 

CoMP.iNY C. 
First Lieutenants. 
Omer Tousey, com. June 18, 1864; disch. Feb. 7, 1865. 
Oliver H. P. Bwing, com. Aug. 12, 1864; res. Nov. 17, 1864. 



344 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Company ]?. 


Company D. 


First Lieutenant. 


Ca2:itatns. 


0. H. P. Ewing, com. March 30, ISM; trans, to Co. C. 


Aug. D. Rose, com. Aug. 9, 1861; pro. major. 


Second Lientenant, 


William T. Wallace, com. July 1, 1862; res. Sept. 3, 1864. 


George C. Harding, com. July 1, 1862; res. Dec. 30, 1863. 
Company L. 


First Lieutenants. 
Aaron L. Hunt, com. Aug. 9, 1S61 ; res. June 19, 1862. 
William T. Wallace, com. June 20, 1862; pro. capt. 


Captain. 


Elisha T. Collins, com. Deo. 6, 1864. 


Isaac C. Hendricks, com. July 15, 1863 ; pro. major. 

First Lieutenants. 
George H. Black, com. June 30, 1863; res. Dec. 22, 1863. 
Levi G. Benson, com. March 1, 1865. 


Second Lieutenants. 
William T. Wallace, com. Aug. 9, 1S61; pro. 1st lieut. 
Elisha T. Collins, com. July 1, 1862 ; pro. ; disch. ; reinstated 
by War Department. 


Second Lieutenants. 


Company E. 


Levi G. Benson, com. Sept. 9, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 


Captains. 


Mark Joseph, com. March 1, 1865. 


Lewis Manker, com. Aug. 9, 1861; res. June 30, 1862; capt. in 


Company M. 
Captain. 
James Hughes, com. July 13, 1865. 


79th Regt. 
John W. Green, com. March 19, 1864. 

First Lieutenants. 
Joseph J. Dain, com. July 1, 1862; died Nov. 13, 1863, at 


First Lieutenants. 
James Hughes, com. Oct. 12, 1863 ; pro. capt. 
George Jayoox, com. Jan. 21, 1864; canceled. 
Thomas F. Bilby, com. July 3, 1865. 

Second Lieutenants. 
George Jayoox, com. Oct. 7, 1863 ; resigned. 
Thomas F. Bilby, com. March 1, 1865; pro. 1st lieut. 


Indianapolis, of wounds in battle. 
John W. Green, com. Nov. 14, 1863; pro. capt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Joseph J. Dain, com. Feb. 5, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
John W. Green, com. July 1, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 

Company I. 


Edward M. Pinney, com. March 2, 1865. 


Captains. 


James A. Walker, com. July 13, 1865. 


. Courtland E. Whitsit, com. Aug. 9, 1861 ; res. Feb. 2, 1864. 


Twenty-second Regiment. 

Major. 
Gordon Tanner, com. Aug. 2, 1861; died of wounds Oct. 2, 
1861. 


Henry H. Wheatley, com. Feb. 2, 1864. 

First Lieutenanls. 
Henry H. Wheatley, com. Aug. 9, 1861 ; pro. capt. 
John A. Whitsit, com. Feb. 2, 1864. 


Twenty-fourth Regiment. 

Major. 


Second Lieutenants. 
John A. Whitsit, com. Aug. 9, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. 


Cyrus C. Hines, com. Aug. 13, 1861 ; pro. col. o7th Regt. 


Henry C. Adams, com. Jan. 9, 1865. 



Twenty-sixth Regiment. 

Colonel. 
William M. Wheatley, com. Aug. 30, 1861 ; res. Sept. 27, 1862. 

Lieutenant- Colonels. 
Richard O'Neal, com. Aug. 30, 1861; res. June 30, 1862. 
Augustine D. Rose, com. July 1, 1862; hon. disch. Dec. 29, 
1864. 

Major. 

Augustine D. Rose, com. July 1, 1862; pro. lieut.-col. 

Adjutant. 
Henry Schraeder, com. Aug. 31, 1861; res. June 30, 1862. 



Twenty-seventh Regiment. 

Lieutenant- Colon el. 
Archibald I. Harrison, com. Aug. 30, 1861; res. 1861. 



William S. Johnson, com. March 15, 1862; res. July 10, 1862. 

Adjutant. 
William W. Dougherty, com. Jan. 1, 1861 ; must, out Nov. 4, 
1864, as capt. 147th Regt. 

Quartermaster. 
James M. Jameson, com. Aug. 26, 1861 ; must, out Sept. 16, 
1864, time exnired. 



MAKION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



345 



Company C. 
Captain, 
William S. Johnson, com. Aug. 30, 1861; pro. major. 

Company H. 

First Lieutenants. 

■William W. Dougherty, com. Jan. 1, 1863; pro. adjt. ; 2d lieut. 

Stephen D. Lyon, com. Eeb. 28, 1863 ; hon. disoh. Oct. 20, 1863. 

Thirty-second Regiment (German). 

Colonels. 
August Willich, com. Aug. 24, 1361 ; pro. brig.-gen. U.S.V. 

July 17, 1862. 
Henry Von Treba, com. July IS, 1862; died at Areola, 111., Aug. 

7, 1863. 
Francis Erdelmeyer, com. Aug. 8, 1863 ; must, out as lieut. -col. 

Sept. 7, 1864, term e.xpired. 

Lieutenant' Colonels. 
Henry Von Trebra, com. Sept. 28, 1861 ; pro. col. 
Francis Erdelmeyer, com. Oct. 20, 1862; pro. col. 
Hans Blume, com. Nov. 26, 1864 ; residuary battalion. 

llajors. 
Peter Cappell, com. Not. 26, 1863 ; must, out as oapt. Sept. 7, 

1864,' term expired. 
Hans Blume, com. Nov. 25, 1864; pro. lieut.-col. 

Adjutant. 
Christian Stawitz, com. March 28, 1863; must, out Sept. 7, 
1864, term expired. 

Quartermasters . 
Edward Mueller, com. Aug. 28, 1861; pro. oapt., A.Q.M. 
Erederick Ludwig, com. March 30, 1863 ; must, out Sept. 7, 
1864. 

Surgeon. 
Ferdinand Krauth, com. Sept. 4, 1861; res. March 31, 1862. 

Company A. 
Captains. 
F. Erdelmeyer, com. Sept. 19, 1861; pro. lieut.-col. 
Hans Blume, com. Aug. 18, 1864; pro. maj. and lieut.-col. 
Louis Heder, com. May 11, 1865; res. batt. 

First Lieutenants. 
Adolph Metzner, com. May 19, 1862; trans, to Co. K. 
Hans Blume, com. Sept. 21, 1863 ; pro. oapt., maj., and lieut.- 
col. 
Louis Heder, com. March 1, 1865; res. batt.; pro. oapt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Adolph Metzner, com. Sept. 19, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
John Hengstler, com. June 1, 1865 ; res. batt. 



Company B. 

First Lieutenants, 

Louis Ansbittel, com. May 14, 1863; must, out Sept. 4, 1864, 

term expired. 
Louis Ruth, com. Aug. 16, 1864; res. batt. ; res. March 12, 1865. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Frederick Ludwig, com. Nor. 4, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Frank Weber, com. March 20, 1863 ; pro. 1st lieut. 

Company C. 
First Lieutenants. 
Chris. Stawitz, com. Feb. 14, 1863; pro. adjt. 
Frederick Ludwig, com. March 30, 1863; pro. qm. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Hans Blume, com. March 30, 1863 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Edward Schott, com. June 1, 1865 ; res. batt. 

Company D. 
First Lieutenant. 
Frank Weber, com. Sept. 8, 1863 ; must, out Sept. 7, 1864, term 
expired. 

Second Lieutenani. 
Robert A. Wolff, com. April 10, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 

Company F. 

Captains. 

Frederick Augustus Mueller, com. Sept. 19, 1861; killed at 

Shiloh. 
Peter Cappell, com. April 10, 1862; pro. maj. 

First Lieutenants. 
Peter Cappell, com. Sept. 19, 1861 ; pro. oapt. 
John E. Brodhagen, com. April 10, 1862 ; res. Aug. 15, 1862. 
Robert A. Wolff, com. Aug. 15, 1862; res. April 17, 1863. 

Second Lieutenants. 
William Borok, com. Sept. 19, 1861; pro. 1st lieut. 
John B. Brodhagen, com. Jan. 10, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Louis Ansbittel, com. Oct. 20, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 

Company H. 
Second Lieutenant. 
Louis Ruth, com. March 1, 1864; pro. 1st lieut., res. batt. 

Company K. 
Captain. 
Adolph Metzner, com. Feb. 4, 1863 ; must, out Sept. 7, 1864, 
term expired. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Christian Stawitz, com. Aug. 19, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 



346 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Tiirty-third Regiment. 

Colonel. 
John Coburn, com. Sept. 18, 1861 ; must, out Sept. 20, 1864, 
term expired; brev. brig.-gen. March 13, 1865. 

Adjutants, 
Charles H. Pickering, com. Oct. 18, 1862; pro. lieut.-col. coi'd. 

regt. 
Estes Wallingford, com. Not. 14, 1863 ; died of smallpox April 
27, 1864. 

Qxiartermasler. 
John A. Wilkins, com. Nov. 23, 1863; res. Oct. 4, 1864. 

Surgeon. 
Robert F. Bence, com. Aug. 24, 1864; must, out July 21, 1865, 
term expired. 

Assistant Surgeons. 
Robert F. Bence, com. Sept. 27, 1861 ; pro. surgeon. 
Andrew M. Hunt, com. Sept. 27, 1862 ; res. for good of service 

June IS, 1863. 
John Moffit, com. May 4, 1865: must, out July 21, 1865, term 
expired. 

Company E. 
Captain. 
Isaac C. Hendricks, com. Sept. 6, 1861 ; dismissed Dec. 26, 1862, 
then captain of 1st Heavy Artillery. 

First Lieutenants. 
Estes Wallingford, com. Sept. 8, 1863; pro. adjt. 
John A. Wilkins, com. Nov. 14, 1863; pro. q.m. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Estes Wallingford, com. Dec. 4, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Loyd T. Duncan, com. Feb. 1, 1864; hon. dlsch. Dec. 17, 1864, 
on account of wounds. 

Thirty-fifth (Irish) Regiment.— The Thirty- 
fifth Regiment was mustered in Dec. 11, 1861, with 
John C. Walker as colonel. It went to Kentucky 
on the 13th, and remained at Bardstown six weeks, 
and thence went to Nashville, where on the 22d of 
May there was consolidated with it the organized 
companies and unassigned recruits of the Sixty-first 
(second Irish) Regiment. Col. Mullen of the latter 
became lieutenant-colonel of the whole, and later 
colonel on the dismissal of Col. Walker for con- 
tumacy. It took part in the battle of Perryville, 
Oct. 8, 1862. It remained in Nashville, Tenn., till 
Dec. 9, 1862, when it had a severe skirmish at Dob- 
bins' Ford, near Lavergne, losing five killed and thirty- 
five wounded. It also took part in the battle of Stone 



River under Rosecrans. It lost altogether here 
twenty-nine killed, seventy-two wounded, and thirty- 
three missing, — a total of one hundred and thirty- 
four. It was also severely handled in the battle of 
Chickamauga. On the 16th of December, 1863, it 
re-enlisted as a veteran organization, and returned to 
Indianapolis on furlough Jan. 2, 1864. On the 3d 
of May, as part of Second Brigade of First Division 
of Fourth Corps, it moved from camp and took part 
in all the operations of that memorable campaign. 
At Kenesaw Mountain it lost eleven killed, including 
Major DufiBcey, the commanding officer, fifty-four 
wounded, including Capt. Chris. H. O'Brien, tobacco- 
dealer of this city now. It entered Atlanta on the 
9th of September and remained till the rebel retreat 
began, when it marched with the Fourth Corps in 
pursuit. At Franklin, Tenn., having received four 
hundred recruits, it was set in the front line and re- 
pulsed completely a desperate charge on our works. 
It acted conspicuously in the battle of Nashville, but 
with slight loss. In June, 1865, it was sent with 
the Fourth Corps to Texas, where it remained with 
Sheridan's army till September, when it was mus- 
tered out and came home. It had a public reception 
on October 21st in the State-House grounds. 

Lieutenant-Colonel. 
Richard J. Ryan, com. Aug. 28, 1S61; disch. Feb. 16, 1862. 

Major. 
Henry N. Conklin, com. May 22, 1862; res. Feb. 9, 1863. 

Adjutants. 
Frank Cunningham, com. Sept. 2, 1861; res. Oct. 25, 1862. 
William C. Moriarty, com. Aug. 5, 1864; res. Jan. 29, 1865. 

Quartermaster. 
Martin Igoe, com. Aug. 28, 1861; must. out. 

Company A. 

Captains. 

Henry N. Conklin, com. Aug. 30,1861; dismissed; re-com. 

March 18, 1862; pro. maj. 

William W. Wigmore ; com. May 22, 1862; dismissed March 

20, 1863, by G.C.M. 

John E. Dillon, com. March 21, 1S03; dismissed. 

John Maloney, com. March 14, 1864; res. June 15, 1865. 

James McHugh, com. June 16, 1865; must, out as 1st lieut. 

with regt. 

First Lieutenants. 

John E. Dillon, com. Sept. 4, 1861 ; pro. capt. 

John Maloney, com. March 21, 1863; pro. capt. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



347 



James McHugh, com. March 14, 1864; pro. capt. 

James Winkle, com. June 16, 1865; must, out with regt. as 2d 

lieut. 

Second Litutenants. 

John Maloney, com. Sept. 4, 1861 ; dismissed Feh. 15, 1862, 

and recom. 1st lieut. 
James MoHugh, com. March 21,1863; dismissed; restored 

July 21, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 
James Winkle, com. May 1, 1863 ; pro. 1st lieut. 

Company B. 

First Lieutenants. 

Robert B. Stockdale,i com. May 1, 1862; dismissed by special 

order, 1864. 
John Hanlon,^ com. June 11, 1865; must out with regt. 

Company C. 
Captain. 
John Scully, com. May 22, 1862; res. as 1st lieut. Co. I. 

First Lieutenants. 
Alexander J. Orr, com. May 1, 1863; dismissed March, 1864. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Robert E. Scully, com. July 29, 1862; res. April 29, 1863. 
Andrew Buyer, com. May 1, 1863; pro. 1st lieut. Co. D, then 
must, out with regt. 

Company E. 
Oa2)taina. 
Edward G. Breene, com. March, 1862; declined. 
Henry Prosser, com. May 22, 1862 ; killed at Stone River Jan. 
2, 1863. 

Company F. 

Captains. 

Patrick W. Kennedy,' com. March 10, 1865; hon. disch. July 

8, 1865. 
Bernard McCabe,' com. Aug. 1, 1865; must, out with regt. as 

1st lieut. 

First Lieutenant. 
Charles Bullock, com. Aug. 1, 1865; must, out as sergt. with 

regt. 

Second Lieutenants. 

Thomas Mannix, com. May 1, 1863; res. Aug. 11, 1864. 

Timothy Somers, com. May 1, 1863 ; must, out as sergt. with 

regt. 

Company H. 

Captains. 

John Crowe, com. Sept. 23, 1861; hon. disch. Feb. 27, 1864. 

First Lieutenants. 

Edward G. Breene, com. Oct. 1, 1861; pro. capt. Co. E. 

^ Both these entered as second lieutenants. 
2 Both entered as first lieutenants. 



Levi Waltz, com. Nov. 25, 1862; res. June 9, 1863; entered 

as 2d lieut. 
John Cahill, com. Aug. 10, 1864; pro. capt. 
Josiah Crooks, com. May 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Company I. 

Captain. 

Thomas Pryce, com. Nov. 13, 1861 ; dismissed March 18, 1863. 

Second Lieutenant, 
Andrew J. Scully, com. May 21, 1863 ; res. Aug. 2, 1863. 

Company K. 
Captain. 
Edward G. Breene, com. Nov. 25, 1862; dishon. dismissed 
June 29, 1864. 

First Lieutenant. 
John Dugan, com. Feb. 17, 1863 ; hon. disch. May 11, 1865. 

Second Lieutenants, 
William H. O'Connell, com. Dec. 9, 1861; res. Dec. 30, 1861. 
Thomas Cahill, com. May 22, 1862; res. Feb. 16, 1863. 
Michael Hickey, com. Feb. 17, 1863; res. for incompetency 

March 28, 1864. 
Daniel McGovern, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Enlisted Men, Co. A. 

Sergeants. 
Halvey, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861; must, out Oct. 7, 1864. 
Kirland, George A., must. Nov. 24, 1861. 
Cahill, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861; pro. 2d lieut. Co. H. 

Corporals, 
Carroll, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861. 
McHugh, James, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Corbett, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861; trans, to Art. No- 
vember, 1862. 

Musician. 

Dean, William, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran. 

Privates. 
Barnett, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran; deserted Feb. 19, 

1864. 
Brady, William, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran ; trans, to Vet. 

Res. Corps. 
Baguly, Daniel, must. Nov. 24, 1861. 
Boucher, Henry, must. Nov. 24, 1861. 

Baekus, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861; must, out Oct. 17, 1864. 
Carey, Edward, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865. 
Coughlin, Martin, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran; must, out 

Sept. 30, 1865. 
Clifford, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran; must, out 

Sept. 30, 1865. 
Carey, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865. 



348 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Costello, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; disch. March 29, 1865, for 

wounds. 
Crarey, Dennis, must. Nov. 24, 1861. 
Connor, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865. 
Connors, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861; must, out Oct. 17, 

1864. 
Caylor, Jacoh, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; disch. Sept. IS, 1862, for 

disability. 
Disoan, Martin, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865. 
Foley, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865, as sergt. 
Fox, Thomas, must. Nov 24, 1861; disch. Oct. 16, 1862, for 

disability. 
Fox, Patrick, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; must, out Oct. 17, 1864. 
Gay, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; killed at Stone River Jan. 2, 

1863. 
Gillin, John C, must. Nov. 24, 1861. 
Kelly, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; trans, to Art. November, 

1862. 
Kearns, James, must. Nov. 24, 1861; died at Nashville Dec. 

16, 1863, of "wounds at Lookout Mountain. 
Keating, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; trans, to Vet. Res. 

Corps. 
Kelleher, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran; must, out 

Sept. 20, 1865, as oorp. 
Kane, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; must, out March 28, 

1865. 
Lyons, William, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; died in Andersonville 

prison Aug. 2, 1864. 
Murray, Charles, must. Nov. 24, 1861; disch. Jan. 2, 1863, for 

wounds at Stone River. 
McCrossan, Samuel, must. Nov. 24, 1861; trans, to Signal 

Corps March 28, 1863. 
Murphy, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; disch. March 26, 1863, 

for wounds at Stone River. 
McKane, Charles, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran; must, out 

Sept. 30, 1865, as corp. 
McEvoy, Arthur, must. Nov. 24, 1861; disch. April 10, 1862, 

disability. 
Morrissey, Patrick, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; trans, to Vet. Res. 

Corps May, 1864. 
Mulcahee, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; died in Anderson- 
ville prison July 24, 1864. 
Murphy, Timothy, must. Nov. 24, 1861; died at Nashville 

Oct. 1, 1862. 
Moriarty, Michael, must. Nov. 24, 1861; veteran; must, out 

April 28, 1865. 
Matthews, James, must. Nov. 24, 1861. 
Mannix, Thomas, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Milompy, James, must. Nov. 24,1861; veteran; must, out 

Sept. 20, 1865. 
Moran, Crohan, must. Nov. 24, 1861; killed at Chickamauga 

Sept. 19, 1863. 



McCouIiffe, Timothy, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out 

Sept. 30, 1865. 
Megin, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; died in Andersonville 

prison. 
MoMahon, Edmund, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; disch. May 28, 1862. 
Ryan, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; died at Nashville Dec. 26, 

1862. 
Raftery, Patrick, must. Nov. 24, 1861; disch. Dec. 27, 1864, 

disability. 
Shaler, Joseph, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865, as 1st sergt. 
Stockdale, Robert, must. Nov. 24, 1861; pro. 1st lieut. Co. B. 
Secrist, John, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; must, out Sept. 

30, 1865. 
Shearer, Jacob, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; died at Cleve- 
land, Tenn., March 24, 1864. 
Springsteen, Abram, must. Nov. 24, 186] ; disch. as minor. 
Van Sickle, William, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; died at Nashville 

February, 1862. 
Winkle, James, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; pro. 2d lieut. 
White, Patrick, must. Nov. 24, 1861 ; veteran ; died July 12, 

1864, of wounds at Kenesaw. 

Thirty-sixth Regiment. 

Assistant Surgeon. 
Charles H. Abbott, com. May 18, 1863 ; must, out with regt. 

CoMPANr E. 
First Lieutenant. 
James E. Baker, com. Sept. 14, 1861; res. May 1, 1862. 

Thirty-seventh Regiment. 

CoJonel. 
George W. Hazard, com. Sept. 12, 1861 ; returned to regular 
army March 5, 1862. 

Adjutant. 
Livingston Howland, com. Oct. 2, 1861; disch. Aug. 1, 1864, 
for pro. to capt. and A.A.G. 

Chaplain. 
John Hogarth Lozier, com. Oct. 1, 1861; must out with regt. 

Thirty-ninth Regiment. 

Surgeon. 
Luther D. "Waterman, com. Sept. 2, 1861 ; must, out Oct. 11, 
1864, time expired. 

COMPAETT G-. 

First Lieutenant. 
Samuel A. Howard, com. March 1, 1865; must, out with regt. 

Second Lieutenants, 
Lawson H. Albert, com. April 30, 1862 ; dismissed Jan. 22, 1863. 
Samuel A. Howard, com. May L, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 



MAKION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



349 



Fortieth Regiment. 


Second Lieutenants. 


Lieutenant-Colonel, 


Thomas G. Shaeffer, com. Feb. 16, 1863; died Aug. 25, 1864, 


Elias Neff, com. June 9, 1862 ; res. for promotion April 25, 1864. 


at Resaca, Ga. 




Samuel Borton, com. Sept. 4, 1864; must, out April 15, 1865. 


Major. 




Elias Neff, com. May 19, 1862; pro. lieut.-ool. 


Forty-sixth Regiment. 




Company P. 


Assistant Surgeon. 






Captains. 


Orrin Aborn, com. Oct. 11, 1861; res. Feb. 14, 1862. 






Samuel Osbourne, com. Feb. 6, 1862; res. May 26, 1862, 


COMPAKT F. 


Joseph C. Plumb, com. July 27, 1863; res. March 2, 1864. 


Captain. 


First Lietctenant. 


Elias Neff, com. Nov. 18, 1861; pro. major. 


Joseph C. Plumb, com. May 20, 1863; pro. cajit.; 2d lieut 




March 1, 1863. 


Forty-first Regiment (Second Cavalry). 




Colonel. 


Forty-seventh Regiment. 


Edward McCook, com. April 30, 1862; pro. brig.-gen. U.S.V. 


Colonel. 




John A. McLaughlin, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out as lieut.- 


Lieutenant- Colonel. 


col. with regt. 


Charles E. Norris, com. Oct. 29, 1861, 2d Cav. U.S.A.; res. 






Lieutenant- Colonel. 


Feb. 11, 1862. 






John A. McLaughlin, com. Oct. 22, 1862; pro. col. 


Edward McCook, com. Feb. 11, 1862; pro. col. 


Major. 


Assistant Surgeon. 


David A. Fitzgerald, com. Jan. 2V, 1865 ; died as hosp. stew. Jan 


Edward McCook, com. Sept. 29, 1861; trans, from U.S.A. 




1, 1865. 


Adjutant. 


Company A. 


John Woolley, com. Oct. 3, 1861 ; must, out June 1, 1862 ; re- 


Captains, 


com. June 11, 1862; pro. maj. 5th Cav. March 23, 1863. 


John A. McLaughlin, com. Oct. 10, 1861 ; pro. maj. 


Company U. 


Albert Moorhous, com. April 22, 1862; res. October, 1862; re- 




entered as capt. 9 th Cav. 


First Lieutenant. 


Thomas Hough, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 


G. M. Lafayette Johnson, com. Oct. 5, 1861 ; pro. capt. 






First Lieutenants. 


Forty-fifth Regiment (Third Cavalry). 


Albert Moorhous, com. Oct. 20, 1S61 ; pro. capt. 


Colonel. 


Thomas Hough, com. Jan. 1, 1865 ; pro. capt. 


George H. Chapman, com. March 12, 1863; pro. brig.-gen. 


Second Lieutenants. 


July 21, 1864; brevet maj.-gen. 


Hiram Moorhous, com. April 22, 1862; res. Oct. 30, 1862. 


Lieutenant-Colonel, 


Thomas Hough, com. Oct. 19, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 


George H. Chapman, com. Oct. 25, 1862; pro. col. 


Company C. 


Major. 


Second Lieutenant. 


George H. Chapman, com. Oct. 21, 1861; pro. lieut.-col. 


Robert N. Harding, com. Feb. 3, 1863; pro. capt. Co. K. 


Company G. 


Forty-eighth Regiment. 


Captain. 


Lieutenant-Colonel. 


Felix W. Graham, com. Oct. 1, 1861; res. April 9, 1862. 


De AVitt C. Rugg, com. June 17, 1862; res. April 24, 1863. 


Company L. 


Major. 


First Lieutenant. 


D. C. Rugg, com. Nov. 24, 1861; pro. lieut.-col. 


George J. Langsdale, com. Sept. 29, 1862; res. Aug. 1, 1864. 






Forty-ninth Regiment. 


Company M. 


Surgeon. 


Copiai'n. 


Charles D. Pearson, com. Nov. 19,1861; res. Feb. 7,^1862 


Charles U. Patton, com. Nov. 4, 1861 ; must, out April 15, 1865. 


then surg. 82d Regt. 



350 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Emanuel R. Hawn, com. Feb. 20, 1864; must, out Nov. 29, 


Quartermaster. 


1864, time expired; then surg. 144th Regt. 


Thomas F. Purnell, com. Oct. 30, 1862; pro. capt. and A.Q.M. 


Fiftieth Regiment. 

Assistant Sufr/eon. 
James W. Hervey, com. Jan. 27, 1862; res. Feb. 4, 1863. 


May 28, 1863. 

Company B. 
Captain. 
Oliver M. Wilson, com. Oct. 16, 1862; pro. major. 


Fifty-first Regiment. 


First Lieutenant. 


Adjutant. 


William M. Conner, com. Oct. 16, 1862 ; must, out with regt. ; 


William S. Marshal), com. Not. 29, 1862 ; hon. diseh. March 


then 1st lieut. of heavy artillery. 


22, 1865. 




Qnartermaster. 
John G. Doughty, com. Sept. 27, 1861 ; hon. disch. Sept. 30, 
1864. 

CoMPANr A. 
Second Lienienant. 
William H. Harvey, com. Sept. 1, 1862 ; must, out, term ex- 
pired. 

Company D. 


Fifty-seventh Regiment. 

Captains. 
J. W. T. McMuUen, com. Nov. 9, 1861 ; res. March 6, 1862. 
Cyrus C. Hines, com. March 6, 1862; res. July 27, 1863, for 
wounds at Stone River. 

Company A. 
First Lieutenant. 


First Lieutenants. 


Albert G. Harding, com. July 13, 1864; declined. 


Wilber F. Williams, com. Oct. 11, 1861; res. April 15, 1862. 
Alva C. Roach, com. May 1, 1865; res. June 14, 1865. 


Company I. 
Captain. 


Fifty-second Regiment. 

Colonel. 


Nathaniel J. Owens, com. Dec. 26, 1861; res. March 29, 1862; 
capt. of 9th Cav. 


James M. Smith, com. Oct. 21, 1861 ; res. June 4, 1862, disa- 
bility. 


Fifty-eighth Regiment. 


Adjutants. 


Quartermaster. 


Samuel W. Elliott, com. Oct. 24, 1861 ; res. Nov. 17, 1862. 


William Ryan, com. Feb. 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 


James H. Wright, com. Nov. 18, 1862 ; pro. eapt. and A.D.C. 
Sept. 4, 1864. 

Fifty-third Regiment. 


Company D. 

Captain. 

Bryan C. Walpole, com. Jan. 29, 1863; res. March 10, 1863; 


Colonel. 


2d lieut. June 18, 1862. 


Walter Q. Gresham, com. March 10, 1862; pro. brig.-gen. 
Aug. 11, 1863. 

Company A. 


Company G. 
First Lieutenant. 


Captain. 


Richard P. Craft, com. Jan. 29, 1863 ; res. April 18, 1863. 


Hezekiah B. Wakefield, com. Sept. 19, 1863; hon. disch. May 


Company K. 


15, 1865; 2d lieut. September, 1862. 


Cajjtain. 


Fifty-fourth (one year) Regiment, 

Colonel. 


Woodford Tousey, com. Sept. 21, 1863; res. March 25, 1865; 
1st lieut. March 30, 1863 ; 2d lieut. Jan. 29, 1863. 


Fielding Mansfield, must, out with regt. 
Lieutenant-Colonel, 
Herman Sturm, com. Nov. 17, 1862; res. Dec. 28, 1862. 


Fifty-ninth Regiment. 

Colonel. 
Jeff. K. Scott, com. Aug. 13, 1864; must, out April 9, 1865, 


Major. 


term expired; lieut.-col. Nov. 19, 1861. 


Oliver M. Wilson, com. Jan. 1, 1863; must, out as capt. with 




regt. 

Adjutant. 


Sixtieth Regiment. 


Marshall P. Hayden, com. Oct. 29, 1862 ; died in rebel prison 


Quartermaster. 


at Vicksburg Jan. 30, 1863, of wounds at Chickasaw Bayou. 


John J. Palmer, com. Nov. 8, 1861; app. Q.M., U.S.A. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



351 



Company D. 
Captain, 
John Burns, com. Jan. 7, 1862; res. Nov. 30, 1862. 

Second Lieutenant, 
Elijah W. McVey, com. Feb. 10, 1863; must, out with regt. 

Sixty-tMrd Regiment. — Four companies raised at 
Covington were sent to Lafayette to guard prisoners ; 
thence to this city to guard Camp Morton ; thence 
East in May, 1862, where they were in the Second 
Bull Run battle. They returned in October, and the 
regiment completed with six additional companies. 
It remained in Indianapolis, but four companies were 
detached for provost guard duty. On Christmas, 
1863, the other six companies went to Kentucky, to 
guard railroads, till January, 1864, having frequent 
skirmishes and long marches in that time. April 28th 
they started to join Sherman in the Atlanta campaign. 
On May 9th and 10th they lost two killed and four 
wounded at Rocky Face Ridge, and at Resaca lost, 
in a desperate charge over open ground, eighteen 
killed and ninety-four wounded. They had sixteen 
wounded in intrenchments near June 1st on the 
Dallas line, and were put in front at Lost Mountain, 
where six were killed and eight wounded. In the 
flank movement at Kenesaw two were killed and one 
captured. After the capture of Atlanta the Sixty- 
third was moved about a good deal, engaged in de- 
stroying railroads and doing guard duty. It joined 
the movement against Hood, lost three killed and 
three wounded at Columbia, and in the great battle 
of Franklin lost one killed and one wounded. On the 
16th of January, 1865, it went to Alexandria, Va., 
and thence to Fort Fisher. It engaged in the move- 
ments against Hoke, and entered Wilmington, N. C, 
February 23d, and remained till March 6th. At 
Greensborough six companies were mustered out 
June 21, 1865. The other four were mustered out 
here May 20, 1865. 

Lieutenant- Colonel, 
Henry Tindall, com. Jan. 22, 1864; hon. disoh. May 19, 1864, 
disability ; had been maj. and capt. Co. I. 

Company A. 
First Lieutenant, 
Joseph M. BIythe, com. May 21, 1864; pi-o. capt. Co. F; had 
been 2d lieut. 



Company B. 
First Lieutenant, 
Thomas McConnell, com. Feb. 21, 1862; res. June 11, 1862. 

Company F. 

CajHains, 

Grustavus F. E. Raschig, com. Aug. 19, 1862; res. June 9, 1864, 

disability. 
Joseph M. BIythe, com. July 20, 1864; must, out with regt. 
June 21, 1865. 

First Lieutenant. 

Joseph R. Haugh, com. Aug. 19, 1862 ; pro. adjt. 5th Cav. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Henry Plaswick, com. Sept. 3, 1862; res. July 19, 1864. 

Company I. 

Captains, 

Henry Tindall, com. Aug. 9, 1S62; pro. maj. 

Theodore B. Wightman, com. Aug. 14, 1863 ; res. Nov. 18, 1863, 

disability. 

Andrew T. Jenkins, com. Jan. 12, 1864; hon. disch. Aug. 13, 

1864. 

First Lieutenants. 

Theodore B. Wightman, com. Aug. 9, 1862 ; pro. capt. 

Jesse C. Hunt, com. Aug. 14, 1863 ; hon. disch. July 19, 1864. 

Second Lieutenants, 
Jesse C. Hunt, com. Aug. 9, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Andrew T. Jenkins, com. Aug. 14, 1863 ; pro. capt. 

Company K. 
Captains. 
Norman Tindall, com. Aug. 30, 1862; res. June 13, 1863. 
William Bolen, com. July 1, 1863 ; disch. Sept. 6, 1864, disa- 
bility. 

First Lieutenant. 
William Bolen, com. Aug. 30, 1862; pro. capt. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Frank G. Mareina, com. Aug. 30, 1862 ; res. Oct. 1, 1862. 

Enlisted Men, Cosipany F. 
First Sergeant, 
Henry Plasniok, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Sergeants. 
Laird Harrison, must. Aug. 30, 1862; disch. Oct. 12, 1864, dis- 
ability. 
William E. Conroe, must. Aug. 30, 1862; disch. Aug. 7, 1864, 
disability. 

Corporals. 

Isaiah Lindsay, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; killed at Resaca May 

14, 1864. 
Charles H. Roberts, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 

1865. 



352 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Isaac S. Cox, must. Aug. .30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
Henry Fisher, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; diseh. Feb. 12, 1864, disa- 
bility. 
John Ehmen, must. Aug, 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
Daniel O'Connel, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; must, out June 21, 1865. 

3Iusieian. 
Alexander Haugh, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 
1865. 

PH nates. 
George Barker, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
Paul P. Blank, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
William H. Bird, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; must, out Juno 21, 

1865. 
Elihu H. Bmbree, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 16, 

1865. 
William H. Hornaday, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; must, out June 

21, 1866. 
Thomas M. Hume, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; must, out June 21, 

1865. 
John K. Long, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
Edward Louney, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; must, out June 21, 1865, 
John MoKeand, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
James S. Miller, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
John B. Moore, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out July 21, 1865. 
William MoCaw, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out May 11, 1865. 
Asbury May, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
William J. Markland, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 

1865. 
Thomas Mathers, must. Aug, 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 

1865. 
Thomas Myers, must, Aug, 30, 1862 ; must, out June 21, 1865. 
Christian Myers, must, Aug, 30, 1862; must, out July 6, 1865, 
Willis &. Pierson, must, Aug, 30, 1862; must, out June 2, 1865, 
Walter B. Price, must. Aug, 30, 1862; must, out June 2, 1865, 
Ezekiel Boss, must, Aug, 30, 1862; must, out June 2, 1865, 
William H. Ralston, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 

1865. 
Frederick Stilz, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 1865. 
William H. Vorhees, must. Aug. 30, 1862: must, out June 21, 

1865. 
Robert R. Walker, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 

1865. 
James A. Winnings, must. Aug. 30, 1862; must, out June 21, 

1865. 
William H. Corbaley, must. Aug, 30, 1862 ; trans, to V.R.C. 

Jan. 1, 186i. 
David L. Boots, must, Aug, 30, 1862 ; died at Indianapolis 

Jan, 27, 1864. 
William Boukls, must. Aug, 30, 1862; killed at Burnt Hickory 

June 16, 1864, 
John AV, Carrell, must. Aug, 30, 1862; died at Indi.anapolis 

Dec, 8, 1863, 
Alexander Connaday, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; died at Clereland, 
Tenn,, May 20, 1864. 



John P. Jack, must. Aug. 30, 1862 ; killed at Burnt Hickory 

June 16, 1864. 
James M. Jack, must. Aug, 30, 1862; disch, Feb, 10, 1863, by 

civil authority. 
James Jennings, must. Aug 30, 1862; disch, Aug, 24, 1863, 

disability, 
Alexander Kinsley, must, Aug, 30, 1862; died at Indianapolis 

Nov, 24, 1863, 
John G. Kolf, must, Aug. 30, 1862 ; trans, to 18th U, S, Inf. 

Feb. 6, 1863. 
David L. McClellan, must. Aug. 30, 1862; died at Indianapolis 

Sept. 24, 1864. 
Melvin McCaw, must. Aug, 30, 1862; trans, to V, R. C. ; must, ■ 

out July 20, 1865, 
John A, Mullin, must, Aug. 30, 1862; killed at Resaca May 

14, 1864, 
Samuel Murrell, must, Aug, 30, 1862 ; killed at Tovrn Creek 

Feb, 20, 1865, 
Isaac C, Myers, must. Aug, 30, 1862 ; died at Cleveland, Tenn,, 

May 10, 1864, 
John Railsback, must, Aug, 30, 1862 ; disch. Aug. 26, 1863, 

disability. 
Enoch Railsback, must, Aug, 30, 1 863 ; died at Alexandria, Va,, 

Feb, 14, 1865. 
Gresham L, Rude, must, Aug. 30, 1862 ; killed at Resaca 

May 14, 1864. 
George L, Sinks, must, Aug, 30, 1862 ; trans, to V, R, C. Aug. 

16, 1864; must, out May 10, 1865, 
James Williams, must. Aug. 30, 1862; died at Indianapolis 

March 4, 1863. 

Seventietli Regiment. — The Seventieth Regi- 
ment rendezvoused at Indianapolis and was fully or- 
ganized between the 14th of July and the 12th of 
August, 1862, in less than one month, when it was 
mustered in with Benjamin Harrison as colonel. It 
left Indianapolis on the 13th, reaching Louisville 
same day, and on the following night left for Bowl- 
ing Green, reporting for duty on the 15th, thus be- 
ing the first regiment in the field under the call of 
July, 1862. From Bowling Green there were made 
several small expeditions to Franklin, Morgantown, 
Munfordville, and Russellville, at which place, on 
the 30th of July, it encountered several hundred 
cavalry, killing and wounding many, and capturing 
forty horses and a large lot of small-arms, saddles, 
and other property. 

On the 10th of November the regiment moved 
with Ward's brigade, Dumont's division, Fourteenth 
Army Corps, to Scottsville, Ky,, and on the 24th to 



MAllION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



353 



Gallatin, Tenn. On the lOth of December, as part 
of the Eighth Brigade, Eighth Division, Fourteenth 
Army Corps, it was posted along the Louisville and 
Nashville Railroad, from Gallatin to Nashville, to de- 
fend the road and bridges, on which duty it was en- 
gaged until the 9th of February, 1863. It then 
went into camp at Gallatin, doing provost and picket 
duty until June 1st, when it was removed to La- 
vergne, Tenn. Remaining here until the 30th of 
June, it then marched to Murfreesborough, camping 
at Fort Rosecrans, when it was assigned to the Sec- 
ond Brigade, Third Division, of Gen. Granger's re- 
serve corps. On the 19th of August it moved with 
its brigade to Nashville, and while there it was en- 
gaged in guarding trains to Stevenson, Chattanooga, 
and other points, and picket and fatigue duty within 
the city. On the 2d of January, 1864, the regiment 
was transferred to the First Brigade, First Division, 
Eleventh Army Corps, and Col. Harrison assigned 
to the brigade. On the 24th of February the Sev- 
entieth left Nashville and marched with its division 
to Wauhatchie, Tenn., in Lookout Valley. 

From Wauhatchie it marched on the 2d of May, 
having previously been transferred to the First Bri- 
gade, Third Division, Twentieth Army Corps, and 
entered on the Atlanta campaign, during which it 
was engaged in the following battles : Resaca, Cass- 
ville, New Hope Church, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw 
Mountain, Marietta, Peach-Tree Creek, and the siege 
of Atlanta. 

At Resaca it led the attack on the left and cap- 
tured a fort and four Napoleon guns, the only ones 
captured between Chattanooga and Atlanta, and had 
forty-one killed, forty-three died of wounds, and one 
hundred and ninety-one wounded. 

On the 5th of November, 1864, the veterans and 
remaining recruits of the Twenty-seventh Indiana 
were consolidated with the Seventieth by special 
order. The regiment participated in Sherman's 
march through Georgia, and on the 31st of Decem- 
ber it crossed the Savannah River with the first bri- 
gade of Western troops that entered South Carolina. 
Marching through the Carolinas it rested at Raleigh, 
N. C, where it was on the announcement of Lee's 
surrender. From here it went to Richmond and 
23 



then to Washington City, where it was mustered out 
June 8, 1865. Those whose terms had not expired 
were transferred to the Thirty-third, and then mus- 
tered out at Louisville on the 21st of July, 1865. 
The regiment was publicly welcomed on its return 
home, on the 16th of June. The casualties of the 
regiment were forty-three killed, same number died 
of wounds, one hundred and ninety-four wounded, 
five accidentally wounded, and one hundred and two 
died of sickness ; total, three hundred and eighty- 
seven. 

Original enlistments for three years from Marion 
County : 

Colonel. 
Benjamin Harrison, com. Aug. 7, 1S62; brev. brlg.-gen. ; must, 
out with regt. 

Lieutenant- Colonel. 
Samuel Merrill, com. March 1, 1862 ; must, out with regt. 

Majors. 
Samuel C. Vance, com. Aug. 9, 1869 ; res. April 10, 1863 ; npp. 

col. 132d Regt. 
Samuel Merrill, com. April 11, 1863; pro. lieut.-col. 

Adjutant. 
James L. Mitchell, com. July 16, 1862 j must, out with regt. 

Quartermaster. 
John L. Ketcham, Jr., com. Feb. 14, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Chaplain. 
Archibald C. Allen, coth. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out with regt. 

Assistant Surgeons. 
William R. Smith, com. Aug. 12, 1862 ; res. Noy. 8, 1862. 
Jenkins A, Fitzgerald, com. Oct. 17, 1863 ; must, out with regt. 
Herman J. Watjen, com. Jan. 1, 1866 ; must, out with regt. as 
hospital steward. 

Company A. 
Captains. 
Benjamin Harrison, com. July 22, 1862 ; pro. ool. 
Henry M. Scott, com. Aug. 9, 1862 ; brev. maj. March 31, 1865 ; 

must, out with regt. 
Henry M. Soott, com. July 22, 1862; pro. eapt. 
Martin L. Ohr, com. Aug. 9, 1862 ; must, out Nov. 4, 1864. 

Second Lieutenants. 
James A. 'Wallaoe, com. July 22, 1862; must, out Not. 22, 

1864; pro. q.m. 10th Cav. 
John W. Kilgour, com. Jan. 17, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Company E. 
Captains. . 
William M. Meredith, com. Aug. 6, 1862 ; res. Aug. 12, 1«64. 



354 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Peter Fesler, com. Feb. 1.3, 1864, from 2nh Regt.; must, out 

with regt. 
Charles H. Cox, com. Aug. 13, 1864; not mustered. 

First Lieutenants. 
Hiram H. Hand, com. Aug. 6, 1862; res. Nov. 9, 1862. 
Columbus V. Gray, com. Nov. 10, 1862 ; res. June 16, 1863. 
Edward B. Colestook, com. Jan. 17, 1863; died May 30, 1864, 

of wounds received at Resaca. 
Charles H. Cox, com. July 1, 1864; must, out with regt. 

Second Lieutenants, 
Columbus V. Gray, com. Aug. 6, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Edward B. Colestock, com. Nov. 10, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Charles H. Cox, com. Jan. 17, 1863 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Allan F. Schley, com. Aug. 13, 1864 ; must, out with regt. 

Company F. 
Second Lieutenant. 
John S. Parker, com. Feb. 11, 1865; must, out with regt. 

Company G. 
Captain. 
Parker S. Carson, com. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out with regt. 

First Lieutenant. 
Summerfield Thomas, com. Jan. 24, 1865; must, out with regt. 

Second Lieutenant. 
Summerlield Thomas, com. Nov. 14, 1864; pro. 1st lieut. 

Company H. 

First Lieutenant. 

"William Hardenbrook, com. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out with regt. 

Company K. 
Captains. 
Samuel Merrill, com. Aug. 1, 1862; pro. maj. 
Thomas S. Campbell, com. Nov. 14, 1864; declined and com- 
mission returned. 

First Lieutenants. 
Thomas S. Campbell, com. Sept. 19, 1864; must, out with regt. 
■William H. Kemper, com. Jan. 24, 1865; declined and com- 
mission returned. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Thomas S. Campbell, com. April 11, 1863; pro. 1st lieut. 
William H. Kemper, com. Nov. 14, 1864 ; must, out with regt. 

NON-COMMISSIONED StAFF. 

Sergeant-Major. 
Musgrave, Phillip D., must. Aug. 12, 1862; trans, to Co. A 
Aug. 20, 1862. 

Quarterinaster-Sergeant. 
Marrs, William A., must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June S, 
1865. 



Commiss.uj/.Serffeant. 
Isaacs, Reuben D., must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. Feb. 15, 1863, 
for disability. 

Hospital Steward. 

Watson, Herman J., must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 

Enlisted Men, Company A.i 
First Sergeant. 
John W. Kilgore, must. July 15, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 

Sergeants. 
John Judge, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 8, 1864, as 

1st sergt. 
George W. McKnight, must. July 17, 1862; disch. Dec. 6, 1864, 

for disability. 
Andrew A. Buchanan, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Alonzo P. Babbitt, must. July 22, 1862; must, out July 8, 1865. 

Corporals. 
Wm. R. Smith, Cumberland, must. July 14, 1862; pro. asst. surg. 
Robert A. Taylor, must. July IS, 1862; disch. May 20, 1863, 

for disability. 
George W. Lackey, must. July 15, 1862; disch. Nov. 9, 1862, 

for disability. 
Herman F. Ropkey, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862; must. 

out June 8, 1865, as sergt. 
Henry Wesling, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 1866, 

as sergt. 
George W. Cook, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862; disch. 

April 10, 1865, for wounds. 

Musicians. 
Samuel H. Lauback, must. June 16, 1862; killed at Resaca, 

Ga., May 14, 1864. 
Herman J. Watson, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1S65, as hosp. steward. 

Wagoner. 
Jackson Summer, Bridgeport, must. Aug. 5, 1362; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 

Primtes. 

Isaac Baker, must. July 17, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Henry Baker, must. July 17, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Anton Banka, Cumberland, must. July 21, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
George W. Burris, must. July 19, 1862; disch. Dec. 6, 1864, for 

wounds. 
John L. Brown, Clermont, must. July 21, 1862; disch. March 

3, 1865, for wounds. 
Jerome A. Babbitt, must. July 23, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865, as Corp. 
Henry Cruse, must. Aug. 4, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 



^ In^the roll of enlisted men, all those not residents of In- 
dianapolis are so stated. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



355 



Francis Cecil, Cumberland, must. July 21, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
Clark Converse, must. July 14, 1862; died Aug. IS, 1864, of 

wounds. 
Lemuel L. Carter, must. July 15, 1862: must, out June 8, 1865, 

as Corp. 
John Custer, must. July 18, 1862: must, out June 8, 1865. 
Alfred Chandler, must. July 21, 1862; trans, to Engineer Corps 

July 31, 1864. 
Josiah S. Clark, must. July 21, 1862; disch. June .30, 1863, for 

disability. 
Edward Cox, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Allen Caylor, must. Aug. 11, 1862; disch. Jan. 27, 1863, for 

disability. 
Andrew Dunway, mxist. July 17, 1862 ; killed at llesaca, Ga., 

May 14, 1864. 
Perry A. Demanget, must. July 19, 1862 ; killed at Resaca, Ga., 

• May 14, 1864. 
William Douglass, must. July 21, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
John England, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862: disch. Jan. 

20, 1863, for disability. 
Edmond P. Ervin, must. July 19, 1862; must, out May 10, 1866. 
Wilkinson Farley, must. July 25, 1862 ; disch. Dec. IS, 1862, for 

disability. 
James Fergus, must. July 15, 1S62; disch. Jan. 20, 1865, for 

wounds. 
Nathaniel Follett, must. Aug. 4, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Rodney B. Gibbons, must. Aug. 11, 1862; disch. Dec. 6, 1864, 

for wounds. 
Samuel B. Gardner, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as Corp. 
Frank Hall, must. Aug. 4, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Joseph F. Harb.art, must. July 17, 1862; died at Nashville 

May 17, 1864. 
John W. Hackleman, must. July 19, 1862; trans, to Engineer 

Corps July 31, 1864. 
Noble Huntington, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862 ; must, out 

June 8, 1865, as sergt. 
John Harrison, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
William Hobbs, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
Howard Iludnut, must. Aug. 6, 1862; killed at Russellville, 

Ky., Sept. 30, 1862. 
John R. Jenkins, must. July 15, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
John Law, must. July 17, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Alexander Moore, must. July 22, 1862 ; died at Resaca, Ga., 

June 5, 1864, of wounds. 
Moses Musgrave, must. July 21, 1862; disch. April 23, 1863, 

for disability. 
Philip D. Musgn-ive, must. July 15, 1862; pro. surg. U. S. col- 
ored troops. 
Henry May, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Oliver Marshall, must. Aug. 4, 1862; disch. April 7, 1863, for 

disability. 



William Muston, Bridgeport, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
William McElroy, must. July 21, 1862 ; trans, to V. E. C. Jan. 

10, 1865. 
Joseph F. McFailing, must. July 25, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Samuel L. Null, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Lebbens T. Nassaman, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
George R. Orr, must. July 15, 1862; pro. lieut. U. S. colored 

troops. 
Andrew A. Peck, must. July 15, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Francis Pursell, must. July 21, 1862; died at Chattanooga June 

25, 1864, of wounds. 

Charles Pursell, must. July 19, 1862; died at Louisville June 

30, 1864. 
William Purcell, must. July 21, 1862; disch. Nov. 8, 1862, for 

disability. 
Robert H. Patterson, must. Aug. 5, 1 862 ; disch. March 13, 

1863, for disability. 
Frederick Rodeback, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862; must. 

out June 8, 1865. 
Dudley Roberts, must. July 21, 1862; disch. May 29, 1863, for 

disability. 
William H. Smith, must. July 21, 1862; died at Gallatin Deo. 

26, 1862. 

James Shank, must. Aug. 6, 1862; died at Bowling Green Sept. 

4, 1862. 
AVilliam H. H. Shank, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865, as Corp. 
Jonathan P. Sunderland, must. Aug. 4, 1862 ; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
Daniel Spiegel, Bridgeport, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
David P. Thomns, must. July 19, 1S62 ; died at Gallatin April 

23, 1863.' 
Gardner P.Thornton, must. July 21, 1862; pro. lieut. U. S. 

colored troops. 
Alexander Thiir, must. July 21, 1862; disch. June 22, 1864. 
George W. Wells, must. Jifly 15, 1862; died at Gallatin March 

2, 1863. 
John Williams, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Henry Wiese, Cumberland, must. July 19, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
James N. Wilson, must. July 19, 1862; killed at Eesacii., Ga., 

May 14, 1864. 
George C.Wallace, must. July 21, 1862; disch. March 26, 1864, 

by order War Department. 
William J.Wheatley, must. Aug. 6, 1862; disch. Dec. 30, 1862, 

for disability. 
Simeon T. Yancey, must. July 22, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Company E. 
First Sergeant. 
Edward B. Colestock, must. July 15, 1862; pro. 2d lieut. 



356 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



SergeaiitH, 
Samuel Lang, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865, as 

private. 
William Bodenhammer, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
William H. Griggs, must. July 21,1862; died at Edgefield 

Junction, Tenn., Dec. 21, 1862. 
Daniel J. Miller, must. July 17, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 

Corporals. 
William H. Cooper, must. July 22, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Frank A. Majers, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as private. 
Allen F. Schley, must. July 15, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Jonathan Gray, must. July 15, 1862 ; discharged. 
Frederick J. Meickel, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June S, 

1865, as private. 
Robert F. Davis, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June 8,1865. 

Musicians. 
Cyrus 0. Saokett, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865, 

as principal musician. 
Thomas D. Smith, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 
1865. 

Wagone,: 
Thomas Fitzgerald, must. July 26, 1862; trans, to Engineer 
Corps Aug. 10, 1864. 

Privates. 
George K. Albro, must. July 29, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Melville C. Alexander, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Isaac Amos, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June S, 1865, as 

Corp. 
Jerry Barker, must. July 31, 1862 ; disch. March 26, lS6i. 
Charles Berg, must. Aug. 4, 1862; died June 30, 1864, of 

wounds. 
Thomas Beale, must. July 15, 1862 ; died at Chattanooga July 

5, 1864. 
John F. Burns, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Charles C. Butler, must. July 19, 1862; mast, out June 8, 

1865. 
Jasper N. Butterfield, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, 
Anthony Bredemeyer, must. Aug. 6, 1S62; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Chris. C. Bredemeyer, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Henry W. Bruscher, must. Aug. 5, 1862 ; discharged. 
William D. C. Brickett, must. Aug. 6, 1862; killed at Resaca 

Ma.y 14, 1864. 
Winfield Scott Baker, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Henry Caylor, must. July 17, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 



Charles L. Carter, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
John D. Charles, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Charles F. W. Cook, must. July 18, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
George C. Campbell, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as Corp. 
Joel Converse, must. July 25, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Joseph Clinton, must. July 25, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865, 

as sergt. 
George H. Craig, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865, 

as Corp. 
Charles H. Cox, must. Aug. 5, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Thomas R. Davies, must. Aug. 5, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
William H. Demmy, must. July 23, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
John M. Dashiel, must. July 22, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Jenkins A. Fitzgei-akl, must. July 21, 1862 ; pro. asst. surg. 
William Forsha, must. Aug. 1, 1862; discharged. 
David B. Forsha, must. July 28, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Albert L. Ferguson, must. July 21, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
George W. Gettier, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as sergt. 
James S. Hardin, must. July 21, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Henry Heitkam, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Edward Higdon, must. July 25, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
William R. Hushaw, must. Aug. 1, 1862; died at Lookout Val- 
ley, Tenn., March 31, 1864. 
Thomas B. Hornaday, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Charles W. Jenkins, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Augustus J. Kinnan, must. July 18, 1862; discharged. 
Charles W. Knight, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
William W. Lang, must. July 24, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
John H. Law, must. July 30, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Joseph Landers, must. July 30, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
George W. Loucks, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
John D. Lowe, must. Aug. 4, 1862; disch. March 19, 1863. 
William McCubbin, must. July 27, 1862; died at Bowling 

Green, Ky., Nov. 3, 1862. 
Harvey N. McGuire, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Samuel B. Mette, must. July 25, 1862; must, out .Tune 8, 

1865. 
Alva C. May, must. Aug. 6, 1S62 ; must, out June 8, 1865, as 

Corp. 
Theophilus McClure, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



357 



William Miller, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; discharged. 

John W. MoConnell, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865, as aergt. 
John L. MoConnell, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Kemus Oakey, must. Aug. 1, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Edward Oakey, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June S, 1S65. 
John W. Perkins, must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Peter Quackenbush, must. July 28, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Hiram R. Rhoads, must. July 28, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
James M. Rhoads, must. July 28, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Ezra Ross, must. July 28, 1862; killed at Kenesaw Mountain 

June 15, 1864. 
William H. Robinson, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Samuel H. Stevens, must. July 19,1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
John F. Shoemaker, must. Aug. 5, 1862; trans, to Engineer 

Corps July 18, 1864. 
George Shoemakei", must. Aug. 5, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Charles Shott, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
David Smith, must. Aug. i, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Joseph B. Sulgrove, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Joseph H. Vandeman, must. July 30, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Frank W. Wells, must. July 15, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
George N. Wells, must. July 25, 1862 ; discharged. 
Samuel Whiteridge, must. July 19, 1862 ; must, out June S, 

1865. 
John Wilson, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 

Enlisted Men, Company G. 

First Sergeant. 

Edward S. Smock, Acton, must. July 15, 1862; pro. 2d lieut. 

Sergeants. 
Josiah Lawes, Acton, must. July 15, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
John S. Morris, Acton, must. July 15, 1862; pro. 2d lieut. 
Thomas Summerfield, Acton, must. July 14, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Edward Kenzel, Southport, must. July 21, 1862; killed near 
Big Shanty, Ga., June 15, 1864. 

Corporals. 

John C. Thomas, must. July 23, 1862; killed at Resaea May 
14, 1864. 

Richard C. Ferree, Southport, must. July 19, 1862; killed at 
Resaea May 14, 1864. 

Daniel W. Levette, Acton, must. July 19, 1862; died at Chat- 
tanooga Oct. 11, 1864. 



William McLaughlin, Southport, must. July 19,1862; must. 

out June 8, 1865, as sergt. 
Cary A. McFarland, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
David Brewer, Southport, must. July 19, 1862 ; must, out June 

9, 1865, as sergt. 
Dan. M. Ransdell, must. Aug. 28, 1862; disch. March 1, 1865, 

arm amputated. 
Robert M. Willis, must. Aug. 6, 1862; disch. Aug. 6, 1864. 

Musician. 
Wharton Ransdell, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 



Joseph J. Alexander, must. July 31, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Robert Butcher, Acton, must. July 22, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

■ 1865. 
John AV. Barnett, must. July 20, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Howard W. Brumley, must. July 28, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Andrew Carson, Acton, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Absalom Cruse, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1 865. 
Samuel S. Colly, Acton, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
John R. Copeland, must. Aiig. 8, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
George Crosson, Acton, must. Aug. 8, 1862. 
George W. Caldwell, Acton, must. July 15, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865, as sergt. 
James G. Clark, Acton, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as corp. 
Thomas D. Campbell, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
AVilliam Dunlap, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June S, 1865. 
Richard Dobson, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Thomas W. Duell, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Joseph H. Edwards, Acton, must. Aug. 8, 1862 ; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
Isaac N. Fred, must. July 28, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Elijah R. Fisher, must. Aug. 9, 1862: must, out June 8, 1865, 

as Corp. 
David Grube, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Alexander Gordon, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
William Guirmup, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
James H. Gibson, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1866. 
James 0. Harris, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
George W. Harlin, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Thomas D. Hartman, Southport, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
William A. Kuser, Southport, must. July 19, 1862; must, out 

June 8, 1865. 
Valentine Leeper, Acton, must. July 16, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 



358 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



William R. Lowes, Aclon, must, July 27, 1862; must, out June Martin M. Harlin, must. Aug. 7, 1862; died at Chattanooga 

8, 1865. I July 8, 1864, of wounds. 

Valentine S. MeMullon, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June j George M. Jpnes, must. Aug. 6, 1862; died .it Bowling Green, 

S, 1865. I Ky., Nov. 8, 1862. 

Robert S. Moore, must. July 22, 1862; must, out June S, 1865. i Lyman L. Martin, must. Aug. 9, 1862; died at Murfreesborougli 

George W. McMillen, Acton, must. Aug. 8, 1862 ; must, out | Nov. 10, 1863. 

June 8, 1865. i Benjamin Thomsis, must. Dec. 14, 1863 ; died June 21, 1864. 

William A. Marrs; Southport, must. July 22, 1862; must, out i John W. Foulk, must. July 21, 1862; killed near Dallas, Ga., 



June 8, 1865, as q.m.-sergt. 
Enoch R. Nelson, Acton, must. July 22, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
David W. Pierson, Acton, must. Aug. 9, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
John H. Peggs, Acton, must. Aug. 9, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Charles W. Rawlings, Southport, must. July 19, 1862; must. 

out June 8, 1865. 



May 25, 1864. 

William Wells, Acton, must. Aug. 6, 1862; killed near Atlanta, 
Ga. 

Ellison Carr, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. Aug. 12, 1864, dis- 
ability. 

David M. Edwards, Acton, must. Aug. 11, 1862; disch. June 
12, 1863, disability. 

Jeremiah N. Featherston, must. July 18, 1862; disch. March 
6, 1865, disability. 



Benjamin Eansdell, Southport, must. July 21, 1862 ; must, out ] Thomas B. Fowler, must. July 25, 1862; disch. Dec. 6, 1864, 

June 8, 1865. disability. 

Theodore Rayborn, Acton, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June Albert Helms, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; disch. Jan. 17, 1865, dis- 

8, 1865. ! ability. 



Richard Scanlon, must. Aug. 16, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Richard M. Smock, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
George C. Thompson, must. July 19, 1362; must, out June 8, 

1865, as Corp. 
Shelton Thompson, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1S65. 
James J. Toon, must. July 19, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Joseph A. Whcatley, must. Aug. 8, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
William L. Wentz, must. July 23, 1S62; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
Nelson Yoke, must. Aug. 8, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 

Eecruits. 
George W. Lewis, Acton, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
William D. Brenton, Acton, must. July 19, 1862; killed at 

Resaca May 14, 1864. 
William T. Clark, Acton, must. July 16, 1862 ; killed at Resaca 

May U, 1864. 
Chancey Lewitt, Acton, must. Aug. 6, 1862; killed at Resaca 

May 14, 1864. 
Hiram Adair, must. Aug. 9, 1862; died at Nashville July 20, 

1864, of wounds at Big Shanty. 
James B. Adair, must. Aug. 6, 1862; died at Ch.ittanooga of 

wounds. 



James H. McLaughlin, Southport, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disch. 
July 19, 1863, disability. 

Daniel H. Merryman, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; disch. Nov. 30, 1863, 
disability. 

Moses D. McClain, must. July 28, 1862; disch. Aug. 18, 1864, 
for wounds. 

William Rawlings, Southport, must. July 19, 1862; disch. Feb. 
18, 1863, disability. 

James W. Russell, Southport, must. Aug. 10, 1S62; disch. Dec. 
6, 1862, disability. 

Luther Sylvey, must. Aug. 2, 1862; disch. March 11, 1864, 
dissibility. 

John T. Seeley, must. Aug. 6, 1802; disch. Nov. 23, 1864, dis- 
ability. 

David H. Stoops, Southport, must. July 15, 1862 ; disch. Dec. 7, 
I 1864, for wounds. 

Samuel J. Smock, must. Aug. 10, 1862; disch. Sept. 1, 1864, 
for wounds. 

John Thomas, must. July IS, 1862; disch. May 4, 1863, dis- 
ability. 

Adolpha Toon, must. July 21, 1862; disch. March 19, 1863, 
disability. 

Howiird Todd, must. Aug. 11, 1862; disch. Feb. 9, 1863, dis- 
ability. 

William H. Freel, must. Nov. 7, 1863 ; disch. March 18, 1865. 

Samuel H. Moore, must. Nov. 6, 1863; disch. for promotion 
March 29, 1864. 



Henry H. Clary, must. Aug. 8, 1862; died at Ch.attanooga June | Samuel Barrow, Acton, must. Dec. 5, 1863; tr.ans. to 33d Regt. 



20, 1864, of wounds. 



June 8, 1865. 



Charles N. Fitzgerald, Acton, must. July 14,1862; died June 1 William E. Gordon, Acton, must. Oct. 27, 1863; trans, to 33d 



16, 1863. 



Eegt. June S, 1865. 



Silas S. Harris, must. July 28, 1862; died at Bridgeport, Ala., ; Ff""'''^ M- Hartman. Southport, must. July 31, 1864; trans, to 



Aug. 14, 1864. 



33d Regt. June 8, 1865. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



859 



Robert A. Moore, must. Sept. S, 1S63; trans, to 33d Regt. 

June 8, 1865. 

John J. Turner, must. Dec. 14, 1863; trans, to 33d Regt. June 

8, 1865. 

Enlisted Mkn, Company K. 

First Sergeant. 

Thomas S. Campbell, must. July 25, 1862; pro. 2d lieut. 

Ser(/eaiits. 
Nathan A. Seerest, must. July 14, 1862; pro. oapt. of 2Sth 

U. S. Colored Inf. 
William H.. Kemper, must. July 19, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
George P. Vance, must. July 30, 1862; disoh. Aug. 26, 1863. 

Corjiorals. 
Cas. T. Curtis, must. July 22, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865, 

as 1st sergt. 
Andrew Graydon, must. July 14, 1862; must, out .Tune 8, 1865, 

as sergt. 
Parish L. Mayhew, must. July 15, 1862; disch. Jan. 21, 1863. 
Prank Gillett, must. July 15, 1862; disoh. for promotion U. S. 

Colored Inf. 
Robert IV. Calhcart, must. July 15, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as sergt. 

Musicians. 
Thomas Angle, must. July 24, 1862 ; disoh. Dec. 17, 1864, for 

wounds. 
Nathaniel E. Eudaly, must. July 24, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 

Wagcer. 

George W. Koontz, must. July 15, 1S62 ; disch. Dec. 13, 1864, 

for wounds. 

Privates. 
Perry E. Abell, Castleton, must. July 26, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1865. 
Benjamin F. Askren, Lawrence, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disch. 

Dec. 7, 1864. 
James W. Blue, must. July 25, 1862 ; died at Chattanooga 

March 8, 1864. 
Geoi'ge W. Carter, must. July 21, 1862; died at Indianapolis 

June 16, 1864. 
James H. Clark, must. Aug. 7, 1862; killed at Kenesaw Moun- 
tain June 22, 1864 ; sergt. 
Richard Graves, must. July 15, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Martin V. Griffith, Lawrence, must. Aug. 5, 1862; died May 

24, 1864, of wounds. 
James Graves, Lawrence, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
William C. Hind, Cumberland, must. July 26, 1862 ; disch. Jan. 

22, 1863. 
John L. Ketcham, must. July 15, 1862; pro. q.m. 
John Kirkland, Lawrence, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; died at Sanders- 

ville, Tenn., Feb. 20, 1863. 
George Kooker, must. July 30, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Robert Langsdale, must. July 24, 1862; disoh. March 4, 1863. 



Thomas Miller, Clermont, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 

8, 1S65, as Corp. 
Charles Potts, must. July 25, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Alfred E. Pureell, must. Aug. 9, 1862; killed at Resaca May 

14, 1864. 
George Redmond, must. July 30, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Harvey B. Rodgers, must. July 30, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865, as Corp. 
Abraham Seay, must. July 21, 1862; must, out June S, 1865. 
John Seay, must. July 21, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
John Seekamp, must. July 30, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Marion Springer, Lawrence, must. Aug. 5, 1862 ; died at Gal- 

latiD, Tenn., Dee. 3, 1862. 
John Stoofe, Lawrence, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 8, 

1865. 
James Vansickle, Lawrence, must. July 1 9, 1862 ; died at Nash- 
ville, Tenn , Nov. 13, 1863. 
David Watson, must. July 30, 1862; died May 17, 1864, of 

wounds. 
Jasper Watson, must. July 31, 1862 ; must, out June 8, 1865. 
Martin Watson, must. July 26, 1862; must, out June 8, 1865, 

as Corp. 

Fourth Cavalry (Seventy-seventh) Eegiment. 
— The Fourth Cavalry Reginieut was organized at 
Indianapolis on the 22d of August, 1862, with Isaac 
P. Gray as colonel. On the completion of its organi- 
zation the aspect of affairs in Kentucky was so threat- 
ening that four companies, the regiment having been 
divided, were sent, under the command of Maj. John 
A. Platter, to Henderson, Ky., and the remaining 
companies to Louisville, from whence they were or- 
dered into the interior, where they were joined by 
Col. Gray. 

The battalion under the command of Maj. Platter 
had a skirmish at Madisonville, Ky., on the 26th of 
August, and again at Mount Washington on the 1st 
of October, in which a number were killed and 
wounded. On the 5th it was engaged again at Mad- 
isonville, with a slight loss. In the spring of 1863 
this battalion joined the other companies. 

During the invasion of Bragg, a part of the regi- 
ment, under Col. Gray, was camped at Madison, 
moving from there to Vevay, then across the river to 
Frankfort, Ky., remaining here until about the 1st 
of December, when they started in the pursuit of 
Morgan, defeating him, on Christmas, at Mumfords- 
ville, with a slight loss. From here, in January, 
18G3, a movement was made into East Tennessee, 



360 



HISTORT OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



where the regiment was united and assigned to the 
army of Rosecrans, and on the 19th and 20th of 
September participated in the battle of Chiclcamauga, 
and a small engagement on the 23d, and also on the 
1st of November at Fayetteville. During the winter 
of 1863-64 the regiment was in East Tennessee, 
having engagements at Mossy Creek, Talbot's, and 
Dundridge, and on the 2'7th of January, 1864, a 
severe fight at Fair Garden. Capt. Rosecranz, of 
Company F, with Second Battalion of the Fourth 
Cavalry, dismounted, made a charge, with the Second 
Indiana and First Wisconsin Cavalry, also di.s- 
mounted. Maj. Purdy, with the First Battalion, 
supported by Lilly's Eighteenth Indiana Battery, 
made a sabre charge on a rebel battery, being led 
by Lieut.-Col. Leslie, who was killed in the charge, 
and captured the battery and more prisoners than 
they had men, and suffered but little loss. 

The regiment in March moved to Cleveland, Tenn., 
then to Atlanta in May, having skirmishes at Var- 
nell's Station on the 9th, at Burnt Church on the 2d 
of June, and at Newnan on the 31st of July. Com- 
ing back into Tennessee, it had engagements at Co- 
lumbia ; went from here to Louisville, then to Nash- 
ville, and in February, 1865, to Waterloo, Ala., and 
was afterwards in the battles of Plantersville and 
Selma. Coming back to Nashville in May, it was 
mustered out and discharged June 29, 1865, not 
returning home in a body. 

Company C served as escort to Gen. A. J. Smith 
in the siege of Vicksburg and the Red River expedi- 
tion, but joined the regiment in 1864 and served 
with it until discharged. 

Major. 
Albert J. Morlcy, com. June 24, 1864; must, out with regt. 

Adjutants. 
William G. Anderson, com. July 31, 1863 ; dismissed Aug. 8, 

1864. 
Homer C. Carpenter, com. Aug. 4, 1864; must, out with regt. 

Quartermaster. 
George W.French, com. Aug. 1, 1863; disch. March 18, 1S65. 

Assistant Surgeon. 
Jonathan J. Barrett, com. Sept. 3, 1863; not must. 

Company A. 
Captain. 
Albert J. Morley, com. Jan. 10, 1863; pro. maj. 



First Lieutenant. 
Albert J. Morley, com. Oct. 16, 1862; pro. capt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Upton J. Hammond, com. Aug. 1, 1862; res. Feb. 26, 1863. 
Albert J. Morley, com. Aug. 1, 1862; pro. Ist lieut. 

Company E. 
First Lieutenant. 
Daniel S. Moulton, com. April 30, 1863; 2d lieut. Sept. 4,1862; 
must, out with regt. 

Company G. 
Captain. 
Henry M. Billingsley, com. May 16, 1865 ; must, out with 
regt. ; had been 1st and 2d lieut. 

Enlisted Men, Company A. 
Quartennaster-Sergeant. 
Charles J. Ford, must. July 28, 1862 ; disch. Jan. 29, 1864, as 
private. 

Gonimissary Sergeant. 
Conwell P. Meek, must. Aug. 3, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 

Sergeants. 
William H. Eagle, must. Aug. 3, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865, 

as private. 
John W. Smith, must. July 24, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Robert J. Killan, must. Aug. 9, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865, 
as private. 

Corporals. 

Joseph M. Douglass, must. Aug. 3, 1862 ; disch. Nov. 1, 1862. 

James A. Rowans, must. Aug. 3, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 

Marion Kelly, must. July 30, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865, aB 

serg. 

Farrier and Blachsniitli . 
Edward Wilson, must. Aug. 9, 1862; disch. Oct. 21, 1862. 

Privates. 
Jefferson Bailey, must. July 29, 1862 ; disch. May, 1863. 
Abijah Bales, must. July 30, 1862; disoh. Nov. 1, 1864, leg am- 
putated. 
Oscar M. Barnett, must. Aug. 4, 1862 ; died at Cartersville, Ga., 

Sept. 2, 1864. 
James T. Boswell, must. Aug. 8, 1862 ; died at Murfreesbor- 

ough April 23, 1863. 
Joseph E. Boswell, must. Aug. 8, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865, as 1st sergt. 
John Barnes, must. Aug. 14, 1862; trans, to V. R. C. May 8, 

1864. 
James Bennett, must, Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865, 

as Corp. 
Seward Cramer, must. July 29, 1862 ; must, out Juno 29, 1865. 
Homer C. Carpenter, must. July 29, 1862; pro. adjt. 
Charles Carter, must. Aug. 9, 1862; died at Murfreesborough 

Aug. 2, 1863. 



MARION COUNTY" IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



361 



Jacob H. Durst, must. Aug. 8, 1862 ; trans, to V. R. C. May 8, 

1864. 
Jesse J. Downard, must. July 28, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Henry Ellis, must. Aug. 14, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865. 
John Fox, must. .Tuly 29, 1862 ; cliseh. Oct. 8, 1862. 
John H. Ferguson, must. July 29, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Alexander C. Ferguson, must. Aug. S, 1862 ; must, out June 

29, 1865. 
Francis M. Fiseus, must. Aug. 9, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
James M. Ferguson, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
William J. Gray, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; disch. 
Archimides Gilson, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out .June 29, 

1865. 
James Grant, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865. 
William A. Hall, must. July 29, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Richard D. Herald, must. July 29, 1862; died at Bowling 

Green Deo. 6, 1862. 
Samuel Hawkins, must. Aug. 7, 1862; died at home Jan. 14, 

1864. 
Edward Johnson, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; trans, to V. R. C. May 8, 

1864. 
William H. Judkins, must. Aug. 9, 1862; died at Nashville 

Oct. 14, 1864. 
Andrew J. Long, must. July 29, 1862; disch. March 6, 1863. 
Samuel N. List, must. July 29, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Martin T. Lang, must. Aug. 14, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 
George H. Lehman, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
John S. Moore, must. July 29, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865, 

as regt. com.-sergt. 
Noah N. Meek, must. Aug. 3, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Lot W. Martin, must. Aug. 3, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Oliver P. Martin, must. Aug. 3, 1862; trans, to V. R. C. May 8, 

1864. 
Samuel B. McDaniel, must. July 29, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Henry McDaniel, must. July 29, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
James W. McMaham, must. Aug. 9, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865, as sergt. 
Samuel R. Perkins, must. July 29, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 

1865, a,s regt. q.m. -sergt. 
Charles Purcell, must. Aug. 6, 1862; disch. March 18, 1863. 
Martin E. Pierson, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Lewis S. Pierson, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Conrad Raab, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 29,1865. 
Lewis A. Reinhart, must. July 29, 186? ; must, out June 29, 



Edwin Simpson, must. July 29, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Nicholas Shumer, must. July 29, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Joseph T. Short, must. Aug. 4, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 
George AV. Scott, must. Aug. 9, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Isaiah M. Staley, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; died at New Market, 

Tenn., Dec. 26, 1863. 
Thomas W. Staley, must. Aug. 9, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865, as Corp. 
Richard B. Sears, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
Augustus Servore, must. Aug. 14, 1862 ; trans, to V. R. C. M.ay 

8, 1864. 
Emanuel Tague, must. Aug. 11, 1862 ; disch. March 8, 1863. 
Charles Van Sickle, must. Aug. 8, 1862; died at Louisville 

Oct. 6, 1862. 
George Warner, must. Aug. 9, 1862 ; disch. Dec. 8, 1862. 
George W. White, must. July 24, 1862 ; disch. April 1, 1863. 
William Yount, must. .July 24, 1862; must, out June 29, 1865, 

as corp. 

Recruits. 
Ai Beard, must. Nov. 5, 1862 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Henry C. Ferguson, must. Jan. 6, 1863 ; must, out June 29, 

1866. 
George W. Haynes, must. Feb. 5, 1864; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
William Warrell, must. Jan. 3, 1863 ; must, out .June 29, 1865. 
John Winsell, must. Jan. 24, 1864; must, out June 29, 1865. 
Joseph D. McGuffin, must. Aug. 13, 1863; must, out June 29, 

1865. 
James Atherton, must. Feb. 13,1864; must, out June 29, 1865. 
George Birner, must. Jan. 5, 1865 ; must, out June 29, 1865. 

Seventy-ninth Regiment. — Tlie Seventy-ninth 
Regiment was organized at Indianapolis during Au- 
gust, 1862 ; was mustered in for three years Septem- 
ber 2d, with Frederick Knefler as colonel, and imme- 
diately ordered to Louisville, to help protect that city 
against Bragg, and was there assigned to Buell's 
army, being in the First Brigade, Third Division, 
Twenty-first Army Corps. Leaving Louisville Octo- 
ber 1st, to join in pursuit, it was present in reserve 
at the battle of Perry ville, and at Crab Orchard, 
where one was killed and two wounded. Then to 
Logan's Cross-Roads, Gallatin, Tenn., and across the 
Cumberland River into camp at Nashville. It par- 
ticipated in the battle of Stone River, being changed 
on the 2d of January, 1863, during the battle, from 
the right to the left wing. Afterwards it marched 
to Murfreesborough, here going into camp and remain- 



24 



362 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ing until June 24rLh, when it left and went to Tulla- 
homa ; then to Manchester, McMinnville, and Pike- 
ville. On the 1st of September it moved toward 
Chattanooga, crossing the Tennessee River at Bridge- 
port on the 6th, Lookout Mountain on the 9th, going 
through Rossville and Ringgold to Lee and Gordon's 
Mills. On the 1.3th was a heavy skirmish, and on 
the 19th and 20th the battle of Chiekamauga, where 
one was killed, forty wounded, and thirteen missing, 
and where the First Virginia Battery of Longstreet's 
corps was captured. It then fell back with the army 
to Chattanooga. 

Upon reorganization the Seventy-ninth was as- 
signed to the Third Brigade, Third Division, Fourth 
Army Corps. On the 23d of November the regi- 
ment was in the movement against Bragg, svhen the 
celebrated battles of Lookout Mountain and Mission 
Ridge occurred. During this time the Eighty-sixth 
Indiana Regiment was attached to the Seventy-ninth, 
under Col. Knefler, and this consolidated force led 
the column which stormed and captured Mission 
Ridge, being the first to plant the colors on the 
enemy's works, and captured eleven pieces of artillery 
and several hundred prisoners, its loss being small. 
It took part in the movement which began on the 
27th towards Knoxville, to relieve Gen. Burnside, 
arriving there on the Gth of December. 

During the following four months they remained 
in East Tennessee, suflFering much from exposure and 
want of supplies, and participating in many minor 
expeditions, those at Strawberry Plains, New Market, 
Mossy Creek, Clinch Valley, a cavalry expedition to 
Thornhill, and others. In April, 1864, they had ten 
days' rest at Chattanooga, the first in ten months. 

On the 3d of May the regiment marched to Ca- 
toosa Springs, Ga., thence to Tunnel Hill and Rooky- 
face Ridge, Dalton and Resaca, where it was present 
in the reserve. It then proceeded, with continual 
skirmishing, to Calhoun, Adairsville, Kingston, and 
Cassville, crossing the Etowah River on the 23d. 
There then came the battles of New Hope Church, 
Pickett's Mills, Pine-Top Mountain, Lost Mountain, 
and Kenesaw Mountain, where it took part in the 
heavy skirmishing before the evacuation. It then 
marched to Marietta and the Chattahoochie River, 



crossing on the 14th of July. This regiment was 
the first to cross Peach-Tree Creek, capturing the 
works and many prisoners. It was present and on 
active duty at the siege of Atlanta, from July 22d to 
August 24th, when it moved to the south and en- 
gaged in the actions at Jonesborough and Lovejoy's 
Station, September 1st and 2d. The regiment then 
marched toward Atlanta, reaching there on the 7th, 
and remained until October 3d, when it went in pur- 
suit of Gen. Hood, and continued until it reached 
Gaylesville, Ala., and the lines of the Coosa River, 
when the Fourth Corps was sent to Nashville, going 
through Chattanooga, Athens, Ala., Pulaski, Tenn., 
where it ariived November 1st, and then fell back to 
Columbia, Springfield, and Franklin, at which battle 
it was in the reserve. The regiment arrived at Nash- 
ville December 1st, and during the battle captured 
nine guns and assisted the storming of Overton 
Hill, afterwards pursuing through Brentwood, Frank- 
lin, Spring Hill, Columbia, Pulaski, to Huntsville, 
Ala., arriving Jan. 6, 18B5, and remaining until 
March 17th, when it went by rail to East Tennessee, 
to help in the advance on Richmond ; arrived at Mor- 
ristown, marched through Bull's Gap and Greenville to 
Jonesborough, when further movements were arrested 
by the surrender of Richmond. It then returned to 
Nashville, arriving April 26th, remained till June 
5th, and then started home, reaching Indianapolis 
June 7th, and was discharged on the 11th. This 
regiment during its term of service was constantly 
in the field, never having performed garrison duty, 
and is credited with the capture of eighteen guns 
and over one thousand prisoners. 

Original enlistments for three years from Marion 
County : 

Colonel. 
Frederick Knefler, com. Aug. 27, 1862; brev. brig. -gen. ; must, 
out with I'egt. 

Lleiitetiant-Colonel. 
George W. Parker, com. Aug. 25, 1S(U; must, out with regt. 

Majors. 
Elliott George Wallace, com. Jan. 26, 1863; dismissed as capt. 

hy court-martial May 13, 1863. 
George W. Parker, com. Oct. 14, 1863; [to. lieut.-col. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



363 



Adjutants. 
Thompson Dunn, com. May 9, 1864; killed in battle at Love- 
joy's Station Sept. 2, 1864. 
Leander W. Muniia'll, com. Sept. S, 1364; must, out with regt. 

Quartermaster, 
Jacob H. Colclazier, com. April 24, 1S63: must, out with regt. 

Chajilaiu. 
Love H. Jameson, com. Dec. 6, 1862; res. April 30, 1864. 

Assistant Surgeon. 
John H. Tilford, com. Aug. 27, 1862; must, out with regt. 

Company A. 
Captains. 
Elliott Gr. Wallace, com. July 30, 1862; pro. maj. 
William A. Abbott, com. Aug. 2, 1863; must, out and hon. 
disch, June. 7, 1865. 

First Lieutenants. 
John R. Colton, com. July 30, 1862; res. Jan. 30, 1863. 
William A. Abbott, com. Jan. 31, 1S63; pro. capt. 
Frank H. Butterfield, com. Aug. 2, 1863; declined. 
William H. Hagerhorst, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Second LietUenant. 
George G. Earl, com. Jan. 31, 1863; pro. capt. Co. 6. 

Company B. 
Captain. 
William V. Burns, com. Aug. 26, 1864; must, out and hon. 
disch. May 15, 1865; cause, service no longer required 
and disabilit3% 

First Lieutenants. 
William V. Burns, com. Jan. 29, 1863; revoked; reoom. 1st 

lieut. June 21, 1863; pro. capt. 
Arthur St. Clair Vance, com. Jan. 29, 1863 ; res. June 20, 1863. 
Henry Magsam, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
Arthur St. C. Vance, com. Aug. 9, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
William V. Burns, com. Jan. 29, 1863; pro. 1st lieut. 
Simeon J. Thompson, com. June 21, 1863 ; disch. before must. 

Company C. 
Cajitains. 
John 6. Waters, com. Aug. 19, 1862 ; res. Feb. 1, 1863. 
Benjamin Valliquette, com. Feb. 2, 1863; hon. disch. Nov. 18, 
1863. 

First Lieutenants. 
Benjamin Valliquette, com. Aug. 19, 1862 ; pro. eapt. 
William S. Cardell, com. Feb. 2, 1863 ; pro. capt. Co. H. 
Charles T. Many, com. March 1, 1865; must, out with regt. 



Second Lieutenants. 
William S. Cardell, com. Aug. 19, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Edwin M. Byrkit, com. Feb. 2, 1863 ; pro. capt. Co. I. 

COMPA.VY D. 

Captains. 
James M. Buchanan, com. Aug. 20, 1862; hon. disch. Feb. 5, 

1864. 
John T, Newland, com. Feb. 6, 1864; must, out with regt. 

First Lieutenants. 
John T. Newland, com. Aug. 20, 1862 ; pro. capt. 
Ezra Buchanan, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
John S. McDaniel, com. Aug. 20, 1862; died at Nashville, 

Tenn., Dec. 26, 1862. 
George Harris, com. Feb. 22, 1863; must, out with regt. 

Company E. 
First Lieutenant. 
John W. Gosney, com. July 1, 1864: must, out with regt. 

Company F. 

Captains. 
Andrew W. Faqua, com. Aug. 23, 1862; res. Dec. 20, 1862. 
James P. Catterson, com. Deo. 21, 1862; res. March 22, 1864. 
Isaac W. Stubbs, com. March 23, 1864; must, out with regt. 

First Lieutenants. 
John B. Johnson, com. Aug. 23, 1862; res. Nov. 16, 1862. 
James P. Catterson, com. Nov. 17, 1862 ; pro. capt. 
Isaac W. Stubbs, com. Dec. 21, 1862; pro. capt. 
William J. Carter, com. March 23, 1862 ; hon. disch. Oct. 14, 

1864. 
John B. W. Parker, com. March 1, 1S65 ; must, out with regt. 

Second Lieutenants. 
James P. Catterson, com. Aug. 2.3, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Richard E. Perrott, com. Jan. 6, 1863; res. Sept. 2, 1863. 

Company G. 
Cajjtains. 
George W. Parker, com. Aug. 23, 1862; pro. maj. 
William H. H. Sheets, com. Oct. 14, 1863 ; declined. 
George G. Earl, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

First Lieutenants. 
William H. H. Sheets, com. Aug. 21, 1862; pro. capt.; must. 

out with regt. 
George W. Clark, com. Oct. 14, 1863 ; wounded and died as 2d 

lieut. Sept. 29, 1863. 

Second Lieutenants. 
James Comstock, com. Aug. 23, 1862; res. Sept. 24, 1862. 
George W. Clark, com. Nov. 25, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 



364 



HISTORr OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



COSIPANT H. 

Captains. 
John L. Hanna, com. March 22, 1863 ; res. Nov. 11, 1864. 
William S. Cardell, com. March 1, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

First Lieutenant. 
William P. Mounts, com. Nov. 23, 1862 ; dishon. dismissed Dec. j 
15, 1864. 

Second Lieutenant. 

Thompson Dunn, com. June 24, 1864; pro. adjt. 

COSIPANY I. 

Captain. 

Edwin M. Byrkit, com. March 1, 1865; must, out with regt. 

Company K. 
First Lieutenant. 
Edgar J. Foster, com. Nov. 13, 1862; res. Feb. 22, 1864. 
Henry J. Brattain, com. March 13, 1865 ; must, out with regt. 

Enlisted Men, Company A. 
First Sergeant. 
Francis M. Severance, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 7, 
1865, as private. 

Sergeants. 

Edgar J. Foster, must. July 28, 1862; pro. 1st Heut. Co. K. 

William A. Abbott, must. July 18, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 

Francis H. Butterfield, must. July 23, 1862; pro. lieut. 6th 

TJ. S. Colored Troops. 

Henry C. Earnest, must. July 20, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as private. 

Corporals. 

Arthur Rhouette, must. July 23, 1862; disch. Jan. 27, 1863. 
Adam Hereth, must. July 18, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
William B. Lewis, must. July 23, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as sergt. 
Julius Young, must. July IS, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Herman Praner, must. July 18, 1862; disch. Feb. 2, 1865, for 

wounds. 
Adolph J. Many, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as sergt. 
William J. Brattain, must. July 18, 1862; trans, to Engineer 

Corps July 20, 1864. 

Wagoner. 
Morris Sullivan, must. July 20, 1862; disch. March 11, 186.3. 

Privates. 
Thomas Arnold, must. Aug, 5, 1862; died Jan. 7, 1863, of 

wounds. 
Frederick Barton, Cumberland, must. Aug. 16, 1862; disch. May 

21, 1865, for wounds. 
Philip Boehm, must. Aug. 10, 1862; died in Andersonville 

prison Aug. 14, 1864. 
Henry Bredemeyer, must. Aug. 16, 1862; died at Georgetown, 

Tenn., Dec. 30, 1863. 



Daniel Brennan, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out May 13,1865. 
Patrick Brennan, must. July 20, 1862; must, out Oct. 13, 1865. 
Willi.am Bailey, must. July 26, 1862; died Oct. 20, 1862, of 

wounds. 
William Cerr, must. July 24, 1862 ; disch. March 26, 1863, for 

wounds. 
Francis M. Christian, must. July 24, 1862; disch. Dec, 1862. 
Benjamin Crigler, must. July 26, 1862; killed at Stone River 

Jan. 2, 1863. 
Samuel Dalzell, must. July 26, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
John Devine, must. July 24, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
John B. Ducker, must. Aug. 7, 1862; died at Nashville Sept. 

30, 1863. 
George G. Earl, must. Aug. 9, 1862 ; pro. 2d lieut. 
Samuel B. Gaylord, must. Aug. 9, 1862; died Jan. 7, 1863, of 

wounds. 
Henry Grabhorn, must. July 30, 1862; disch. March 17, 1863. 
August Gregorie, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as Corp. 
Timothy Haley, must. Aug. 12, 1862; died at Murfreesborough 

Aug. 20, 1863. 
Rufus Harper, must. July 26, 1862; missing at Chickamauga 

Sept. 19, 1863. 
John Hause, must. July 29, 1862; disch. June 23, 1863. 
James F. Hawthorn, must. July IS, 1862; must, out June 

7, 1865. 

Robert C. Heitzer, must. July 26, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 

1865, as Corp. 
William Hinesley, must. July 21, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Benjamin Jameson, must. Aug. 16, 1862 ; trans, to V. R. C. 

Nov. 1, 1863. 
Charles D. Joslin, must. July 18, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as Corp. 
Sebastian Knodle, must. July 23, 1862; died at Nashville Dec. 

21, 1S62. 
Philip Kuhn, must. Aug. 9, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Aaron Lawson, must. Aug. 7, 1862; n\ust. out June 7, 1865. 
James F. Lawson, must. Aug. 26, 1862 : killed at Dallas, Ga., 

May 27, 1864. 
Thomas S. Lawson, must. July 22, 1862; trans, to V. E. C. 

July 15, 1863, on account of wounds. 
John S. Lawson, must. Aug. 26, 1862; disch. Dec. 15, 1863. 
Elijah Long, must. July 28, 1862; disch. April 7, 1863. 
Daniel Mnnn, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Jacob Medeker, must. Aug. 6, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
William P. Moore, must. Aug. 1, 1862; disch. April 9, 1863, 

for wounds. 
Alonzo McNeal, must. July 20, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
John H. Nelson, must. July 22, 1862; died June 3, 1863, of 

wounds. 
Patrick O'Connell, must. July 20, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Michael O'Connell, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
David Pearson, must. July 26, 1862 ; died at New Albany May 

8, 1863. 



MARION COUNTY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION. 



365 



Jonas 0. Pearson, must. Aug. 5, 1862 ; disch. Nov. 8, 1862. 
Jolin M. Pettitt, must. July 30, 1862 ; died June 20, 1863, of 

wounds. 
Jesse S. Pointer, must. Aug. 6, 1862; disoli. March 1, 1S65, for 

wounds. 
James A. Pressley, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865, as Corp. 
Frederieli Kaffert, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. Dec. 1, 1862. 
John Reister, must. July 20, 1S62 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
EmilEenard, must. July 22, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Rohert Ross, must. July 18, 1862; disch. Feb. 3, 1863. 
Philip Seyferd, must. July 24, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
George Stimmann, must. July 18, 1862; disch. Dec. 3, 1863, 

for wounds. 
Wellington Watts, must. July 21, 1862 ; trans, to Engineer 

Corps July 20, 1864. 
William Werzner, must. July 26, 1S62 ; must, out June 7, 1S65. 
Charles Wortman, must. Aug. 6, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
George Williams, must. Aug. 11, 1862; died at Louisville 

April, 1864. 

Enlisted Men, Company C. 
First Sergeant. 
Edwin M. Byrkit, must. Aug. 15, 1862; pro. 2d lieut. 

Sergeants. 
Charles J. Many, must. Aug. 19, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
Charles Anderson, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865, as private. 
Joseph Kline, must. Aug. 15, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as sergt.-maj. 

John W. Warner, must. Aug. 15, 1862; killed at Atlanta July 

21, 1864. 

Gor;porah. 

John L. Monroe, must. Aug. 25, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
Leander W. Munhall, must. Aug. 15, 1862; pro. adjt. 
William E. Sullivan, must. Aug. 15, 1862; trans, to Vet. Res. 

Corps Sept. 1, 1863. 
Theodore R. Bryant, must. Aug. 9, 1862 ; must, out July 7, 

1865. 
Henry Anderson, must. Aug. 10, 1862; disch. Jan. 21, 1863. 

Musicians. 

George Frankenstein, must. Aug. 21, 1862; disch. Dec. 15, 

1862. 

John W. Hartpenoe, must. Aug. 13, 1862 ; disch. July 26, 

1864. 

Waffoner. 

Oliver F. Long, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as q.m.-sergt. 

Privates. 

John Anderson, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
William Amos, must. Aug. 13, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Edmond C. Boaz, must. Aug. 11, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865, 
as 1st sergt. 



Seth W. Bardwell, must. Aug. 15, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
Candy Burns, must. Aug. 22, 1862; disch. March 26, 1S63. 
Albert A. Chester, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865, as sergt. 
David W. Davis, must. Aug. 13, 1862; must, out June 7,1865. 
Henry Eaton, must. Aug. 13, 1862; trans, to 18th U. S. Inf. 

Dec. 22, 1862. 
James E. Foudray, must. Aug. 15, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
Thomas Green, must. Aug. 15, 1862; disch. April 21, 1863. 
William M. Hall, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. March 2, 1863, 

as 1st sevgt. 
Andrew Hoover, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; disch. April 18, 1863. 
William Haggart, must. Aug. 15, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 

1865, as corp. 
William Jacobs, must. Aug. 22, 1862 ; accidentally shot at 

Murfreesborough JunS 13, 1863. 
Benjamin Lester, must. Aug. 14, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
Newton Munsell, must. Aug. 26, 1862 ; disch. April 9, 1863. 
Henry A. Mittay, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865, as sergt. 
Horace Marple, must. Aug. 15, 1862; disch. Feb. 7, 1863. 
Fleming B. Martin, must. Aug. 19, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
James Montgomery, must. Aug. 20, 1862 ; died at Louisville 

Dec. 20, 1862. 
Williamson B. Martin, must. Aug. 22, 1862 ; must, out June 

7, 1865. 
Edward F. Merryman, must. Aug. 25, 1862; must, out June 

7, 1865. 
Johnson S. Poppline, must. Aug. 15, 1862; trans, to Vet. Res. 

Corps June 27, 1865. 
Robert Rochester, must. Aug. 15, 1862; disch. April 20, 1863. 
John Ryan, must. Aug. 14, 1862 ; killed at Kenesaw June 8, 

1864. 
Henry Stumpf, must. Aug. 15, 1862; died at Murfreesborough 

March 5, 1864. 
James Welsh, must. Aug. 9, 1862; disch. Jan. 26, 1863. 

Enlisted Men, Company F. 

First Sergeant. 

Benjamin P. Riley, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disch. Oct. 18, 1862. 

Sergeant. 
Edward P. Thomas, must. Aug. 7, 1862; died at Nashville 
Dec. 18, 1862. 

Cor2)orah. 
John J. Murdock, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as private. 
Samuel Redman, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; disch. Jan. 19, 1863. 
Charles Hayes, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; disch. Feb. 6, 1863. 
John B. Alexander, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disch. Jan. 30, 1863. 



366 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



William S. Eobinson, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; disoh. Feb. 10, 1863. 

Wayone,: 
Caleb Thomas, must. Aug. 7, 1362 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 



Taylor Arnold, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
N.athan Brooks, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; trans, to V. R. C. Aug. 1, 

ise.?. 

Jeremiah M. Buckley, must. Aug. 12,1862; disch. May l.S, 

1863. 
John Bloomfelter, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
James Bailey, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, as 

1st sergt. 
Thomas Bairnworth, must. Aug. 12,1862; disch. Jan. 29, 1863. 
William J. Carter, must. Aug. 12, 1862; pro. 1st lieut. 
William S. Chanplain, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; died at Louisville, 

Ky., Sept. 28, 1862. 
James A. Clements, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
John Decker, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, as 

Corp. 
Lafayette Doughty, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disch. Sept. 14, 1863. 
Severe Doughty, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disch. Feb. 11, 1863. 
Teterick Eck, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
John F. Bdgington, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. Feb. 28, 1863. 
James Fort, must. Aug. 7, 1862; killed at Kenesaw, Ga , June 

18, 1864. . 
William H. Francis, Bridgeport, must. Aug. 12,1862; must. 

out June 7, 1865. 
Daniel Fink, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; trans, to V. R. C. May 28, 

1864. ■ 
Edward Gordon, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Thomas Garvey, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Joseph Holderman, must. Aug. 7, 1 862 ; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Uriah M. Holmes, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. March 8, 1863. 
Adam Hiss, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, as 

Corp. 
Henry James, must. Aug. 12, 1S62; died at Nashville Dee. 26, 

1862. 
John W. James, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as Corp. 
Joseph Ketrow, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
George W. Ketrow, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
Edward Kocker, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. April 12, 1863. 
Robert Lynn, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
John Lynn, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Samuel Long, must. Aug. 12, 1862; trans, to 1st TJ. S. Engi- 
neers Aug. 15, 1864. 
Joshua M. W. Langsdale, must. Aug. 7, 1862 ; must, out June 

7, 1865, as sergt. 
John Middough, must. Aug. 12, 1862; died at Soottsville, Ky., 
Nov. 16, 1862. 



Tobias Maddox, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Robert Potter, must. Aug. 7, 1862; killed at Stone River Jan. 

2, 1863. 
Jeremiah Probus, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; died at Knoxville Jan. 

16, 1864. 
Reuben Randolph, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
David A. Randolph, must. Aug. 12, 1862; died Aug. 4, 1864, 

of wounds received at Marietta. 
Harmon Stout, must. Aug. 7, 1862; disoh. Aug. 31, 1863.' 
Joseph B. Stewart, must. Aug. 7, 1862; trans, to Co. C. 
Isaac W. Stubbs, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; pro. 1st lieut. 
Samuel T. Scott, must. Aug. 12, 1862; disch. March 1, 1863. 
Christopher Southern, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 

1865. 
John Shafer, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, as 

com. -sergt. 
John J. Stormer, must. Aug. 7, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865, 

as Corp. 
Benjamin Vanblaricum, must. Aug. 12, 1862 ; disch. May 5, 

1863. 
Frank Walz, must. Aug. 12, 1862; trans, to V. R. C. ; must. 

out June 7, 1865. 
Stephen Ward, must. Aug. 12, 1862; must, out June 7, 1865. 
Joseph Ward, must. Aug. 7, 1862; died at Chattanooga Sept. 

19, 1862. 



CHAPTER XV. 



ORDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITU- 
TIONS OF INDIANAPOLIS. 

The Masons. ^When the middle-aged men of this 
generation were little boys the brightest days of the 
year were the Fourth of July, when the Sunday- 
schools paraded, and a day in May — no fixed day 
probably — when the Freemasons assembled at the 
annual meeting of the Grand Lodge made a public 
demonstration, of which a street procession was the 
chief feature. The Masons — always given their full 
name, " Freemasons," and only abbreviated in the 
more practical days of the railroad era — made a pecu- 
liarly attractive show. There was a delightful mys- 
tery through the whole line, from the men with white 
aprons who held black sticks crossed at the top, to 
the chaplain with an open Bible before him, on to the 
gorgeously gilt aprons and scarfs of the Royal Arch 
and higher degrees. The squares and compasses on 
the aprons of some, the columns on those of others, 



ORDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



367 



the mysterious open eye on others, were strange enough 
to interest intelligent boys, and they followed the 
ranks from Hubbard's Block or Norwood's Block (Clay- 
pool's now), in all their stately marches, with a stronger 
interest than they did the cage-carriages of a menage- 
rie or the spangled riders of a circus. These displays 
began here probably when it was decided to hold the 
annual communications permanently here, in 1833 or 
within two or three years later. Previously these 
annual meetings had been held in various towns as 
the Grand Lodge pleased, sometimes here, and some- 
times in Corydon, Madison, Jeffersonville, Salem, 
Vincennes, or New Albany. These parades were 
made there, and maintained here till after the com- 
pletion of the Grand Masonic Hall in 1850. But 
like the Sunday-school processions and other displays 
for mere show with no practical aim, they fell into 
disuse and disappeared as the steam clouds of railroad 
engines thickened, and the roar of factories and traffic 
drowned the music of their bands. They are seen 
now only in the fraternal duty they discharge at the 
funerals of brethren, or some rare civic demonstration. 

The Grand Lodge of Indiana was formed at 
Madison on the 12th of January, 1818. Alexander 
A. Meek, the oldest Past Master present, presided. 
On the following day an election of officers was held 
and the first Grand Master of Indiana was elected, 
Alexander Buckner. The following is the official 
list of officers for the portion of the year remaining 
till the regular election in September, furnished for 
this work by the kindness of the Grand Secretary, 
with the list of those selected for the first full term : 

January, 1818 : M. W. Alexander Buckner, G. M. ; 
R. W. Alexander A. Meek, Dep. G. M. ; R. W. 
John Tipton, Sen. G. W. ; R. W. Benjamin V. 
Becker, J. G. W. ; R. W. Samuel C. Tate, G. Treas. ; 
R. W. Henry P. Thornton, G. Sec. ; W. Jeremiah 
Sullivan, G. 0. ; W. Isaac Howk, Sen. G. D. ; W. 
Jonathan Woodbury, J. G. D.; W. Nicholas D. 
Grover, G. P. ; Brother Alexander MoCrosky, G. S. 
and Tyler. 

September, 1818 : M. W. Alexander A. Meek, 
G. M. ; R. W. Davis Floyd, Dep. G. M. ; R. W. John 
Tipton, Sen. G. W. ; R. W. Thomas Douglas, J. G. 
W. ; R. W. Henry L. Miner, G. Treas. ; R. W. Isaac 



Howk, G. Sec. ; W. William Stephens, G. Chapl. ; 
W. Jeremiah Sullivan, G. 0. ; W. Richard C. Tal- 
bott, G. M. ; W. Nicholas D. Grover, Sen. G. D. ; 
W. John Weathers, J. G. D. ; W. Abel C. Pepper, 
G. S. B. ; W. Alexander McCrosky, G. P. ; Brother 
George Leas, G. S. and Tyler. 

■ The following complete roll of the Grand Masters 
of the order since the first organization of the Grand 
Lodge will be of interest to very many more than the 
members : 

GKAND MASTBKS.l 

••"Alexander Buekner, .January 1818 

»Alexancler A. Meek, September 1818-19 

*-John Tipton 1820 

«John Sheets 1821-22 

"■■■■Jonathan Jennings 182.S-24 

«-Marston G. Chirk 1825 

^Isaac Howli 1826 

«-Elihu Stout 1827 

-sjohn Tipton, Logansport.2 1828 

■S'Abel C. Pepper, Rising Sun 1829 

■sphillip Mason, Connersville 1830 

•»William Sheets, Madison 1831 

"■■'Woodbridgo Parker, Salem 1832 

"■■■Phillip Mason, Connersville 1833 

"'■"Daniel Kelso, York 1834 

"■■•■John B. Martin, Vincennes 1835 

"•■•"James L. Hogin, Indianapolis 1836 

•S-Caleb B. Smith, Connersville 1837 

•sphillip Mason, Connersville 1838-44 

■■'Isaac Bartlett, Logansport 1S45 

"SJohnson Watts, Dearborn County 1846 

i^EIizur Deming, Lafayette 1847-50 

Alexander C. Downey, Rising Sun 1851-52 

•SHenry C. Lawrence, Lafayette 1853-54 

Alexander C. Downey, Rising Sun 1855-56 

•»Solomon D. Bayliss, Fort Wayne 1857-58 

Alexander C. Downey, Rising Sun 1859-60 

Thomas R. Austin, New Albany 1861 

"*John B. Fravel, Laporte 1862 

William Hacker, Shelbyville 186.S-64 

-SHarvey G. Hazelrigg, Lebanon 1865-67 

Martin H. Rice, Plymouth. 1868-71 

Christian Fetta, Richmond 1872-73 

Lucian A. Foote, Crawfordsville 1874 

Daniel McDonald, Plymouth 1875 

Frank S. Devol, New Albany 1876 

Andrew J. Hay, Charlestown 1877 

Robert Van Valzah, Terre Haute 1878 

Bellamy S. Sutton, Shelbyville 1879 

Calvin W. Prather, Jeffersonville 1880-81 

Bruce Carr, Bedford 1882 

GKAND SECKETARIES OP THE GEAND LODGE OF INDIANA. 
"»R. W. Davis Floyd, Secretary of the 

Convention 1817 

"S!R. W. Henry P. Thornton, January to 

September 1818 

1 Those marked with a "* are dead. 

- Previously the residence is not given. 



368 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



»R. W. Isaac Howk 1818-19 

■•m. W. William C. Keene 1819-26 

»n. W. James F. D. Lanier 1826-30 

••»R. W. Austin W. Morris 1830-35, 1839-52 

■SR. W. Daniel Kelso 1835-36 

«R. W. A. W. Harrison 1836-38 

»K. W. Charles Fisher 183S-39 

«-R. W. William H. Martin 1811-42 

■■•>R. W. Francis King, 1852-65 

R.W.William Hacker 1865-68 

R. W. John M. Bramwell 1868-78 

R. W. William H. Smythe 1878- 

An account of the Grand Lodge Hall and its re- 
construction will be found in the chapter on " Public 
Buildings, Halls," etc. 

The first subordinate lodge organized in Indian- 
apolis was " Centre." A dispensation for this body 
was issued March 27, 1822, to Harvey Gregg, the 
first Master, Milo R. Davis, the first Senior Warden, 
and John T. Osborn, the first Junior "Warden. A 
charter followed, on the 7th of October, 1822, with 
Harvey Gregg as first Master, Hervey Bates as first 
Senior Warden, and John T. Osborn as first Junior 
Warden. In 1834 this charter was surrendered and 
a new one granted Dec. 17, 1835. The whole num- 
ber of Affiliated Master Masons in the city is about 
eleven hundred, according to the statement of Grand 
Secretary Smythe. 

Centre Lodge, No. 23, chartered finally Dec. 
17, 1835: James L. Hogin, W. M.; John Foster, 
S. W. ; John Williams, J. W. Present officers: 
John J. HufFer, W. M. ; John Schley, S. W. ; E. 
D. Marshall, J. W. 

Marion Lodge, No. 35, chartered May 28, 
1847. First officers : John Evans, W. M. ; John 
Greer, S. W. ; T. Bradley, J. W. Present officers : 
William H. Shirt, W. M.; George H. Emery, S. 
W. ; Charles H. Abbett, J. W. 

Capital City Lodge, No. 312, chartered May 
24, 1865. First officers : Aaron D. Orr, W. M. ; 
Joseph F. Trowbridge, S. W. ; Jacob King, J. W. 
Present officers: Howard Hcaren, M. W. ; Thomas 
G. Spafford, S. W. ; John A. Buchanan, J. W. 

Ancient Landmarks Lodge, No. 319, chartered 
May 24, 1865. First officers : John Love, W. M. ; 
James W. Hess, S. W. ; Edmund Clark, J. W. 
Present officers: William S. Rich, W. M. ; Hugh 
0. BlcVey, S. W. ; William H. Bleier, J. W. 



Mystic Tie Lodge, No. 398, chartered May 25, 
1869. First officers: John Caven, W. M. ; George 
B. Engle, S. W. ; Joseph W. Smith, J. W. Pres- 
ent officers : Charles B. Wanamaker, W. M. ; Frank 
H. Carter, S. W. ; Chester Bradford, J. W. 

Oriental Lodge. No. 500, chartered May 25, 
1875. Charles P. Jacobs, W. M. ; Daniel W. 
Howe, S. W. ; Joseph A. Humphreys, J. W. Pres- 
ent officers: Thomas L. Sullivan, W. M. ; Rice T. 
Bates, S. W. ; and Charles H. Arndt, J. W. 

Pentalpha Lodge, No. 564, chartered May 24, 

1882. First officers: Martin H. Rice, W. M. ; Ed- 
ward H. Wolfe, S. W. ; Adolph Seidensticker, J. W. 
Present officers: Martin H. Rice, W. M. ; Jacob 
M. Bruner, S. W. ; Samuel A. Johnson, J. W. 
The symbol of the " Pentalpha" is the five-pointed 
star, composed of three triangles, the significance of 
which is thus explained by the official publication : 

" Pentalpha, the name of this lodge, is the triple 
triangle, or the pentalpha of Pythagoras, and is so 
called from petite, five, and alpha, the letter A, be- 
cause in its configuration it presents the form of that 
letter in five different positions. The medieval 
Masons considered it a symbol of deep wisdom, and 
it is found among the architectural ornaments of 
most of the ecclesiastical edifices of the Middle Ages. 
As a Masonic symbol it peculiarly claims attention 
from the fact that it forms the outlines of the five- 
pointed star, which is typical of the bond of brotherly 
love that unites the whole fraternity. It is in this 
view that the pentalpha, or triple triangle, is referred 
to in Masonic symbolism as representing the intimate 
union which existed between our three ancient 
Grand Masters, and which is commemorated by the 
living pentalpha at the closing of every Royal Arch 
Chapter." 

Queen Esther Chapter, No. 3, Order of 
Eastern Star. Mrs. Mary E. Ten Eyck, W. M. ; 
Miss Mary E. Engle, Secretary. 

Grand Royal Arch Chapter of Indiana was 
organized in 1845, and held its thirty-eighth annual 
convocation in the Grand Masonic Temple, Oct. 17, 

1883, A.I. 2413. The present grand officers are: 
M. E. Robert Van Valzah, of Terre Haute, G. H. 
P. ; R. E. Benjamin F. Dawson, of Angola, Dep. 



ORDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



3fi9 



G. H. P. ; R B. Mortimer Nye, of La Porte, G-. K. ; 
R. E. Christian Fetta, of Richmond, G. S. ; R. B. 
Charles Fisher, of Indianapolis, G. Treas. ; R. E. 
John M. Bramwell, of Indianapolis, G. Sec. ; B. Ed- 
ward P. Whallon, of Vinoennes, G. Chapl. ; E. Cal^ 
vin W. Prather, of Jeffersonville, G. C. of H. ; E. 
William M. Blakey, of Evansville, G. R. A. C 
Comp. William M. Black, of Indianapolis, G. G. 
M. E. William Hacker, of Shelbyville, C. of W. 
M. E. Thomas B. Long, of Terre Haute, Chairman 
Committee on Correspondence. 

Grand Council of Royal and Select Ma- 
sons of Indiana was organized in 1855, and held 
its twenty-eighth annual convocation in the Masonic 
Temple, Oct. 16, 1883, A.D. 2883. The present 
grand officers are Comp. LaGrange Severance, of Hunt- 
ington, I. G. M. ; Comp. Thomas R. Austin, of Vin- 
cennes, Dep. I. G. M. ; Comp. Hezekiah R. Marlatt, 
of Winchester, G. I. M. ; Comp. Augustus M. Sinks, 
of Connorsville, G. P. C. of W. ; Comp. Charles 
Fisher, of Indianapolis, G. Treas. ; Comp. John M. 
Bramwell, of Indianapolis, G. R. ; Comp. Edward P. 
Whallon, of Vincennes, G. Chapl. ; Comp. Henry 
W. Mordhurst, of Fort Wayne, G. C. of G. ; Comp. 
William M. Black, of Indianapolis, G. S. and S. ; 
Comp. William Hacker, of Shelbyville, C. of W. ; 
Comp. William W. Austin, of Richmond, Chairman 
of Committee on Correspondence. 

Grand Commandery of Indiana was organized 
in 1854, and held its twenty-ninth annual conclave 
in the Asylum of Raper Commandery, No. 1, 
Knights Templar, in Masonic Temple, April 24, 
1883, A.O. 765. Sir Richard L. Woolsey, of Jef- 
fersonville, R. E. d. C. ; Sir Walter Vail, of Mich- 
igan City, V. E. Dep. G. C. ; Sir Henry C. Adams, 
of Indianapolis, E. G. G. ; Sir Ephraim W. Patrick, 
of Evansville, E. G. C. G. ; Sir James H. Ford, of 
Logansport, E. G. P. ; Sir George W. F. Kirk, of 
Shelbyville, E. G. S. W. ; Sir Reuben Peden, of 
Knightstown, B. G. J. W. ; Sir Charles Fisher, of 
Indianapolis, E. G. T. ; Sir John M. Bramwell, of 
Indianapolis, B. G. R. ; Sir William A. Foote, of 
South Bend, E. G. S. B. ; Sir Edgar H. Andress, of 
Lafayette, E. G. S. B. ; Sir Madison M. Hurley, of 
New Albany, E. G. W. ; Sir William M. Black, of 



Indianapolis, G. C. of G. ; Sir William Hacker, of 
Shelbyville, C. of W. ; Sir Nicholas R. Ruckle, of 
Indianapolis, Chairman of Committee on Correspon- 
dence. 

Indianapolis Chapter of Royal Arch Masons, 
No. 5, was chartered May 25, 1846. The present 
officers are Herman Weinberger, H. P. ; William 
Wiegel, K. ; Charles A. Morse, S. Membership, one 
hundred and thirty. 

Keystone Chapter, No. 6, of Royal Arch Ma- 
sons, was organized under a dispensation Sept. 30, 
1870, and chartered October 20th following. Present 
officers : Jacob W. Smith, H. P. ; Christian Brink, 
K. ; Ferdinand Christman, S. Blembership, one 
hundred and five. 

Indianapolis Council, No. 2, of Royal and Se- 
lect Masons, was organized under charter of Oct. 18, 
1855. Present officers : Herman Weinberger, I. M. ; 
Roger Parry, Dep. I. M. ; William Wiegel, P. C. of 
W. Membership, one hundred and forty. 

Raper Commandery, No. 1, of Knights Tem- 
plar. — A sketch of the history of this notable body 
by Grand Secretary Smythe appears in the Masonic 
Advocate of last December, from which it appears 
that the organization was made on the 17th of May, 
1848, at the residence of Governor Whitcomb (the 
executive mansion, northwest corner of Illinois and 
Market Streets), and took its name from Rev. Wil- 
liam Raper, an eminent Methodist clergyman and 
chief of the Reed Commandery, No. 6, of Dayton, 
Ohio. He was for many years known in the West 
as a lecturer on Masonry. Mr. Smythe adds: " He 
was present at the organization of this, the first com- 
mandery in Indiana, and assisted very materially in 
laying the foundation ' deep, broad, and strong' upon 
which the superstructure of Raper Commandery has 
so firmly rested. A period of thirty-five years has 
elapsed since that little band of Sir Knights, consist- 
ing of Abel C. Pepper, James H. Pepper, James Stir- 
rat, Caleb Sohmidlap, Isaac Bartlett, Francis King, 
B. T. Kavanaugh, Henry C. Laurence, Seth Beers, 
William Hacker, William H. Raper, and Samuel 
Reed (the latter two named being from Ohio), met 
at the residence of Governor Whitcomb, where Raper 
Commandery was organized under many difficulties." 



370 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Since its organization four hundred and forty-five 
Knights have held membership in this body, and the 
present number is one hundred and seventy-six. The 
drill of this commandery, which has won it a national 
distinction, was mainly the work of Col. N. R. Ruckle, 
of the Indiana Eleventh Regiment, now P. G. C. of 
the commandery. In the competitive drill at Cleve- 
land in 1877 it took the second prize, a silver libation 
set. At Chicago, in I88O, it took the first prize, a 
fine sword set with diamonds. At San Francisco, 
last year, it took the second prize, a mounted Knight 
Templar in bronze, with gold armor and trappings set 
on a column of gold-bearing quartz finely polished 
and ornamented with emblematical figures and gems, 
and wreathed with a vine of enameled work, the 
whole costing over two thousand dollars. 

The Scottish Rite A. and A. Masons receive 
none but those who have attained the Master's degree 
in the York Rite. The highest degree is the 
thirty-third. The order is divided into four bodies, — 
" Lodges of Perfection," " Councils of Princes of Je- 
rusalem," " Chapters of Rose Croix," and " Consisto- 
ries of Princes of the Royal Secret." In February, 
1864, the Supreme Council granted to Caleb B. 
Smith, ex-Secretary of the Interior, and his associ- 
ates, a dispensation to institute the first lodge of the 
Scottish Rite A. and A. Masonry, and the Adon- 
iram Grand Lodge of Perfection was thus organized. 
The present members are Nicholas Ruckle, 33°, T.-. 
P.-.G.-.M.; Jos. W. Smith, 33°, H.-.D.-.T.-.G.-.M.; 
John T. Brush, V.-.S.-.G.-.W. ; Samuel A. Johnston, 
Ven.-.J.-.G.-.W. ; John A. Holman, G.-.Orator; 
Joseph Staub, G.-.Treas. ; Cortes F. Holliday, 33°, 
G.-.Sec.-.K.-.of S. ; Jacob W. Smith, 33°, G.-.Mas.-.of 
Ceremonies; J. Giles Smith, G.'.Capt.-.of the G. ; 
Charles H. Reynolds, G.'. Hospitaller ; Henry H. 
McGaffey, G.-. Tiler. Trustees: Nicholas Ruckle, 
33°, Phineas G. C. Hunt, 33°, Austin H. Brown, 33°. 

The Seraiah Council of Princes of Jerusa- 
lem was instituted simultaneously with Adoniram 
Lodge, and by the same men and the same authority. 
The present oflScers are Chas. E. Wright, 33°, M.-.E.-. 
Sov.-.P.-.G.'.M. ; A. H. Brown, G.-.H.-.P.-.D.-.G.-.M.; 
Geo. F. Branham, M.-.E.-.Sen.-.G.'.W. ; C. C. Adams, 
M.-.E.-. Jun.-.G.-.W. ; Jos. Staub, Val.-.G.-.Treas. ; Cor- 



tes F. Holliday, 33°, Val.-.G.-.Sec.-.K.-.ofS.-.and A.; 
Henry H. McGaffey, Val.-.G.-.M.-.of C. ; C. F. Weyer, 
Val. -.G.-. Almoner ; Charles L. Hutchinson, Val.-.G.-. 
M.-.of E. ; Gilbert W. Davis, 33°, G.-.Tiler. 

Indianapolis Chapter of the Rose Croix 
was opened, under a dispensation granted to Theodore 
P. Haughey and others, Nov. 2, 1864. The Indi- 
ana Consistory was given a dispensation, through 
Edwin A. Davis and others, Nov. 2, 1864. The 
present ofllicers of both the Chapter and Consistory 
are Byron K. Elliott, M.-.W.-.and P.-.M. ; Roscoe 0. 
Hawkins, M.-.E.-.and P.-.K.-.S.-.W. ; Jno. A. Holman, 
M.-.E.-.and P.-.K.-.J.-.W. ; Frisby S. Newcomer, 
M.-.E.-.and P.-.K.-.G.-.O. ; Joseph Staub, R.-.and 
P.-.K.-.Treas. ; Cortes F. Holliday, 33°, R.-.and 
P.-.K.-.Sec. ; John R. Nickum, R.-.and P.-.K.-.H.; 
John A. Henry, R.-.and P.-.K.-.M.-.of C. ; J. Giles 
Smith, R.-.and P.-.K.-.C.-.of G. 

Indiana Sovereign Consistory, S.-.P.-.R.-.S.-., 
32°.— Nicholas R. Ruckle, 33°, I.-.C.-.in C. ; Cyrus 
J. Dobbs, I. -.First Lieut. -. Com. ; Phineas - G. C. 
Hunt, 33°, I.-.Second Lieut.-. Com. ; Samuel A. John- 
ston, L-.G.-.C; Cortes F. Holliday, 33°, I.-.G.-.Sec.-. 
and K.-.of S. ; Joseph Staub, I. -.G.-.Treas. : Roscoe 
0. Hawkins, I.-.G.'.E.-.and A. ; Frederick Baggs, 
I.-.G.-.H.; Joseph W. Smith, 33°, I.-.G.-.M.-.of C. ; 
John T. Pressley, I.-.G.-.S.-.B. ; Charles L. Hutchin- 
son, I.-.G.-.C.-.of G. ; George W. Ayers, I.-.G.-.S. 

Acting members of the Supreme Council : Elbridge 
G. Hamilton, 33°, John Caven, 33°, Thomas R. 
Austin, 33° ; deputy for the district of Indiana, El- 
bridge G. Hamilton. The roster of members con- 
tains about six hundred names. 

The building recently erected by the A. and A. Ma- 
sons of the city is claimed by tiicm and generally con- 
ceded by others to be the most complete Scottish Rite 
temple in the United States or the world. The east 
and south walls are one hundred and six feet 'high, 
and command the best view of the city attainable 
anywhere within its limits. The cost of fitting it up 
was about fifty thousand dollars. The ground-floor 
is rented for business houses, and the whole of the 
upper space is used by the order. A recent descrip- 
tion says that on the west side are the secretary's 
room, two parlors, and the library-room. These four 



OEDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



371 



rooms are each twenty-five feet square and en suite. 
Of the library, donated by Mr. William Hacker, it 
may be said that in intrinsic value as a Masonic 
library it stands only second in the United States. 
These rooms are all carpeted with velvet. The furni- 
ture of the secretary's room and the library is walnut 
and leather, and of the two parlors walnut and plush. 
On the east side is the banquet-room, thirty-five by 
fifty-nine feet, which by means of folding doors can be 
thrown open, and with the other rooms on the floor 
accommodate a great throng of people. Communi- 
cating with the banquet-room is a large and admira- 
bly-arranged kitchen and pantry. 

On the third floor, which will be devoted to work 
in the degrees leading to and including the fourteenth, 
or Perfection degree, are the candidates' room and the 
Perfection room. The first is nineteen by forty feet, 
the furniture being walnut and plush ; the other is 
twenty-five by thirty-eight feet in its auditorium, 
with a stage twenty feet deep. Adjoining this are 
scene-rooms, etc. On this floor, as on the others, 
there are all conveniences, including numerous and 
easy exits to the floor below. 

The fourth and fifth stories, in which will be con- 
ducted the work of conferring the higher degrees, 
must be considered as forming one story. On the 
west side is the grand auditorium-room forty by 
eighty feet, including a stage thirty feet high. The 
scene-room and amphitheatre on this floor is twenty- 
two by fifty feet and twenty-seven feet high, and the 
candidates' room is nineteen by forty feet. Around 
three sides of the theatre (for so it must be called) are 
broad and capacious galleries that will seat over four 
hundred and fifty persons, and the sunlight that de- 
pends from the centre of the ceiling diffuses a beauti- 
ful and brilliant light over the audience-room. This 
room and the ceiling and galleries have been exquis- 
itely frescoed. 

Colored Masons. — The Grand Lodge of colored 
Masons of Indiana was chartered by the National 
Grand Lodge assembled at Cincinnati July 30, 1859. 
The first Grand Master was John G. Britton. The 
present is Charles Lancier. Of the present subordi- 
nate lodges it is said that Central, No. 1, was at 
first the Union, No. 1, organized in 1846; but be 



that as it may, the Central and another were con- 
solidated in 1872, and the former stands as the oldest 
lodge of colored Masons in the city. 

Central Lodge, iVb. 1. — Present officers: Joseph 
Lewis, M. ; Albert G. Farley, Sec. 

Trinity Lodge, No. 18. — Present officers : William 
Harvey, M. ; William De Horney, Sec. 

Wuterford Lodge, No. 13. — Present officers: 
Henry S. Seaton, M. ; William Lockett, Sec. 
Membership of all the lodges, two hundred and 
seventy-five. 

Leah, Eastern Star Order. — Present officers : 
Jessie Herron, Prest. ; Alice Green, Sec. Member- 
ship, seventy-five. 

Alpha Chapter, No. 13. — Anderson Lewis, H. P. ; 
Charles W. Lewis, Rec. Membership, thirty-two. 

Gethsemane Commandery , No. 9. — John W. 
Stewart, E. C. ; Henry Moore, Rec. Membership, 
thirty. 

Tiie colored lodges all meet at 115J^ East Wash- 
ington Street. 

BIasonic Mutual Benefit Society. — The ob- 
ject of this association is to give assistance to the 
families or dependents of deceased members. None 
are admitted but Master Masons of this State in 
good standing and good health at the time. There 
are four classes and two divisions. Art. VI. of the 
constitution thus defines the classes : first, from 
twenty-one to thirty years of age ; second, from 
thirty-one to forty ; third, from forty-one to forty- 
seven ; fourth, from forty-eight to fifty-five. The 
assessments are made on the deaths of members as 
follows : first class pays one dollar ; second, one dol- 
lar and ten cents ; third, one dollar and twenty-five 
cents; fourth, one dollar and eighty cents. 

The benefits are thus defined in the constitution : 
" Upon the death of a member the directors shall pay 
to the beneficiary of the deceased member a sum equal 
to seventy cents for every member of the society of the 
first cla.ss at the time of his death ; seventy-five cents 
for every member of the second class; ninety-five 
cents for every member of the third class ; and one 
dollar and sixty cents for every member of the fourth 
class. The payments are only for the divisions 
of the society of which the deceased was a member ; 



372 



HISTOKY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



but not more than twenty-five hundred dollars shall 
be paid to beneficiaries of the first division, and not 
more than fifteen hundred dollars to those of the sec- 
ond division." Out of the assessments not required 
to pay benefits and out of the admission fees of mem- 
bers is made a permanent fund to make payments to 
heirs before assessments are paid, to make up de- 
ficiencies, and to pay expenses of management. The 
number of members in the two divisi.ons in 1883 
was 9013, or in the first 4932, in the second 4081. 
Deaths in the first, 55 ; in the second, 23 ; a total 
of 78. Average percentage of deaths in thirteen 
years, 10.92 ; percentage to one thousand members, 
8 65. Increase of membership in the year ending 
July 31, 1883, 4833, or 115 per cent. Amount of 
benefits paid to 1st of January, 1884, $2,452,337.96. 
The Odd-Fellows. Grand Lodge. ^Though the 
origin of the Masonic order is mythical, and not made 
clearer or more authentic by its authoritative expo- 
sitions, that of Odd-Fellowship is as well ascertained 
as the origin of the Temperance Union or the United 
States government. From chance meetings of " good 
fellows," who fancied the name " Odd-Fellows," at 
taverns for convivial purposes in London, it advanced 
first to permanent organization, and then to a moral 
and benevolent association which stands fairly among 
the most potent agencies for good in this world, at 
least of those of human device. It was introduced 
in this country by Thomas Wildey in 1819, who, 
with four others, that year formed the Washing- 
ton Lodge, No. 1, in Baltimore, and soon afterwards 
obtained a charter from the Manchester Unity, the 
central organization of England, for the Grand Lodge 
of Maryland and the United States. The first lodge 
in Indiana was organized in New Albany in October, 
1835, the next in Madison in 1836. These two ob- 
tained from the Grand Lodge of the United States 
authority for a Grand Lodge of Indiana, Aug. 14, 
1837, instituted by the Deputy Grand Commander 
of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky, Henry Wolford. 
It was located at New Albany until 1841, when it 
was removed to Madison. In September, 1845, the 
Grand Lodge of the United States authorized a vote 
of the subordinate lodges of the States to decide 
whether another removal should not be made to In- 



dianapolis. The decision was affirmative, and the 
first session of the Grand Lodge was held here on the 
19th of January, 1846, and represented twenty-seven 
subordinate lodges and a total membership of seven 
hundred and sixty-eight. The first grand officers 
in 1837 were Joseph D. Barkley, Grand Master ; 
Richard D. Evans, Dep. G. M. ; Jared C. Jocelyn, 
G. Sec. ; Henry H. West, G. W. ; John Evans, G. 
Treas. The Grand Masters holding for one year have 
been :' 

Joseph D. Barkley .....1837 

« Richard D. Evans 18.38 

» ■William Ford 1839 

Christian Bucher 1840 

John Neal 1841 

James W. Hinds 1842 

. Noah H.Cobb 1843 

William Cross 1844 

» John H. Taylor 1845 

« Joel B. McFarland 1846 

John Green 1847 

Philander B. Brown 1848 

Job B. Bldridge 1849 

Milton Herndon 1850 

Oliver Dufour 1851 

«■ Joseph L. Siloo.x 1852 

»William K. Edwards 1853 

^Oliver P. Morton 1854 

J. B. Anderson 1855 

James H. Stewart 1856 

* Pleasant A. Hackleman 1857 

■»A. H. Matthews 1858 

Thomas Underwood 1859 

"'Solomon Meredith 1860 

William H. Dixon 1861 

Jonathan S. Harvey 1S62 

» Dennis Gregg 1863 

Harvey D. Seott 1864 

s-Thomas B. MoCarty 1865 

Joseph A. Funk 1866 

JohnS.anders 1867 

»Daniel L. Adams 1868 

James A. Wildman 1869 

Wm. H. DeWolf, Vincennes 1870 

J. W. McQuiddy, New Albany 1871 

Piatt J. Wise, Port Wayne 1872 

Kiohard Owen, New Harmony 1873 

D. B. Sbideler, Jonesborough 1874 

J. B.Kimball, Kendallville 1875 

Leonidas Sexton, Rushville 1876 

Wm. K. Myers, Anderson 1877 

Enoch Co.i, Delphi 1878 

D. W. La Follette, New Albany 1879 

Will Camback, Greensburg , 1880 

N. P. Richmond, Kokomo 1881 

S. P. Oyler, Franklin 1882 

H. McCoy, Indianapolis .1883 

The present Grand Lodge officers are H. McCoy, 

1 Those marked thus "■^•" are deceased. 



ORDEKS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



3Y3 



G. M., Indianapolis; John F. Wildman, D. G. M., 
Muneie ; J. B. Kenner, G. W., Huntington ; B. F. 
Foster, G. S., Indianapolis ; Theo. P. Haughey, G. 
Treas., Indianapolis ; N. P. Richmond, G. Rep. Sov. 
G. Lodge, I. 0. 0. F., Kokomo ; S. P. Oyler, G. 
Rep. S. G. Lodge, L 0. 0. F., Franklin; R. F. 
BrewingtOD, G. Chap., Knightstown ; A. C. Daily, 
G. Marshal, Lebanon ; P. M. Martin, G. C, Gosport; 
C. H. Haufler, G. G., Knightstown ; F. J. Clark, G. 
H., Jonesborough. 

The report of Grand Secretary Foster shows that 
there are now six hundred and four lodges in the State, 
with an aggregate contributing membership of twenty- 
six thousand and seventeen. In the year ending last 
November (1883) the number of brothers relieved 
was seventeen hundred and eighteen ; of families, one 
hundred and seventy ; amount paid for relief of 
brothers, $31,052.95 ; for relief of widowed fam- 
ilies, $3334.58 ; for educating orphans, $625.50 ; 
for burying the dead, $8173.32 ; other charitable 
purposes, $4084.51 ; total for charity and relief, $47,- 
270.56. 

In the year 1853 the Odd-Fellows began the work 
of providing themselves with a suitable building for 
Grand Lodge meetings and the use of subordinate 
lodges and encampments. Subscriptions by lodges 
and individuals to the amount of forty-five thousand 
dollars were procured, and the northeast corner of 
Pennsylvania and Washington Streets bought. On 
this lot had stood the first carriage factory in tlw city, 
and later the dry-goods store of Col. Russell and 
William Conner (the Indian agent and guide), fol- 
lowed by that of Smith & Hanna ; while along its 
eastern line was the lot on which Luke Walpole had 
one of the first stores in the place. The building 
was planned by the late Francis Costigan, who built 
the post-office and the Oriental House (now part of 
the Grand Hotel), but finished by D. A. Bohlen, who 
mounted an elongated and very pretty dome upon it. 
The style of the structure was fanciful, but attractive, 
and it is still counted one of the prettiest buildings 
in the city. Some years ago it was reconstructed 
and the dome taken off, but not otherwise greatly 
changed. The entire cost of building and site was 
sixty-two thousand dollars. 



The Grand Encampment of Indiana was in- 
stituted Jan. 10, 1847, by the late Jacob P. Chap- 
man, by warrant from the Grand Lodge of the United 
States. The following is the roll of the Past Grand 
Patriarchs : 



Christian Buoher 1847 

Thomas S. Wright 1S48 

Isaac Taylor 1849 

Job Eldridge 1850 

Jacob P. Chapman 1851 

Daniel Moss 1852 

Edward H. Barry 1853 

Marshall Sexton 1854 

Lewis Humphreys 1855 

J. S. Harvey 1856 

Chris. Miller 1857 

J. H. Stailey 1858 

T. B. McCarty 1859 

N. P. Howard 1860 

L.M.Campbell 1861 

David Ferguson 1862 

Leonidas Sexton 1863 

James Burgess 1864 

F. J. Blair 1865 



C. P. Tuley 1866 

W. M. French 1867 

^Y. C. Lupton 1868 

James Pierce 1869 

Thomas G. Beharrell 1870 

^V. Y. Monroe 1871 

N. P. Richmond 1872 

J. B. Barrett 1873 

Reuben Robertson 1874 

J. W. Smith 1875 

John Morgan 1876 

W.K.Edwards 1877 

J. F. Walliek 1878 

S. B. Halley 1879 

R. Berger 1880 

H. 0. Heichert 1881 

W. H. Jacks 1882 

Richard Berger 1883 



The Grand Encampment now represents one hun- 
dred and fifty-nine subordinate encampments, with 
five thousand five hundred and seven contributing 
members ; paid for relief of patriarchs, widowed fam- 
ilies, burying the dead, and other charitable purposes, 
five thousand one hundred and sixty-six dollars and 
twenty-two cents. 

Subordinate Lodges of Indianapolis. — 
Centre, No. 18, was instituted on the 24th of Decem- 
ber, 1844, with the following members : William Sul- 
livan, Edgar B. Hoyt, Jacob P. Chapman, William 
A. Day, Enoch Pile, Jacob B. McChesney, and John 
Kelly. William Sullivan was the first Noble Grand, 
and the first representative to the Grand Lodge. The 
present officers are Frank Matlock, N. G. ; W. W. 
Knight, Sec. Contributing members, one hundred 
and thirty-five. 

Philoxenian Lodge (Strangers' Friend), No. 44, 
was instituted July 8, 1847, with the following mem- 
bers: Harvey Brown, D. P. Hunt, Willis W. Wright, 
Jghn J. Owsley, William Robson, George D. Staats, 
D. T. Powers, Lafayette Yandes, William Mansur. 
The first officers were Harvey Brown, N. G. ; David 
P. Hunt, V. G. ; Willis W. Wright, Sec. ; John J. 
Owsley, Treas. The present officers are John Gustin, 



374 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



N. G. ; Joseph S. Watson, Sec. Contributing mem- 
bers, two hundred and eleven. 

Capital Lodge, No. 124, was instituted Jan. 20, 
1853, with the following first officers : John Dunn, 
N. G. ; John Cottman, V. G. ; William Wallace, Rec. 
Sec. ; George F. McGinnis, Treas. The present offi- 
cers are M. J. Laporte, N. G. ; W. A. McAdams, 
Sec. Contributing members, one hundred and sev- 
enty-nine. 

Germania Lodge, No. 129, was established Fob. 
24, 1853, with ten members and the following first 
officers : Charles Conlon, N. G. ; Alexander Metzger, 
V. G. ; Julius Boettiker, Sec. ; Henry Schmidt, 
Treas. Present officers are H. Ranje, N. G. ; and H. 
E. Thomas, Sec. 

Indianapolis Lodge, No, 465. Present officers : 
W. H. Orpwood, N. G. ; Louis Smith, Sec. Contrib- 
uting members, seventy-seven. 

Corinthian Lodge, No. 474. Present officers : J. 
T. Williams, N. G. ; L. W. McDaniels, Sec. Con- 
tributing members, seventy-three. 

Meridian Lodge, No. 480. Present officers : 
Thomas A. Black, N. G. ; J. T. Armstead, Sec. 
Contributing members, one hundred and forty-nine. 

Centennial Lodge, No. 520. Present officers: 
Thomas Rodebaugh, N. G. ; J. A. Pritchard, Sec. 
Contributing members, seventy-four. 

Mozart Lodge, No. 531. Present officers: M. 
Kleebauer, N. G. ; F. Boettiker, Sec. Contributing 
member!, ninety-seven. 

Subordinate Encampments. — The Metropoli- 
tan, No. 5, was instituted July 20, 1846, with the 
following past officers: Jacob P. Chapman, C. P.; 
Edwin Hedderly, H. P. ; George B. Warren, S. W. ; 
W. B. Preston, J. W. ; Benjamin B. Taylor, S. ; A. 
C. Christfield, Treas. ; John H. Taylor, Sent. Pres- 
ent officers : S. W. Wales, C. P. ; Charles B. Foster, 
S. Contributing members, one hundred and seventy- 
two. 

Marion, No. 35, was instituted March 24, 1853, 
with the following past officers : Obed Foots, C. P. ; 
Joseph K. English, H. P. ; Anthony Defrees, S. ; 
Daniel Yandes, Jr., S. W. ; William C. Lupton, 
J. W. ; George G. Holman, Treas. ; John M. Kemper, 
Sent. It had ninety members in 1870. Since that 



it has been in some way eliminated, as it no longer 
appears in the official list of encampments and there 
is a gap between Nos. 34 and 36. 

Teatonia, No. 57 (German), was established Aug. 
1, 1858, with thirty-two members and the following 
officers : George F. Meyer, C. P. ; Charles Conlon, 
H. P. ; John P. Stumph, S. W. ; Charles Bals, J.W. ; 
F. Tapking, S. ; Alexander Metzger, Treas. Pres- 
ent officers : W. A. Schoppe, C. P. ; Henry Kuerst, 
S. Contributing members, one hundred and twelve. 

Ariel, No. 144, Chief Patriarch not designated j 
Omer Rodibaugh, S. ; contributing members, nine- 
teen. 

Indianapolis Degree Camp, No. 1, H. McCoy, 
Com. ; C. D. Hoyle, O. of the G. ; Frank McQuiddy, 
Sec. ; Theodore P. Haughey, Treas. 

Harmonia and Olive Branch Rebekah Degree 
Lodges meet, the first on the second Thursday, the 
other on the second Saturday in each month. 

Colored Odd-Fellow^s have a Grand Lodge 
(Mr. Paran, G. M.) and three subordinate lodges in 
the city, with one female affiliated society called 
Household of Ruth, Lodge 34, and a P. G. M. 
Council. They all meet in No. 82} East Washing- 
ton Street. 

Lincoln Union Lodge, No. 1486, Edward Proctor, 
Sec. 

Gerritt Smith Lodge, No. 1707, Samuel Herron, 
Sec. 

0. P. Morton Lodge, No. 1987, William Christie, 
Sec. 

Odd-Fellows' Mutual Aid Association. — 
This society was organized Nov. 21, 1872, with a 
board of twelve directors, of which William Wallace 
was president ; Leonidas Sexton, vice-president ; J. 
W. McQuiddy, secretary ; and Theodore P. Haughey, 
treasurer. The following is the present board of 
directors and officers : William Wallace, president ; 
Thomas Underwood, vice-president ; John W. Mc- 
Quiddy, secretary ; Theodore P. Haughey, treasurer ; 
W. B. Jeffries, medical examiner. Directors : Wil- 
liam Wallace, P. G. ; Thomas Underwood, P. G. M. ; 
John W. McQuiddy, P. G. M. ; Theodore P. 
Haughey, G. Treas.; Piatt J. Wise, P. G. M. ; 
William H. DeWolf, P. G. M. ; James B. Kimball, 



OllDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



375 



P. G. M. ; John F. Wildman, D. G. M. ; Nathaniel 
P. Richmond, P. G. M. ; Samuel B. Halley, P. G. F. ; 
Edward S. Porter, G. H. P.; John F. Wallick, 
P. G. P. This association, like that of the Masons, 
divides the members into four classes, those from 
twenty-one to thirty years of age constituting the 
first class; from thirty-one to forty, the second class; 
from forty-one to fifty, the third class ; from fifty-one 
to fifty-five, the fourth class. On the death of a mem- 
ber each of the other members, within fifteen days, 
pays to the secretary or his duly authorized agent 
assessments, as follows : Members of the first class, 
one dollar ; of the second class, one dollar and five 
cents ; of the third class, one dollar and twenty-five 
cents; of the fourth class, one dollar and eighty 
cents. The report for the year ending Nov. 1, 1883, 
shows that 2625 certificates are " in force," of which 
390 are in the first class, 1015 in the second class, 
859 in the third class, and 394 in the fourth class. 
The total amount of benefits paid from the organiza- 
tion of the association is $776,071.82. Whole 
number of deaths in the two divisions since organiza- 
tion is 379. The following summary shows the 
operation of the aid system as clearly as anything 
that can be put in equal space. The cost to each 
member in the first division for the year foi $2500 
has been as follows: First class, $31, or $12.40 per 
$1000 ; second class, $32.55, or $13.02 per $1000 ; 
third class, $38.75, or $15.50 per $1000; fourth 
class, $55.80, or $22.32 per $1000. 

The cost for eleven years for a member who has 
paid every assessment for an average benefit of $2386 
has been, — 

Whole Cost. Per Tear. ^"'^ I'""" 

per Year. 

First class $256.70 $23.33 $9.74 

Second class 270.46 24.59 10.30 

Third class 325.45 29.57 12.38 

Fourth class 495.20 45.01 18.86 

Receipts, both divisions, $115,679.79; expendi- 
tures other than death losses, $11,464.33. 

Knights of Pythias. — The most numerous and 
respectable secret order, after the Masons and Odd- 
Fellows, is the Knights of Pythias, an outgrowth 
of the period since the war. The first lodge was 
organized in Washington City in February, 1864, 
by J. H. Rathbone. A few other lodges followed 



at once, and in less than a month the Grand Lodge 
of the District of Columbia was organized. This 
was rapid growth, but the decay was equally rapid. 
In about two years all the lodges were dead but the 
second one formed in Washington. It became the 
nucleus of future accretions, and in another year the 
order began its second growth. A lodge was estab- 
lished in Philadelphia, and was followed in other 
quarters, till on the 11th of August, 1868, the re- 
juvenated order felt able to organize a Supreme 
Lodge of the World at Washington. In the session 
of 1869, at Richmond, Va., seven States and the 
District of Columbia were represented; in 1870, in 
New York, seven more States, including Indiana, 
were represented; at the third session, in Philadel- 
phia, twenty-two States in all were represented. It 
has overspread to Europe and South America and 
all round the world. 

The order was brought to Indiana by Charles P. 
Carty, who organized the first lodge in Indianapolis 
—Marion Lodge, No. 1— on July 12, 1869. In 
three months there were three lodges here and 
three in Fort Wayne, and these organized the Grand 
Lodge on the 20th of October, 1869. The first 
Grand Lodge officers were Charles P. Carty, V. G. 
P., Indianapolis; John Caven, G. C, Indianapolis; 
John L. Brown, V. G. C, Fort Wayne ; George H. 
Swain, G. R. and C. S., Indianapolis ; George F. 
Meyer, G. B., Indianapolis; John B. Ryan, G. G.. 
Indianapolis; William A. Root, G. I. S., Indianapolis; 
Charles Johns, G. 0. S., Indianapolis. On the 1st 
of May, 1871, there were nine lodges in good work- 
ing order, with an aggregate membership of seven 
hundred in the State. In this city there are eight 
lodges, all meeting at the hall northwest corner of 
Market and Pennsylvania Streets. The general 
relief committee meets there the first Saturday of 
every month. The annual convocations meet the 
fourth Tuesday in January. The present grand 
officers are James T. Darnell, P. G. C. ; E. G. 
Heir, G. C. ; R. A. Carran, G. P. ; W. L. Dunlap, 
G. M. of E. ; D. B. Shideler, G. K. of R. and S. 

Marion Lodge, No. 1 — Officers: W. T. Sem- 
ple, C. C. ; Theodore Buchter, K. of R. and S. 

Olive Branch Lodge, No. 2. — Officers : Wil- 



376 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Ham H. Orpwood, C. C. ; John T. Francis, K. of R. 
and S. 

KoERNER Lodge, No. 6. — OflBeers: Philip 
Graffe, C. C. ; Charles Dahlman, K. of R. and S. 

Star Lodge, No. 7. — Officers : H. C. Newcomb, 
Jr., C. C. ; Frank Blanchard, K. of R. and S. 

Excelsior Lodge, No. 25. — Officers: Lewis 
Feller, C. C. ; Henry B. Stotte, K. of R. and S. 

Indianapolis Lodge, No. 56. — Officers: J. M. 
Ryder, C. C. ; J. A. Preston, K. of R. and S. 

Schiller Lodge, No. 61. — Officers: William J. 
Rosebrock, C. C. ; John Ploeger, K. of R. and S. 

Capital City Lodge, No. 97. — Officers: Dr. 
Earp, C. C. ; John J. Langdon, K. of R. and S. 

Knights of Honor. — The Grand Lodge meets 
annually on the last Tuesday in February, hall | 
northwest corner of Market and Pennsylvania 
Streets. William D. Bynum, G. D. ; James W. 
Jacob, G. R. 

Wheatlet Lodge, No. 8. — Officers : George 
Brunick, D. ; Charles Kerner, R. 

Indianapolis Lodge, No. 9. — Officers: Titus 
Atland, D. ; Thomas H. Clapp, R. 

Victoria Lodge, No. 22. — Officers: G. M. 
Alexander, D. ; J. W. Hosman, R. 

Eureka Lodge, No. 24. — Officers: J. K. Rob- 
son, D. ; J. B. Nickerson, R. 

Schiller Lodge, No. 40. — Officers : Theodore 
Wagner, D. ; Fred. Weiffenpach, R. 

Washington Lodge, No. 114. — Officers: Claude 
M. Ryan, D. ;. Joseph Dovy, R. 

Marion Lodge, No. 601. 

Garfield Lodge, No. 2583. — Officers: C. T. 
Stone, D. ; William H. Fulton, R. 

Germania Lodge, No. 2634. — Officers : Wil- 
liam John, D. ; Albert J. Groenwaldt, R. 

Women are members and officers of one of the 
divisions called the Degree of Perfection, of which 
there arc two lodges, Hope, No. 6, and Martha 
Lodge. Of the latter Elizabeth Hert is P., and 
Peter Lehr, R. 

Druids. — The Grand Grove of Indiana was 
established in Indianapolis in 1860, and the order 
has three groves here. Chapter, No. 3, and Ger- 
mania Circle, No. 2. The groves are Octavian, 



No. 3, Humboldt, No. 8, Mozart, No. 13, and 
Washington Supreme Arch Chapter, No. 3. 

Red. Men. — The first of the tribes of this order 
organized here was the Pocahontas, Oct. 3, 1869, 
with forty-eight members. This division of the 
Red Men to which it belongs is called the " Inde- 
pendent Order," or " United Order." The other is 
called the " Improved Order," and has three tribes 
here which have a hall in the Griffith Block, No. 
36* West Washington Street. 

The Palmetto Tribe. No. 17.^ Adam Kalb, S. ; 
Ferdinand Rouser, C. of R. Instituted May 2, 1870. 
Works in German. 

The Red Cloud Tribe, No. 18. — J. S. Coffman, 
S. ; Henry Albertsmeyer, C. of R. Instituted Aug. 
10, 1870. Works in English. 

The Minnewa Tribe, No. 38. — Robert Smith, 
S. ; George F. David, C. of R. 

Royal Arcanum, — The Grand Council meets an- 
nually on the first Wednesday in March in the hall, 
Bates' Block, North Pennsylvania Street; C. B. Mil- 
ler, G. R. ; Frank W. Olin, G. Sec. The subordi- 
nate councils are 

Indiana Council, No. 128. — Hall, corner of 
Fort Wayne Avenue and St. Mary Street ; Thomas 
H. Clapp, R. ; C. W. Overman, Sec. 

Indianapolis Council, No. 328. — ^Hall in Bates' 
Block ; W. H. Hobbs, R. ; Charles M. Coats, Sec. 

HoosiER Council, No. 394. — Hall, corner of 
Illinois and Seventh Street ; A. A. Heifer, R. ; A. 
J. Van Deinse, Sec. 

Marion Council, No. 399. — Hall, Bates' Block ; 
W. R. Miller, R. ; Charles G. Irwin, Sec. 

0. of C. F. (Chosen Friends). — The Supreme 
Council meets first Tuesday in September ; A. Alcon, 
S. C. ; T. B. Linn, S. R. Hall, 172J East Wash- 
ington Street. The Grand Council meets the 
third Tuesday in February, Nos. 16 and 18 Hub- 
bard's Block ; Dr. C. S. Pixley, G. C. ; C. Bradford, 
G. R. 

Alpha Council, No. 1. — Hall of Chosen Friends, 
Bates' Block ; A. Rosengarten, C. C. ; Mrs. H. C. 
Page, Sec. 

Delta Council, No. 2. — Hall, Bates' Block ; 
Levi Roberts, C. C. ; John McElwee, Sec. 



ORDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



377 



Venus Council, No. 7. — Hall, 13J East Wasli- 
ington Street; M. H. Daniels, C. C. ; Barry Self, 
Sec. 

Crescent Council, No. 8. — Hall, corner of Ver- 
mont and Mississippi Streets ; Frank B. Taylor, C. C. ; 
G. E. TiflFany, Sec. 

Marion Council, No. 16.— Hall of Red Men, 
36 J West Washiogton Street; George F. David, C. 
C. ; Ernest B. Cole, Sec. 

True Friend Council, No. 23.— Hall, Bates' 
Block ; G. B. Manlove, C. C. ; C. L. Hinton, Sec. 

Eureka Council, No. 25. — Hall, Bates' Block ; 
George Lutz, C. C. ; J. S. Roberts, Sec. 

IT. 0. H. — Supreme Lodge meets first Wednes- 
day in October ; George W. Powell, Sup. Prest. ; 
Ernest Duden, Sup. Sec. ; A. L. Blue, Sup. Treas. 
Grand Lodge meets third Tuesday in May ; Thomas 
E. Boyd, G. Prest. ; Ernest Duden, G. Sec; Samuel 
B. Corbaley, G. Treas. ; Mrs. Althouse, G. Chapl. 
The subordinate lodges are : 

Enterprise Lodge, No. 1. — Hall, GriflSth's 
Block ; John W. Howe, Prest. ; J. F. Feshler, Rec. 
Sec. 

Capital City Lodge, No. 2. — -Hall, Mankedick's, 
end of Virginia Avenue ; James D. Caylor, Prest. ; 
Eliza Champe, Rec. Sec. 

Washington Lodge, No. 13. — Hall, Vermont 
and Mississippi Streets ; R. A. Pearce, Prest. ; W. 
A. Brackin, Rec. Sec. 

Hope Lodge, No. 14. — Hall, corner of Fort 
Wayne Avenue and St. Mary Street ; Peter P. 
Hereth, Prest. ; James S. Smith, Rec. Sec. 

Indianapolis Lodge, No. 15. — Hall, Boston 
Block ; Charles 0. Harris, Prest. ; George F. Ridge, 
Rec. Sec. 

Ancient Order of Hibernians. — Officers of the 
county, James H. Deery, C. D. ; William Broderick, 
Jr., C. S. ; John H. Meany, C. T. 

Division No. 1. — Hall, Parnell Hall, McCarty 
and Maple Streets; William Broderick, Jr., Prest. 

Division No. 2. — Peter Carson, Prest. ; John H. 
Meany, F. S. ; E. F. Hart, B. S. 

Division No. 3. — Andrew Lee, Prest. ; William 
Brennan, F. S. ; Dennis Sullivan, Treas. 

American Order IJnited Workingmen. — Hall, 

25 



Griffith's Block. Grand Lodge meets biennially on 
the third Thursday in February. There are five sub- 
ordinate lodges here : 

Union Lodge, No. 6. — John T'. Francis, Fin. 

Eagle Lodge, No. 10. — John M. Bohmie, M. W. ; 
G. W. Hill, Fin. 

Capital Lodge, No. 19. — C. H. Miller, Rec. ; 
John Bessel, Fin. 

Prospect Lodge, No. 45. — Joseph Dynes, M. W. ; 
J. R. Childers, Fin. ; F. G. Brown, Rec. 

Crescent Lodge, No. 72. — C. F. Miller, Fin. 

A, R. A. German Lodge, No. 3. — John Ben- 
ninger, W. M. ; Henry Riechmeyer, Sec. 

R. P. 0. E. Indianapolis Lodge, No. 13. — 
John H. Martin, E. R. ; S. C. Henton, Sec. ; James 
V. Cook, Treas. 

D. 0. H. Freta Lodge, No. 63. — George Hol- 
ler, 0. B. ; August Emerich, Sec. 

Schiller Lodge, No. 381. — Frank Noelle, 0. B. ; 
Silas Thompson, Cor. Sec. 

D. R. K. — St. Bonifacius' Support Union and 
St. Joseph's Support Union are both purely German 
and Catholic charitable associations, holding their 
meetings at St. Mary's School. 

G. A. R. (Grand Army of the Republic). — South- 
east corner of Tennessee and Market Streets. Com- 
mander, James R. Carnahan, Adjt.-Gen. of Indiana; 
Ben. D. House, A. A. G. ; G. H. Shover, A. Q. M. G. 
There are two posts here, George H. Thomas and 
George H. Chapman. The colored members have a 
post partially organized. 

Good. Templars, — Hall, southeast corner of Me- 
ridian and Washington Streets. Grand Lodge. An- 
nual meeting third Tuesday in October. Eli Miller, 
G. W. C. T. ; Rev. W.. W. Snyder, G. W. C. ; Mrs. 
S. C. Jackson, G. W. V. T. ; BI. E. Shiel, G. W. S. ; 
Isaac Underwood, G. W. T. 

Monitor Lodge, No. 1,' meets Monday evening. 

North Star, No. 4, meets Saturday evening. 

General Temperance Ribbon Association. — 
John W. Copner, Prest. ; D. B. Ross, Sec. 

Hebrew Societies.-;— (I. 0. B. B.) Abraham 
Lodge, No. 58. Hall, 27 J South Delaware Street. — 
Solomon Mossier, Prest. ; J. M. King, Sec. 

Esther Lodge, No. 323, same hall. — D. S. Ben- 



378 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



son, Prest. ; Benjamin Frey, Sec. 0. R. S. B., same 
hall. Indianapolis Lodge, No. 149. — M. Emden, 
Prest. ; Ed. Ducas, Sec. 

Tree op Life Mutual Benefit Society. — 
Isador Deitcli, Prest. ; M. Solomon, Sec. 

0. I. H. Supkeme Sitting. Biennial meeting 
fourth Tuesday in March. — Emi Kennedy, S. J. ; C. 
H. Horton, S. A. ; M. C. Davis, S. C. 

Local Branch, No. 1.— F. H. PiUet, C. J.; J. 
Gaffga, Accountant. 

Local Branch, No. 117.— D. W. Cosier, C. J.;. 
C. L. Hinton, Accountant. 

Knights of Labor, — This is the most recent and 
one of the most extensive orders in the city. Its 
name indicates its character as a sort of working- 
men's order, irrespective of differences of trades and 
occupations. The minor or local bodies are called 
" Assemblies," and in some women are admitted to 
membership, with a probability of the formation of 
" Assemblies" wholly of women. Female Knights 
of Labor will be a rather incongruous name, but not 
more so than Knights of Temperance or knights 
of some other cause as ill fitted with such designa- 
tions. The fancy for mediteval names and distinctions 
could be changed with an improvement of taste to 
others of a later date and more apt significance. A 
knight and a workingman are as nearly antipodal 
as any two conditions of mortal life can be, or could 
when there were such existences. 

The Elks. — This is a recent organization and rather 
a restricted, not to say select, one in Indianapolis, 
seemingly composed of artistic or sesthetic .elements 
derived from the stage and the fine arts. The benev- 
olent characteristic no doubt is asserted in its organi- 
zation, but its primary purpose seems to be convivial 
and entitle itself to the name of good fellows. The 
significance of the name they have adopted is prob- 
ably the secret of the order. 

Among these minor orders there are of course not 
a few lodges and organizations that amount to little j 
more than a name. Besides these there are some that i 
have come and gone, or at least make no deraonstra- I 
tion of existence, which were once active societies. ! 
Among these are the Heptasophs, or Seven Wise j 
Men, who had two lodges or conclaves here ten or J 



twelve years ago. The Sons of Herman is another 
that was in prosperous condition a dozen years ago, 
and is now dead or idle. An unusually large propor- 
tion of these minor secret orders are of German origin 
and membership. The meeting-place of all the State 
organizations and larger combinations of all of them 
is Indianapolis. 

It may be worth noting in this connection that the 
central location of this city, and its ready accessibility 
by rail, have for thirty years made it a frequent 
meeting-place of national assemblages as well as those 
State and local gatherings which naturally gravitate 
to the State capital. The first of these probably 
was the national Woman's Rights meeting, held 
in Masonic Hall in 1855, referred to in the general 
history. The first of full nationsil, or even wider, in- 
terest was the Methodist General Conference which 
met here May 1, 1856, in the hall of the House in the 
old State-House. May 18, 1859, the General As- 
sembly of the Old School Presbyterian Church of 
the United States met here in the Third Church 
building, corner of Illinois and Ohio Streets. Among 
the distinguished clergymen in attendance were Dr. 
Alexander, of Princeton ; Dr. McMaster, of New 
Albany, Ind. ; Dr. Thornwell, of South Carolina ; 
Dr. Palmer, of New Orleans ; Dr. N. L. Rice, of 
Lexington, Ky. ; Dr. Breckenridge, of Kentucky. 
The National Christian Missionary Society has been 
here. The National Scientific Association met here 
one year in the old State-House, when the celebrated 
botanist, Asa Gray, was here, and Dr. T. Sterry 
Hunt. Besides these, the National Pharmaceutical 
Association has met here, the National Bee-Keepers' 
Association, the National Poultry Breeders' Associ- 
ation, the National Wool-Growers' Association, the 
National Short- Horn Association, the National 
Swine Breeders' Association, railroad associations, 
and conventions innumerable ; political conventions 
of all degrees except a national nominating conven- 
tion ; temperance and reform conventions, business 
conventions, all kinds of public assemblages, repre- 
senting all interests, from setting telegraph-poles to 
saving souls. No city in tiie Union is more familiar 
with tlje annoyance or satisfaction, as it happens, of 
crowds of strangers on some special engagement of 



ORDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



379 



interest or duty. This pre-eminence is likely to grow 
instead of decline as the city's traveling facilities in- 
crease, and with them increase the means of comfort- 
able accommodation of visitors. 

Charitable Associations. — While secret or spe- 
cial organizations give due attention to the needs of 
their own adherents, and occasionally to those who 
have no such claim upon them, there is still a large 
balance of want and suffering in a city so largely 
filled with temporary residents and professional beg- 
gars as the centre of our railroad system must be, 
and these must be eared for by the benevolent associa- 
tions which are rarely lacking in any town of the 
West, either as unsectarian combinations of all classes 
of citizens or as appendages of churches. The town- 
ship trustee does a great deal of charitable service, as 
the legal agent of the community, with the revenues 
placed by law in his hands for that purpose. But legal 
assistance has to be supplemented by the aid of associ- 
ations, and in not a few cases some of the most deserv- 
ing of the necessitous will not apply to the trustee. 
The following report of the township's charitable 
work during the first month of the year 1884 will 
give some idea of the character and extent of the 
claims on the charity-fund provided by taxation : 

Number of applications 853 

Number of applicants aided 713 

Number of applicants refused aid 140 

Total 853 

EXPENDITURES. 

386 grocery orders, at S2 8772.00 

84 half-cords wood, average $2.26 189.00 

282 loads of coal, at S2.40 676.80 

Transportation 79.45 

Burial costs 80.50 

Total $1797.75 

The oldest, most conspicuous, and most effective 
benevolent association in the history of the city, 
until within the last few years, was the Indianap- 
olis Benevolent Society. It is traditionally claimed 
to have been organized on Thanksgiving evening, 
1835 ; but this is a suggestion starting in the fact 
that the annual meetings were held on the evenings 
of Thanksgiving days, or the following Sundays. 
The first Thanksgiving day observed by public order 
or request was the 28th of November, 1839, on a 



proclamation of Governor Wallace. The Benevolent 
Society was organized four years before. Its work 
was done by visitors, who were appointed — a man 
and a woman together — -to small, well-defined dis- 
tricts, to visit every resident and procure contribu- 
tions of everything that could be made serviceable to 
the needy. These collections were kept in a depos- 
itory by some well-known citizen, and given out on 
direct application, or on the order of some member 
of the society. It did a great deal of good work, 
but could not do close work, and, like its coadjutor 
association ten years ago, the Ladies' Relief Society, 
it was often imposed upon. 

The money collected, usually in considerable 
amounts, was used to pay the bills of grocers on 
whom orders were given for family supplies to the 
amount of one dollar and fifty cents a week, ex- 
cept in cases of sickness or special urgency. Tran- 
sient sufferers were relieved by a special committee 
when their cases were discovered in time. James 
Blake was president of this old charity from its or- 
ganization till his death, Nov. 26, 1870; Calvin 
Fletcher, Sr., was the secretary from the first till his 
death. May 26, 1866 ; James M. Ray was treasurer 
from the first till Mr. Blake's death, when he became 
president. Occasional organizations of the same 
character were formed and maintained with this re- 
liable charity, but none continued long or did much. 
The Ladies' Relief, just referred to, was the most 
efficient of these for several years, but went out some 
four or five years ago. 

The Charity Organization. — All the charita- 
ble associations in the city disconnected with the 
secret orders have within the last few years been 
combined into a perfectly methodized system, each 
with its special province, and the work so well ar- 
ranged and so intelligently prosecuted that it is no 
idle boast to say that Indianapolis has as comprehen- 
sive and complete a system of private charities as any 
city in the United States ; the old Benevolent Society 
is part of it. The Charity Organization, as the 
combination is called, has a special duty separate 
from the societies that compose it. An authoritative 
publication thus defines generally the purpose of 
each: 



380 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



" The special work of each society is this : The 
Charity Organization Society looks up each case of 
reported need, brings together a nnmber of men and 
women to decide how it should be helped. The Be- 
nevolent Society gives the special relief decided upon, 
— rent, food, fuel, loans, work, sends transients to 
the Friendly Inn, and gives boys work. During 
the late cold days about fifty each night were lodged. 
The Flower Mission takes care of the sick poor, sends 
nurses, and provides suitable food. The Training- 
School educates nurses and sends them into private 
families and among the sick poor. Through the 
city dispensary, the orphan asylum, and the hospitals 
we can take care of all cases of need quickly and ad- 
equately. We think that no one need be in want or 
suffering a day who will let it be known to these 
societies. By this means, also, the great waste of 
charity, when given to the unworthy, is stopped." 

Charity Organization Society. — Central Council : 
S. T. Bowon, W. E. Krag, George W. Sloan, H. 
Bamberger, J. H. Holiiday, E. B. Blartindale, A. L. 
Wright, C. C. Foster, M. W. Reed, George B. Wright, 
Aug. Bessonies, T. P. Haughey, V. K. Hendricks, 
T. A. Hendricks, Peter Lieber, J. W. Murphy, E. 
C. Atkins, N. Morris, C. M. Martindale, 0. C. Mc- 
Culloch. 

Indianapolis Benevolent Society. — President, Oscar 

C. McCulloch ; Vice-Presidents, Myron W. Reed, 
Chapin C. Foster, Mrs. L. W. Moses, Mrs. Paulina 
Morritt ; Treasurer, Ingram Fletcher ; Secretary, 
Henry D. Stevens ; Executive Committee, George 
Merritt, Franklin Taylor, Mrs. Julia H. Goodhart, 
Mrs. Emma L. Elam ; Finance Committee, Cyrus C. 
Hines, Thomas H. Sharpe. 

Flower Mission. — President, Mrs. Hannah G. 
Chapman ; Vice-Presidents, Mrs. G. T. Evans, Mrs. 
H. McCoy ; Secretaries, Mrs. V. K. Hendricks, Mrs. 
Helen B. McKinney ; Treasurers, Mrs. Helen 
Wright, Mrs. W. J. McKee. 

Flower Mission Training- School. — Committee on 
Organization, Mrs. Hannah G. Chapman, chairman ; 
Mrs. John M. Judah, Mrs. John A. Holman, Mrs. 
Julia H. Goodhart, Mrs. George T. Evans, Mrs. A. 

D. Lynch, Mrs. R. R. Parker, Mrs. Theodore P. 
Haughey, Mrs. John H. Stewart, Miss Mary C. 



Rariden, Mrs. B. D. Waleott, and Miss Sue Martin- 
dale. 

The Organization in its last publication makes a 
more specific statement of duties and labors in the 
following summary : 

Indianapolis Benevolent Society. — Founded 
1876. Gives relief; operates the Friendly Inn, for 
transients ; the Friendly Inn Wood-Yard, for giving 
work to all out of work ; the Employment Agency, 
for finding work for women and girls ; the Industrial 
Committee, for giving work in sewing to women ; the 
Friendly Visitors, for bringing the poor under the 
pe»sonal care of some friend. The society expects 
also to open a school for teaching girls that which 
they shall practice when they become women, — 
sewing, housekeeping, cooking, etc. 

Charity Organization Society. — Organized 
December, 1879. This society does not give relief. 
It is, as its name signifies, a society for organizing 
charity. It proposes to meet a scientific pauperism 
with a scientific charity. It co-ordinates the charitable 
forces. It brings all interested in the work of help- 
ing the poor together. It exchanges information. 
It registers all information concerning dependent and 
neglected classes. It investigates all cases applying 
for aid. It publishes the best methods of caring for 
the needy. It covers the field with watchful visitors, 
who see that no suffering is unrelieved. It distributes 
among societies ready to help, those who are needy 
and worthy. It watches the administration of public 
funds as regards the poor and criminal. It wants to 
know the reason why certain abuses and wrongs exist, 
which may be remedied. It organizes tjie charitable 
and moral forces of the community, in order to 
counteract the evils incident to city life. It is a 
bureau of information, a clearing-house of charities, a 
commercial agency of records of the poor. 

The Flower Mission. — Founded in 1876. The 
work of this society lies among the sick. It dis- 
tributes flowers in the hospital ; looks after the sick 
poor, seeing that they have proper food ; provides 
nurses, bedding ; provides original appliances for crip- 
pled children. It is woman caring for women and 
children, nourishing and visiting. 

The Training-School for Nurses. — This, an 



OKDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHAEITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



381 



outgrowth of the Plowei' Mission work, was begun 
in September, 1883. Its design is to train a body of 
skilled nurses to nurse among the sick poor and in 
the homes of the city. The school is now in opera- 
tion at the City Hospital ; has a superintendent and 
two trained nurses from Bellevue Hospital, and six 
pupil nurses. It gives a two years' course of instruc- 
tion to women, thus opening up a new profession and 
aiding the physician by an intelligent helper. 

In the construction of this admirable organization, 
as well as in the prosecution of its multifarious labors. 
Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch, of Plymouth Church, has 
borne his share and rather more, and very fairly 
stands at the head of it. Whether without him 
would any part of it have been made that is made, is 
a question. What these affiliated bodies have done, 
each in its own province, is stated in the following 
summary : 

Number of applications for aid, 1391 ; number of 
persons in these families, 4752. 

Class I. — Cases worthy of relief: Orphans, 9 ; aged, 
69 ; incurable, 13 ; temporary illness or accident, 
534 ; total, 625. 

Class II. — Cases needing work rather than relief, 
but relieved : Out of work, able and willing, 85 ; in- 
sufficient work, able and willing to do more, 170 ; 
unfitted by infirmity or family cares for all but special 
kinds, 56 ; shiftless, imprudence or intemperance, 
76 ; others, 30 ; total, 387. 

Class III. — Cases not requiring, unworthy, or not 
entitled to relief, relief denied : Not requiring, 79 ; 
owning property, having relatives able to support, 
hopelessly shiftless or improvident, 149 ; preferring 
to live on alms, 111 ; others, 40 ; total, 379. 

Aided from the various societies, 1012. 

Refused, 370. 

Indianapolis Benevolent Society. — Amount 
expended in direct relief, $2286.24. Friendly Inn — 
Lodgings furnished, 4188; meals furnished, 8203; 
strangers cared for, 382 ; number employed in yard, 
2725. Employment Agency — Employers' applica- 
tions, 305 ; employes' apphcations, 267 ; number of 
girls registered, 2136. Industrial Committee — 
Women given work, 20. Friendly Visitors — No ac- 
count is kept of visits. 



Flowee Mission. — During the year the Flower 
Mission has cared for two hundred and one different 
cases. The number under care each month is as fol- 
lows : 



1882. Novemter 62 

December 81 

1883. January 79 

February 72 

March 71 

April 58 



1883. May 61 

June 52 

.luly U 

August 40 

September 40 

October 30 



In addition, the Flower Mission united with the 
ladies of the Benevolent Society, Children's Aid, 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and interested 
individuals in giving a picnic to the poor children of 
the city. About eight hundred went to Salem. The 
success of it may be inferred from the remark of a 
boy that " The grub is better even than a fellow gets 
in jail." 

The following list embraces every charitable organ- 
ization and agency in the city, with its location and 
time of meeting, where meeting is necessary to action. 
Of most of these no further account is necessary 
than is furnished by its name and object. Of a few, 
however, the history extends over a considerable 
period, and requires a more extended notice, which 
will follow this : 

Charity Organization Society. — Central office, 
Plymouth Building; District office, Nos. 1 and 2 
Plymouth Building. Committee meets on Tuesdays 
at 3.30 P.M. 

Indianapolis Benevolent Society. — Plymouth 
Building, south parlor. 

Employment Agency. — For girls and women, at 
same place ; for men and boys, at Friendly Inn. 

Friendly Inn and Wood-Yard. — No. 290 West 
Market Street. 

Industrial Committee. — Meets during the winter 
on Wednesdays, at Benevolent Society room, at two 
o'clock. 

Friendly Visitors. — Meet on Wednesdays, at half- 
past three o'clock, at the Central office. 

Flower Mission. — Mrs. Hannah L. Chapman, 
president. No. 617 North Meridian Street. Weekly 
meetings on Thursdays, at Plymouth Building. 

Flower Mission Training- School for Nurses. — ■ 



382 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



At the City Hospital ; Home, No. 274 West Vermont 
Street. 

Indianapolis Orphan A&ylum. — Corner of College 
and Home Avenues, Mrs. Hannah Hadley, president. 

Home for Friendless Women. — Corner Eighth 
and Tennessee Streets, Mrs. Mary R. Bullitt, matron. 

Colored OrpJian Asylum. — Corner Twelfth and 
Mississippi Streets. 

German Orphan Asylum. — West side of Reed 
Street, north of Cyprus. 

St. Vincent's Hospital. — Vermont Street, corner 
of Liberty. 

Little Sisters of the Poor. — Vermont Street, corner 
of Liberty. 

Township Trustee. — Ernest Kitz, oflSce No. 10 J 
East Washington Street. 

City Dispensary. — No. 34 East Ohio Street. 

City Hospital. — Corner Locke and Margaret 
Streets. 

Children's Aid Society. — Having care of neglected 
and dependent children. 

Charity Kindergartens. — Corner West and Mc- 
Carty Streets ; No. 280 West Market Street. 

Maternity Society. — Plymouth Building. 

The Orphans' Home. — This, the oldest of the 
local asylums of the city, was projected by the old 
Benevolent Society in 1849, and an organization 
formed in November of that year. In January, 
1850, it was chartered by the Legislature, and the 
first officers were Mrs. A. W. Morris, president ; 
Mrs. Alfred Harrison, Mrs. William Sheets, Mrs. 
Judge Blorrison, vice-presidents; Mrs. Isaac Phipps, 
treasurer ; Mrs. Hollingshead, secretary ; Mrs. Wil- 
kins, depository ; Mrs. Calvin Fletcher, Mrs. Gray- 
don, Mrs. Maguire, Mrs. I. P. Williams, Mrs. Cressy, 
Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Willard, Mrs. Underbill, Mrs. 
Irvin, Mrs. Dr. Dunlap, Mrs. I. Hall, Mrs. Bradley, 
managers; Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Perry, Mrs. Paxton, 
Mrs. Dunn, Mrs. Campbell, Mrs. A. F. Morrison, 
Mrs. McCarty, Mrs. Myers, Mrs. Brouse, Mrs. Wise- 
man, visiting committee ; Messrs. N. McCarty, Alfred 
Harrison, Judge Morrison, William Sheets, Judsou 
R. Osgood, Ovid Butler, A. G. Willard, Henry Ohr, 
John Wilkins, advisory committee. The Home has 
been uniformly well managed. Though largely de- 



pendent on the contributions of the charitable, the 
indefatigable zeal of its managers has succeeded in 
keeping it always in effective condition. The County 
Board pays twenty-five cents a day for the board of 

I each inmate, but that is all the public support it gets. 

' The city government gives nothing. During the 
year ending May, 1883, two hundred and fifty-two 
children were taken care of at the Home, thirty- 
three placed in permanent situations, and one hun- 
dred and three returned to their relatives or friends. 
Since last May the demand upon the asylum has 
been larger than ever, and in January, 1884, there 
were one hundred and twenty-four children in it at 
one time, and but three of these over twelve years 
old. 

The average number of the family was one hun- 
dred ; sixty were attending the public school in the 
building, under charge of a competent teacher fur- 
nished by the school board ; forty under six years of 
age have been taught by the kindergarten system, 
also conducted in the building. There is a good 
Sunday-school also maintained in the institution. 
Of the property of the institution, the president, 
Mrs. Hadley, says, — 

"In 1854 two city lots were purchased for the 
location of the asylum, and a third one donated by 
James P. Drake. In 1855 the first building was 
erected, costing twelve hundred dollars. In 1869 
the building was enlarged at a cost of three thou- 
sand dollars, and at that time could accommodate 
thirty-five children. The increasing demand for 
charity towards this class io the growth of our city 
has been such that the managers have had to secure 
a larger building to supply better accommodations, 
and have leased the Christian College building, on 
College Avenue, for a time, which lease has nearly 
expired. The managers hope to be able to raise a 
sufficient sum to build a good substantial house on 
the old ground belonging to them on North Tennessee 
Street, one which will answer the future demand for 
many years to come." 

The German Protestant Orphan Asylum was 
organized on the 11th of August, 1867, with Mr. 
Frederick Thoms as president. In 1869-70 a lot 
of six and three-quarter acres was purchased on the 



ORDERS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



383 



south bank of Pleasant Run, on Pleasant Avenue, 
and a handsome building erected, which constitutes 
the chief ornament of that recent suburb of the city. 
The grounds around it are well laid out and finely 
improved with trees and shrubbery and flowers. 
The following extract from the report of President 
Russe shows the condition of the institution : 

In 1383 the number of inmates was twenty-eight 
boys and twenty-six girls. The expense per head 
per year is eighty-nine dollars, besides donations. 
After a child is fourteen years of age we bind it out 
to a responsible party to learn a trade or business. 

Receipts fob 1883. 

Dues from members $fi56.00 

From excursions and festivals 1991.00 

From the county 4553.00 

$7200.00 
Expenses for 1883. 
Salaries 

To matron, hired man, five hired 

girls, and one servant §1000.18 

For household expenses 1952.00 

Forfurniture, wagon, feed, books, etc. 750.00 
For repairs, etc 500 00 

$3702.18 

Value of property, forty-one thousand dollars 
money on interest, twenty-six hundred dollars 
money on hand, two thousand dollars. Directors, 
A. Henry Russe, president ; Chris. Off, vice-presi- 
dent ; Henry Rosebrock, recording secretary ; H. W. 
Hartman, financial secretary ; Henry Rosener, treas- 
urer. Trustees, C. Russe, Fred. Thoms, H. H. Koch, 
Henry Mankedick, H. Hartman, William Teoken- 
brock, William Wieland, Ewald Over, Harvey Pauli, 
Gus. Sommer, Chris. Wiese. Matron, Libby Weis- 
gerber. 

Colored Orphan Asylum, — On the southwest cor- 
ner of Twelfth and Mississippi Streets. The associa- 
tion that founded this beneficent charity was com- 
pleted on the 26th of February, 1870. The building 
was erected and occupied in 1871. It is a large, sub- 
stantial brick, with ample grounds about it, and under 
good direction. A well-ventilated nursery and dormi- 
tory have been added to the original building, and 
Mrs. Trueblood, president, says that a considerable 
enlargement will be made this (1884:) spring, the 
means having been provided by contributions of gen- 



erous friends of the orphans. It was opened for the 
reception of pupils in June, 1871. There are sixty- 
two children in it at present, and between six and 
seven hundred have found a home there since it was 
opened. The county board pays twenty-five cents a 
day for the board of each child, " which provides for 
the wants of the family, including the matron," 
Mrs. Anna E. Stratton, nurse, seamstress, cook, and 
laundry help. There has always been a school and a 
teacher in the institution, where the children who are 
old enough are given a fair education. Mrs. True- 
blood says, " Many are quick to learn, and they are 
also taught, out of school hours, to assist in any work 
that they are able to do. They are also taught in 
Sunday-school, in which their singing and memorizing 
of texts are very interesting." 

Home for Friendless Women. — This institution 
is an outgrowth of the war. The soldiers, and float- 
ing population living by plunder and chance upon 
the soldiers, brought a plague of harlots here, and in 
May, 1862, Mayor Caven called the attention of the 
Council to the evil, and its effect in filling the jail 
with such inmates. He recommended the erection 
of a house of refuge for them, but nothing was done. 
In July of the year following the late Stoughton A. 
Fletcher made a proposition to the Council to give 
seven acres of ground just south of the city, be- 
tween the Bluff and Three Notch roads, for a Re- 
formatory, if the city would put a suitable house upon 
it. The donation was accepted, and five thousand 
dollars appropriated to the house. Plans were 
adopted, a board of trustees created, and contracts 
let. Then prices advanced so greatly under the in- 
fluence of the war that the work was stopped in 
1864, after eight thousand dollars had been expended 
and a fine stone basement built, and never resumed 
till recently, when it was taken in hand by one of the 
Catholic Sisterhoods, as related in the account of the 
Catholic Church and its charities here. Meanwhile, 
in 1866, a society for the aid and improvement of 
abandoned women was formed, with boards of trus- 
tees and directors, and with the aid liberally extended, 
and with the co-operation of the Young Men's Chris- 
tian Association, a house of nine rooms was obtained 
on North Pennsylvania Street, for the service mainly 



384 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of female prisoners in the jail. Obvious good was 
the result, but the location was too public, and steps 
were taken to obtain a better situation. For this 
purpose the city and county each gave seven thou- 
sand five hundred dollars. A site on North Tennes- 
see Street was found, and with the public appropria- 
tions and donations of city lots by James M. Ray, 
Wm. S. Hubbard, and Calvin Fletcher, and Stillman 
Witt, of Cleveland, a suitable building was erected by 
May, 1870. It was dedicated May 21st, the services 
being conducted by Rev. Drs. Scott, Holliday, and 
Day; It was fifty-seven by seventy-five feet, three 
stories, 'with forty-nine comfortable rooms, and capable 
of housing healthfully one hundred inmates. On the 
23d of September, four months after its dedication, it 
was nearly destroyed by fire, the loss exceeding the 
amount of insurance by several thousand dollars. 
The Home was temporarily removed to 476 North 
Illinois Street, and the burned building reconstructed 
in the same style and as substantially as before. The 
following statement has been kindly furnished for this 
work by Mrs. Todd, the treasurer : 

The Indianapolis Home for Friendless Women was 
incorporated March 11, 1867. Inmates (adults and 
children) have averaged from five hundred to six 
hundred annually. Yearly expenditures from two 
thousand five hundred to three thousand dollars. 
Has received no funds from the city for several years. 
Mr. E. J. Peck left to it five thousand dollars. The 
income from this is its only permanent source of sup- 
port. The county commissioners gave last year 
(1883) three hundred dollars. Its work-fund and 
the voluntary gifts of its friends supply the remainder. 
The trustees and managers are members of the various 
Protestant churches in the city. It is not controlled 
by any denomination. 

Its board of managers are the following ladies : 
Mrs. Judge Newman, president ; Blrs. J. L. Ketcham, 
vice-president; Mrs. N. A. Hyde, secretary; Mrs. C. 
N. Todd, treasurer; Mrs. J. M. Ray, Mrs. T. H. 
Sharpe, Mrs. J. H. Vajen, Mrs. Conrad Baker, Mrs. 
A. L. Rouche, Mrs. E. Eekert, Mrs. M. Byrkit, Mrs. 
Dr. Newcomer, Mrs. H. Adams, Mrs. J. H. Ohr, Mrs. 
Jane Trueblood, Mrs. H. Hadley, Mrs. C. W. Moores, 
Mrs. T. P. Haughey, Mrs. Dr. Carey, Mrs. a. D. 



Emery, Mrs. Judge Gresham, Mrs. E. C. Atkins, Mrs. 
Dr. Burgess, Mrs. Abram W. Hendricks, Mrs. H. B. 
Sherman, Mrs. Gen. Coburn, Mrs. M. W. Burford, 
Mrs. Franklin Landers, Mrs. John T. Morrison. 

Y. M. C. A. — The associations of a religious char- 
acter which apply themselves to charitable purposes 
as a part of their scheme of duty, are affiliated with 
the Young Men's Christian Association, of the origin 
and early history of which a brief sketch is given in 
the general history, and in the reference to the courses 
of lectures maintained in the city. In the other 
aspect of its services it deserves mention here, for its 
charitable ministrations have been unintermitting and 
invaluable. It has given much time and work to the 
establishment of mission Sunday-schools, and to the 
maintenance of religious services in waste places of 
the city where such a visitation was very improbable 
without such an agency. In 1871 it purchased the 
Exchange Block, on the east side of North Illinois 
Street, about half-way to Market from Washington, 
where had for several years been maintained the 
most fashionable saloon and gambling hell of the city. 
It had also been used as a variety theatre. The 
price was twenty-four thousand dollars. It was mostly 
paid or secured, the building reconstructed, reading- 
rooms and comfortable meetings provided, and later 
bath-rooms and gymnastic apparatus were added, and 
have made it as favorite a resort for healthful and 
moral purposes now as it used to be for purposes less 
commendable. Its resources are voluntary contribu- 
tions wholly. 

The Women's Christian Association is an auxil- 
iary of this society, and a German branch co-operates 
with it, or used to. Prayer-meetings are held every 
day at 8 a.m., and the reading-rooms are open free 
every day from 8 a.m. to 10 P.M. A fee of six 
dollars obtains the use of all the bathing conve- 
niences and others of the gymnasium for a year. The 
officers of the association are Samuel Merrill, presi- 
dent; Thomas C. Day, vice-president; T. H. K. 
Bnos, treasurer ; John Kidd, recording secretary ; 
Rev. John B. Brandt, general secretary. Mr. Brandt, 
however, resigned in 1884. 

Besides the distinctively charitable associations, 
secret and piiblic, thus far noticed, and the religious 



ORDEKS, SOCIETIES, AND CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS. 



385 



associations that use their means and opportunities for 
benevolent work without organizing primarily for that 
purpose, there are a great many societies of workmen 
and persons connected by interests of one kind or 
another, like " trades unions," which give help to the 
needy of their members, but these are too numerous 
and, in the main, too evanescent to require notice here ; 
little more could be said of them than the mention of 
their names and locations, and that is the work of a 
directory rather than a history. 

Cemeteries. — The City Cemetery. In the 
general history is given an account, upon the author- 
ity of Mr. Nowland's memoirs, of the selection of the 
first cemetery in Indianapolis, called the " old grave- 
yard" for one generation or more. It consisted of 
four acres on the east bank of the river, directly east 
of Governor's Island. The whole of the latter and 
a good deal of the other have been washed away. 
In 1834 the " new graveyard," as it was universally 
called, — it being a sort of fashion of those primitive 
times not to call things by their right names, thus 
making " Main" Street of Washington, " diagonal" of 
avenue, " new graveyard" of Union Cemetery, — was 
laid out east of the old one selected in 1821, extend- 
ing from the border of that to Kentucky Avenue. 
The old one in time was taken altogether by the 
colored residents. The new one was very carefully 
platted and amply provided with carriage-ways to 
every little square. About 1850, William Quarles 
built a private vault there, near the Kentucky 
Avenue side, and was laid there two years later. 
Evergreens were profusely planted by lot-owners, and 
a number of the original forest-trees retained, so that 
in a few years the cemetery was made a very attractive 
spot, and the only place approaching a park about the 
town The owners of the tract — Mr. McCarty, Dr. 
Coe, Mr. Blake, Mr. Ray, and John G. Brown — made 
an agreement that all lots remaining unsold after fifty 
years, and all to which no heirs or assigns of the original 
purchasers appeared, should become the property of 
the survivor, who proved to be James M. Ray, who 
assigned his rights to the First Presbyterian Church. 
The new or Union Cemetery contained five acres. 

In 1852, Mr. Edwin J. Peck, president of the Van- 
dalia Railroad, laid ofi" seven and a half acres north 



of both the old cemeteries into an addition. Messrs. 
Blake and Ray were associated in this cemetery too. 
It extended to the Vandalia tracks on the north and 
to West Street on the east, leaving an open tract of 
forest, beautifully undulating, between it and the 
river. This then belonged to a Philadelphia mer- 
chant firm, Siter, Price & Co., and was laid off in 
1860 into a cemetery called Greenlawn, better 
planned and more expensively improved in graveled 
walks and sightly plats than either of its predecessors. 
It was never used. The southern portion, adjoining 
the old cemeteries, however, was largely used, or at 
least that part of it north of the " new graveyard." 
In 1862 the national government bought a narrow 
tract along the Vandalia railway for a graveyard for 
rebel prisoners who died here. Two or three hundred 
were buried here, but subsequently removed to Crown 
Hill, and the site is now used by the railroad com- 
pany for its round-house, wood-house, water-tanks, 
and blacksmith-shops. These were begun in 1870. 
There has been much discussion of projects for pro- 
curing a cemetery site out of the city instead of 
these combined old cemeteries now called the City 
Cemetery, but nothing has come of it yet. 

The Hebrew Cemetery was established in 1856 
on three acres of ground directly souch of the Catho- 
lic Female Reformatory, between the Bluff and 
Three Notch roads. The larger part of the space is 
still unfilled, the Jews being rather a healthy people 
for cemetery service. 

The Lutheran Cemetery consists of ten acres 
purchased by the trustees of St. Paul's German 
Evangelical Lutheran Church a little south of Pleas- 
ant Run, on the east side of the Three Notch road. 
Its plats are large, its drive-ways well graveled and 
graded, and it contains some handsome monu- 
ments. 

The Catholic Cemetery contains eighteen 
acres, on the plateau of the north bluff of Pleasant 
Run. It has been very handsomely but not uni- 
formly improved. The north half is used mainly by 
the Irish, the south by the German Catholics. The 
most striking monument in it, or, indeed, in any 
cemetery about the city, is the little chapel erected to 
the memory of the old pastor of St. Mary's (German) 



386 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Church, Father Segrist, but there are several very 
pretty memorials of the dead in this little necropolis. 
Ckown Hill Cemetery. — This is the chief 
cemetery of Indianapolis, and grows constantly more 
conspicuous and more closely associated with the 
memories and interests of the city. Happily it is in 
the hands of a superintendent able to do full justice 
to the opportunities the situation gives him, by apply- 
ing sound judgment and cultivated taste to its improve- 
ment. The history of Crown Hill and its conversion 
to its present uses is a very short one. It was a farm, 
partly used as a nursery by Martin Williams, about 
three miles northwest of the Circle, on the east side 
of the Michigan road. On it, and forming its north- 
western extremity, is the only earthly projection near 
the city that can be called a hill. It is nearly two 
hundred feet higher than the level of the river. On 
the 25th of September, 1863, an association was 
formed, with James M. Ray as president, Theodore 
P. Haughey as secretary, and Stoughton A. Fletcher, 
Jr., as treasurer, with seven directors, to provide a 
cemetery to take the place (when required) of the 
old City Cemetery. S. A. Fletcher, Sr., proposed to 
advance the money to purchase a site, without inter- 
est, and a committee selected Crown Hill. The 
farm, with the hill and some adjacent tracts needed 
to square the whole plat, contained two hundred and 
fifty acres and cost fifty-one thousand five hundred 
dollars. Frederick W. Chislett, of the Pittsburgh 
Cemetery, was chosen superintendent, and remains 
so, and is likely to till he dies. The dedication was 
made the following year,' with a speech from ex- 
United States Senator Albert S. White, of Lafayette. 
Lots were rapidly bought and improvement systemat- 
ically begun. Nothing was done at hap-hazard, but all, 
however scattered, as parts of a well-defined plan. It 
is now as beautiful a cemetery as there is in the world, 
excepting none of the celebrated mortuary achieve- 
ments of the East, — Mount Auburn, Laurel Hill, or 
Greenwood. This, of course, is mainly due to the 
superintendent, who determined at the outset to have 
none of the rectangular lots and railings that so dis- 
figure some otherwise beautiful cemeteries. There are 
no fences nor railings, no formal squares, but winding 
drives and foot-walks mark the boundaries of burial- 



plats, and roads follow the natural undulations of the 
surface. The forest-trees are left in their native 
beauty or trimmed only where disfigured, and in 
places where the farm was cleared for cultivation 
flowering trees and evergreens and flower-beds and 
borders are set, making by far the most attractive and 
tasteful resort about the city, and a resort that no 
impudence or vicious temerity can abuse, for the 
superintendent and his men live on the ground and 
keep watch upon it day and night. 

In the first four years after the organization of the 
Cemetery Association was completed and the sale 
of lots commenced, the total amount of sales was 
$172,060.70. In the past five years only $54,298.17 
of lots were sold in Greenwood, and in the first twelve 
years only $128,892.49 in Spring Grove. The pro- 
ceeds of lot-sales are to be applied to the improve- 
ment of the grounds. No profits are made and no 
dividends declared, nor can there ever be. Every 
purchaser of a lot is a stockholder as fully as every 
other one, and he has his right to a voice in what is 
done, but his benefits, outside of his burial rights, end 
there. The second article of incorporation says, — 

" The distinct and irrevocable principle on which 
this association is founded and to remain forever (ex- 
cept as hereinafter allowed) is that the entire fund 
arising from the sale of burial-lots and the proceeds 
of any investment of said funds shall be and they are 
specifically dedicated to the purchase and improve- 
ment of the grounds for the cemetery, and keeping 
them durably and permanently inclosed and in per- 
petual repair tlirough all future time, including all 
incidental expenses for approach to the cemetery and 
the proper management of the same, and that no part 
of such funds shall, as dividends, profits, or in any 
manner whatever, inure to the corporators." The 
exception to the permanence of this provision is thus 
defined in the thirteenth article : that " after twenty- 
five years shall have expired from the organization of 
this corporation, by a vote of twenty-five of the cor- 
porators living in the county of Marion, Ind., and 
after a fund has accumulated which will amply and 
permanently provide for the preservation, sustaining, 
and ornamenting the cemetery, such alteration may 
be made at any annual meeting in the principles and 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



387 



limitations of these articles as that out of the surplus 
funds of this cemetery or association contributions 
and appropriations may be made by the managers in 
aid of the poor of Indianapolis." 

A burial-vault was early erected on one of the 
main lines of road, and near it on the south and east 
is the National Cemetery, where the dead of the 
Union army who died here, or whose bodies have 
been brought here, are buried. Here lies the body 
of Governor Morton among che men in whose service 
he sacrificed his health and strength, as they sacri- 
ficed their own in the service of the country. On 
the east of this section a chapel of Gothic architec- 
ture, striking and handsome, with burial-vaults at- 
tached, was built a few years ago at a cost of thirty 
thousand dollars. Illinois Street, running out into 
the Westfield pike, passes the eastern side of the 
cemetery, where a gate opens into a long and, in 
summer, delightfully shady drive over to the im- 
proved portion of the grounds on the west. A road 
opened within a year or two extends Tennessee Street 
to the south side of the cemetery. The last is now 
chiefly used. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 

The primitive churches of the city and of the 
entire West, where there were no rituals or authori- 
tative forms, differed little from each other in public 
observances or the rites of worship, and a stranger 
might easily mistake one for the other, as preachers 
are said to have done sometimes, till the sermon came 
to enlighten him. It was a rare sermon that did not 
betray the sectarian cast of the congregation. Now 
the points of identity or similarity have made a com- 
plete revolution. The differences are more dis- 
cernible in forms and methods than sermons. It is 
a rare sermon now that indicates the sectarian 
attitude or tendency of the church. Forty and fifty 
years ago it was a rare one that did not. There 



might be nothing precedent in the seating of the 
congregation, in the hymns or prayers or attitudes, 
to distinguish a Blethodist from a Baptist meeting, 
but the sermon would do it. The tendency of the 
religious feeling of those days was to sects and sepa- 
rations. It magnified differences. It hunted more 
diligently than intelligently for Scriptural excuses for 
division. It perverted texts to support creeds and 
uncharitable criticisms of varying creeds. The best 
sermon was that which made the best array of 
plausibilities for sectarian separation. The truest 
preacher was he who could make most nearly in- 
contestable the saving efficacy of what Baptist A. 
believed and the futility of what Methodist B. be- 
lieved. Thus, as related in the general history, 
came frequent collisions and public debates and 
acrimonious feelings. The condition of society out 
of which they grew is hardly conceivable to a com- 
munity that hears Rev. Myron Reed, of the Pres- 
byterian Church, speak with fraternal warmth of the 
pious zeal of the Catholic Father Bessonies. It was 
little less than sinful in early days to commend any- 
thing that another church or preacher did. The 
rigidly righteous took it for a sinful compliance, 
a giving way to the worldly spirit, a warning of 
evil, if not worse. The iron fixedness of faith of the 
Puritans was the dominant characteristic of the re- 
ligious element of the community. It had its ad- 
mirable qualities for the generation in which it was 
active, but it passed away with other conditions of 
the times, and allowed the approach of the change 
in which to-day we rarely hear sectarian differences 
alluded to in the pulpit. The sermon in a Meth- 
odist Church might be acceptably preached in any 
other of the four score of churches of different 
creeds, and pulpits are exchanged with no disturb- 
ance of religious complacency. The changes of 
material condition are hardly more striking than the 
changes of moral condition. The log house, little 
handsomer or handier than the barn in the next 
field, has given place to stone and brick edifices that 
are as sightly as costly, the benches or split-bottomed 
chairs to carved and cushioned pews, the hearty but 
dissonant singing to the trim accuracy of a paid choir 
and a professional organist, the cheap eshorter and 



38S 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



extempore outgiviD": to the high-paid pastor and 
written sermon ; but no one of these nor all together 
are more impressive to the thoughtful mind than the 
change which has so nearly obliterated the sectarian 
differences so obtrusive a generation ago. Church 
members may have grown more worldly-minded, 
more luxurious, more of the Gallic type, but they 
have certainly grown more charitable, not so much 
in the ready bestowal of money as the willing ex- 
ercise of generous opinion and appreciation, — a far 
more commendable trait and harder to come by. 

In the general history is given a brief sketch of 
the origin of each of the early churches, their loca- 
tion, and the character of their buildings. It will be 
unnecessary to repeat these points here, but it may 
bo well to note that but a single church established 
in the first twenty years of the city's history remains 
in its original situation. Rev. Mr. Hyde, in his 
address at the opening of the new Plymouth Church, 
said the congregation first worshiped in the Senate 
chamber of the State-House, then in a hall on South 
Illinois Street, then in the State-House again, then 
in the front hall of the first Plymouth Church, now 
a part of the English "Quadrant," and added, "I 
believe this has been the history of all the larger 
congregations in the city. Of the churches that 
were here when I came that then thought they were 
occupying permanent homes, nearly all have moved 
and enlarged." 

It is true that the first congregations of the larger 
denominations have moved once, at least, and some 
oftener. The Baptists, who had the first local 
habitation here in 1823, in a school-house on the 
north side of Maryland Street, between Tennessee and 
Mississippi, nearly opposite the residence of Henry 
Bradley, one of the leading members, first organized 
in the school-house on the point of Kentucky Ave- 
nue and Illinois Street in 1822. They moved to the 
southwest corner of Maryland and Meridian Streets 
in 1829, but not till they had petitioned the Legis- 
lature for the donation of a lot for a building site, 
and failed. The house here was a broad, squatty 
one-story brick, with a wooden bell-tower against a 
little frame school-house a hundred feet west. This 
was replaced a dozen years later by a finer structure 



on the same site, and it burned one Sunday morning 
early in January, 1861, and then the church moved 
to its present site. This made the second removal 
for the Baptists. The Presbyterians built first, in 
1824, on the site of the Exchange Block ; moved to 
the Tinies ofiBce site in 1842, and to its present place 
in 1866, — two removals for them. The Methodists 
first had a log house, in 1825, on Maryland Street, a 
little west of Meridian, on the south side, and kept 
it till 1829. Then they built their first regular 
church edifice, and used it till 1846. Then they 
tore that down and built Wesley Chapel. They 
sold that in 1869 and built Meridian Church, 
making the fourth house and second removal. The 
Christians built their first church in 1835-86, on 
Kentucky Avenue. They moved to the present site 
of Central Chapel in 1852, one removal for them. 
The Catholics first built in a hackberry-grove on the 
military ground, near the corner of West and Wash- 
ington Streets, in 1840. In 1850 St. John's Church 
was built, on Georgia Street, and in 1867 the Cathe- 
dral replaced it, making two removals for them. 
The Episcopalians alone of all the leading denomina- 
tions have never changed. Their first church was 
on the spot where the present Christ Church stands. 
Few remains of any of the old churches are visible 
now. The first Episcopal Church was moved to 
Georgia Street near the canal, for a colored church, 
and burned the second or third year. The first 
Baptist Church on . the old site, corner of Maryland 
and Meridian Streets, was torn down and the second 
burned down. The first Presbyterian Church — the 
old frame — was torn down, and so was the brick 
where the Journal building is. The first Christian 
Church, a frame, was preserved and is now a 
tenement-house. The first Methodist (log) Church 
was torn down. So was the first brick, but Wesley 
Chapel was changed to the late Sen/inel building. 
Roberts' Chapel was incorporated in one of Martin- 
dale's blocks. The Fourth Presbyterian Church was 
put into Baldwin's Block, and Beecher's church is 
the body of Circle Hall. St. John's Catholic Church 
was torn away entirely when the Cathedral was built. 
The first Lutheran Church, 1838, near the southeast 
corner of Meridian and Ohio Streets, was torn away 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



389 



entirely. It removed to the southwest corner of 
Alabama and New York Streets, where it remained 
for many years, and then moved up-town to the cor- 
ner of Pennsylvania and Walnut Streets. 

There are now eighty-eight churches in the city, 
each, with one or two exceptions, with a building of 
its own and erected for it. Of these the Methodists, 
including the German and Colored Conferences, and 
the Methodist Protestant, have twenty-four ; the 
Presbyterians have fourteen ; the Baptist, thirteen ; 
the Catholics, seven ; the Christians (^formerly better 
known as "Disciples," or " Campbellites"), six; the 
Episcopalians, with the Episcopal Reformed, six ; 
the Lutherans, six ; the Conjjregationalists, two ; the 
Hebrews, two; the German Reformed, three; the 
Evangelical Association, one; the Friends, one; 
United Presbyterian, one; United Brethren, one; 
Swedenborgian, one. In 1868, and for some time 
following, the Unitarians formed an organization here 
with the Rev. Henry Blanchard as pastor, and used 
the Academy of Music as a place of worship. But it 
has been dissolved for ten or twelv-e years. The Uni- 
versalisls had two churches here for a number of 
years, but now have none. The first was organized 
about forty years ago, but soon failed, and was re- 
organized in 1853, or replaced by an organization of 
the same views, of which Rev. B. F. Foster, Grand 
Secretary of the Odd-Fellows, and still the most emi- 
nent clergyman of that faith in the State, was the 
first pastor. In 1860 he was succeeded by Rev. W. 
C. Brooks for a year ; resumed his pastorate for five 
years more, and was again succeeded, in 1866, by Rev. 
J. M. Austin, of New York. He resigned in about 
six months, and Mr. Foster, then State Librarian, re- 
sumed his pastoral charge and kept it till his civil 
office expired in 1869. Siuce then the church has 
had no pastor, no settled worship, and never had a 
building of its own. It used at one time or another 
the old court-house, the old seminary lecture-room 
(Mr. Beecher's first church), College Hall, Temper- 
ance Hall (where the News Block is). Masonic Hall, 
and the hall on the southwest corner of Delaware and 
Maryland Streets. In 1860 a personal difference in 
the original Universalist Church caused a secession 
under the lead of the eminent manufacturer, Blr. 



John Thomas, and the colony bought a lot and built 
a house on Michigan Street near Tennessee. Of this 
Mr. Thomas became the sole owner, and when the 
church ceased to use it, as it did after the first year, 
while .Rev. C. E. Woodbury and Rev. W. W. Curry 
(afterwards Secretary of State) were pastors, it was 
occupied by the Wesley Chapel (Methodist) Church 
during the time their own Meridian Church was 
in progress, and later by a division of Strange Chapel 
(Methodist), under the noted and eloquent J. W. T. 
McMullen, first colonel of the Fifty-first Indiana 
Volunteers. It is now occupied by the North Presby- 
terian (colored) Church. There are ten colored 
churches in the city, — four Methodist, four Baptist, 
one Presbyterian, and one Christian. 

WHITE BAPTISTS. 

First Baptist Church. — Although religious ser- 
vices were held in the new settlement as early as the 
spring of 1821, and continued occasionally, some- 
times in the woods and sometimes in private houses, 
no church organization was made till the lUth of 
October, 1822. Then the First Baptist Church was 
formed. The history of this earliest of Indianapolis 
churches is told briefly in the old records wliich may 
be introduced here as of more interest than any second- 
hand account could be. The first entry says, " The 
Baptists at and near Indianapolis, having removed 
from various parts of the world, met at the school-house 
in Indianapolis (this was the first school-honse near 
the point of junction of Illinois Street and Kentucky 
Avenue in August, 1822), and after some consultation, 
adopted the following resolution : Resolved, That we 
send for help, and meet at Indianapolis on the 20th 
day of September next for the purpose of establishing 
a regular Baptist Church at said place. That John 
W. Reding write letters to Little Flat Rook and Little 
Cedar Grove Churches for help. That Samuel 
Mcormack (McCormick) write letters to Lick Creek 
and Franklin Churches for helps. Then adjourned." 

The next entry reads thus: " Met according to ad- 
journment ; Elder Tyner, from Little Cedar Grove, 
attended as a help from that church, and after divine 
service went into business. Letters were received 
and read from Brothers Benjamin Barns, Jeremiah 
Johnson, Thomas Carter (the tavern-keeper), Otis 



390 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Hobart, John Hobart, Theodore V. Denny, John 
Meormack (BIcCormick), Samuel Meormack, John 
Thompson, and William Dodd, and sisters Jane 
Johnson, Nancy Carter, Nancy Thompson, Elizabeth 
Meormack, and Polly Carter. Then adjourned until 
Saturday morning, 10th October." That day the 
organization was completed, and the old record tells 
the event thus : " Met according to adjournment, and 
after divine service letters were read from John W. 
Reding and Hannah Skinner. Brother B. Barns 
was appointed to speak, and answer for the members ; 
and Brother Tyner went into an examination, and 
finding the members sound in the faith, pronounced 
them a regular Baptist Church, and directed them to 
go into business. Brother Tyner was then chosen 
moderator, and John W. Reding, clerk. Agreed to 
be called and known by the name of the First Baptist 
Church at Indianapolis. Then adjourned till the 
third Saturday in October, 1822. J. W. Reding, 
clerk." There was not much form or ceremony ob- 
served in constituting this old church, and a later 
meeting, in which financial matters were the main 
subject of consideration, shows that there was as little 
pretension to worldly wealth among the members. 
" At a church meeting held at Indianapolis on the 
third Saturday of January, 1823, after divine ser- 
vice. Brother B. Barns, moderator, on motion, Brother 
J. Thompson was unanimously called to serve this 
church as a deacon, having previously been ordained. 
The reference taken up respecting a church fund, the 
brethren whose names here follows paid Brother J. 
Thompson twenty-five cents each : H. Bradley, J. W. 
Reding, S. Meormack, T. V. Denny, T. Carter, J. 
Hobart, D. Wood, J.Thompson. On motion, agreed 
that Brother B. Barns be sent as a help to constitute 
a church at White Lick, near the Bluffs of White 
River, when called on by the brethren at that place. 
Ordered, that Brothers T. Carter, H. Bradley, and 
D. Wood be a committee to make arrangements for a 
place of worship and report to the next meeting. J. 
W. Reding, clerk." The next entry says, "The com- 
mittee chosen for the purpose of making arrange- 
ments for a place of worship, reported that the school- 
house may be had without interruption." Whether 
this school-house was the first one built in the town, 



as above noted, or another on Maryland Street, north 
side, west of Tennessee Street, does not appear from 
the record, but it was probably the latter, and must 
have stood on or very near the site of Alexander 
Ralston's residence. A little single-room hewed log 
house did stand near that rather pretentious structure 
for several years after his death. ^ On the third Satur- 
day of June, 1823, a meeting was held at which Mr. 
Barnes, who had been the leading m'ember of the 
organization from the start, " requested and was 
granted a letter of dismission." Following this is 
the statement, " Agreed, that Brother B. Barns be 
called to preach to this church once a month until 
the end of this year, to which Brother Barns agreed." 
Thus the First Baptist Church had a complete or- 
ganization, a place of worship, and a regular, though 
not frequent preacher in two years after the town 
was laid out. 

As noted above, the church petitioned the Legisla- 
ture in November, 1824, for a lot to build a house of 
worship upon, but failed. The order says, " On 
motion, agreed that the church petition the present 
General Assembly for a site to build a meeting-house 
upon, and that the southeast half of the shaded block 
90 be selected, and that Brothers J. Hobart, H. 
Bradley, and the clerk be appointed a committee to 
bear the petition Saturday in February." What is 
meant by a "shaded block" can only be conjectured, 
but it probably referred to a grove that made a pleas- 
ant shelter. In the spring of 1825, Major Thomas 
Chinn, who lived on the north side of Maryland 
Street, pretty nearly opposite the site of the east end 
of the Grand Hotel, invited the church to meet at 
his residence during the summer, and they did. In 
June, 1825, a lot was purchased for a church build- 
ing, and measures taker> to finish a small frame house 
upon it for that use, but the matter was put off after 
an assessment was made on the fifteen adult males of 
the congregation of forty-eight dollars to pay for the 
lot, a little over three dollars each. In 1826, Rev. 
Cornelius Duvall, of Kentucky, was called to the . 
charge of the church, but he never accepted or never 
acted, and in December, 1826, Rev. Abraham Smock 
was called for one year, accepted and set to ww'k. 
During his pastorate the lot on the southwest corner 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



391 



of Meridian and Maryland Streets was purchased, 
and in 1829 the first Baptist Church building 
erected, as above related. This was removed fifteen 
or twenty years afterwards and a handsome church 
with a fine spire erected, which was burned the first 
Sunday in 1861, when the present site, on the north- 
west corner of New York and Pennsylvania Streets, 
was obtained and built upon. 

Rev. Abraham Smock remained pastor till 1830, 
when he resigned and left the church without a pas- 
tor for some years, though several ministers preached 
statedly, and one. Rev. Byron Lawrence, in 1832 was 
requested to " preach as frequently as he can on 
Lord's day for six months." Under the stated ar- 
rangement Revs. Jamison Hawkins (grandfather of 
Nicholas McCarty), Byi-on Lawrence, and Ezra Fisher 
preached till February, 1834, when Mr. Fisher was 
called to be the stated preacher of the church. He 
retired in the fall or winter of 1834, and Rev. T. C. 
Townsend was requested to preach till a regular pas- 
tor was obtained. Then in July, 1835, came Rev. 
and Dr. John L. Richmond, who served for six or 
eight years, and was • one of the best known and 
esteemed clergymen and physicians in the town. He 
was a good deal of a humorist and one of the most 
eccentric men both in appearance and conduct who 
ever lived here, but withal a genuine Christian and a 
noble man. It was told of him that he once silenced 
a braggart who was boasting of the fertility of his 
farm, particularly in pumpkins, by telling him that 
" his farm was nothing to one he (the doctor) had 
seen recently." " Why, what could that farm do?" 
" The pumpkins grew so thick all over one of the 
fields that if a man would kick one on one side of 
the field it would shake those against the fence on 
the other side." The laugh of the company at this 
sally stopped the boaster from repeating his folly. 
In 1843, Rev. George C. Chandler succeeded Dr. 
Richmond, who was himself succeeded by Rev. T. R. 
Cressy in 1847, and he in 1852 by Rev. Sydney 
Dyer, who attained considerable distinction as a poet, 
and published a volume of poems about 1856. Rev. 
J. B. Simmons followed, and remained till 1861. 
After the burning of the church in that year the 
congregation worshiped in Masonic Hall till the new 



edifice was completed. It was begun in 1862. Rev. 
Henry Day succeeded Mr. Simmons in 1861, and re- 
mained till a few years ago. The present pastor is 
Rev. Henry C. Mabie. The number of members is 
five hundred and sixty-nine ; Sunday-school pupils, 
about five hundred ; value of property, about sixty- 
five thousand dollars. 

South Street Baptist Church. — This was at first 
a mission church, established by the old First or 
Home Church, which purchased the lot on the south- 
west corner of Noble and South Streets about 1867, 
and built a small but pretty chapel there. In 1869 
a number of the members of the parent church, 
whose places of residence made a church more conve- 
nient there than away ofi' at University Square, 
formed an oi-ganization, and with a membership of 
seventy -six took the mission building as a gift from 
the old congregation and at once established a flour- 
ishing church there. A handsome new building re- 
placed the mission house a few years ago. Pastor, 
Rev. I. N. Clark. Membership, two hundred and 
ninety-five; Sunday-school pupils, three hundred and 
fifty ; value of property, about twenty thousand dollars. 

Garden Baptist Church. — This also was a mission 
established in 1866 on Tennessee Street, and then 
removed to the corner of Washington and Missouri 
Streets. It finally built its own house on Bright 
Street. Pastor, Rev. B. F. Patt. Blembership, one 
hundred ; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and 
fifty ; value of property, six thousand dollar.'*. 

Worth Baptist Church. — This, like the other 
two. was a mission branch of the old First Church, 
established on the corner of Broadway and Cherry 
Streets, where it still is. The present pastor is Rev. 
Daniel D. Read. Membership, one hundred and 
thirty-one ; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and 
fifty; value of property, about eight thousand dollars. 

Third Baptist Tabernacle, though named in the 
city directory with a pastor, Rev. Christopher Wil- 
son, and located on Rhode Island Street, does not 
appear in the official list of the Association. 

German Baptist Church. — Pastor, Rev. August 
Boelter, corner of Davidson and North Streets. 

Mount Zion Baptist Church, Second and La- 
fayette Streets. Pastor, Rev. William Singleton. 



392 



HISTORY OP liNDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



New Bethel Baptist Church, Beeler Street. Rev. 
Jacob R. Raynor, pastor. 

Judson Baptist Church, Fletcher Avenue, re- 
poi'tod disorganized. These last four churches, like 
the Tabernacle, do not appear in the authoritative 
lists of the Association, but do in the directory. 

COLORED BAl'TISTS. 

Second Baptist Church, north side of Michigan, 
east of West. Pastor, Rev. James M. Harris. 

Corinthian Baptist Church, corner of North and 
Railroad Streets. Pastor, Rev. R. Bassett. 

Olive Baptist Church, Hosbrook, between Grove 
and Pine Streets. Pastor, Rev. Anderson Simmons. 

South Calvary Baptist Church, corner of Blaple 
and Monis Streets. Rev. Thomas Smith, pastor. 

PKESBTTEPvIANS. 

First Presbyterian Church. — The sectarian dif- 
ferences which became so strongly marked in the dif- 
ferent denominations of Indianapolis, after separate 
organizations had been made and separate places of 
worship established, were measurably suppressed in 
the first years of the settlement, and union meetings 
were frequent in which all denominations joined. 
Nevertheless each had occasionally worship and ser- 
mons of its own. In August, 1822, as we have seen, 
the Baptists took the first steps to form a distinct 
denominational organization. The Presbyterians fol- 
lowed on tiie 23d of February, 1823. Previously 
they had been preached to by Rev. Ludlow G. Gaines, 
— the same as the " Ludwell Gains" and '• Ludwell 
G. Gains" who entered several tracts of land in De- 
catur township in 1821, — and during the year 1822 
Rev. David U. Proctor was engaged as a missionary. 
The old school-house was the cradle of this church, as 
well as the First Baptist. The organization was made 
here on the 6th of March, 1823, after one or two pre- 
vious meetings, and on the 22d of March trustees 
were appointed. The formal constitution of the church 
was completed with fifteen members July 5, 1823. 
Subscriptions were at once obtained, and a lot pur- 
chased on the northwest corner of Market and Penn- 
sylvania Streets, where a frame building, the first 
church edifice in the place, was partially built the 
same year and finished the following summer, 1824, 



at a cost for site and house of twelve hundred dollars. 
Mr. Gaines and Mr. Proctor both appear to have 
served as "stated supply" in the first days of the 
church's existence, and Mr. Proctor was pastor for a 
short time till the accession of Rev. George Bush in 
September, 1824, who continued till June, 1828, and 
remained in the town till March, 1829. Mr. Bush, 
as elsewhere noticed, became subsequently, on remov- 
ing to the East, one of the most conspicuous heresiarchs 
in this country. His theological vagaries were equaled 
by his learning, however, and he always commanded 
attention and respect. It was thought by the com- 
munity that his eccentricities of faith had something 
to do with the severance of his pastoral relation to 
the First Presbyterian Church here. Succeeding him 
came Rev. John R. Moreland, from 1829 to 1832. 
Rev. William A. Holliday succeeded him in 1832, 
continuing till 1835. A couple of years later he took 
charge of the old seminary, and figured promi- 
nently as one of the early educators of the city, as 
well as one of its most honored moral guides and 
instructors. 

Rev. William Adair Holliday. — The parents 
of the subject of this biographical sketch were Sam- 
uel Holliday and Elizabeth Martin, both of Scotch- 
Irish ancestry. The former was associate judge of 
the Marion County Circuit Court, and oflBciated at 
the trial of Hudson, Sawyer, and the Bridges, in 
1824, for murdering Indians. They are said to have 
been the only white men executed for this crime. 
It was said by Oliver H. Smith, in his " Early In- 
dian Trials," " Judge Holliday was one of the best 
and most conscientious men I ever knew." Eliza- 
beth Martin Holliday was the daughter of Jacob 
and Catherine Martin, and the sister of Rev. William 
Martin, a prominent pioneer preacher of Indiana, 
familiarly known as Father Martin. William Adair 
Holliday, born July 16, 1803, in Harrison County, 
Ky., at the age of three years removed with his 
parents to Preble County, Ohio, and from thence 
in 1815 to Wayne County, Ind., after which Marion 
County, as then constituted, became the permanent 
residence of the family. The early years of Mr. 
Holliday were fraught with many of the depriva- 
tions incident to the life of the early settler. Few 




^e^^^y ^^^^1^ 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



393 



opportunities for education were afforded, and the 
means for obtaining those advantages so limited as 
to make a thorough scholastic training a work re- 
quiring not only perseverance but often great sacri- 
fice. William A. Holliday, being ambitious for in- 
struction superior to that offered at home, walked 
from his father's farm to Hamilton, Ohio, and there 
attended school. Subsequently he went to Blooming- 
ton, and from thence to the Miami University, at 
Oxford, Ohio, where he graduated in 1829. Having 
chosen the ministry as his life-work, he traveled on 
horseback to Princeton, N. J., and there pursued a 
theological course, after which he was licensed to 
preach by the Presbytery of New Brunswick. At 
the close of his studies he preached with great ac- 
ceptability at Goshen, N. Y., to the congregation of 
which Dr. Fisk had been pastor, and would have 
been called to that important pastoral charge had he 
not discouraged the movement under a conviction 
that he ought to labor in the West. In 1832 he 
accepted an invitation to supply the First Presby- 
terian Church of Indianapolis, over which charge he 
ministered two years. Subsequently he devoted him- 
self to missionary labor among feeble churches in 
Indiana and Kentucky, combining the work of 
preaching with that of a teacher. From 1841 until 
his death Indianapolis was his home. He was in 
1864 elected professor of Latin and modern languages 
in Hanover College, of which he had long been a 
trustee, and for two years rendered gratuitous service 
in that capacity, resigning in June, 1866. His own 
early struggles for a thorough education gave him a 
deep sympathy with young men similarly situated, 
and inspired him with a deep interest in their efforts 
to secure opportunities for thorough education. A 
desire to promote this prompted him to give while yet 
living, out of a moderate estate, property, which sold 
for twelve thousand dollars for the purpose of endow- 
ing a professorship of mental philosophy and logic in 
Hanover College. The following tribute is paid by 
Rev. Dr. J. H. Nixon, a former pastor of the First 
Presbyterian Church, to his scholastic attainments 
and piety : " His prayers and counsels and influence 
were always heartily given to every good work. 
He was a man of deep piety, of much learning, and 
26 



of most excellent spirit. His habits of study were 
continued to the close of his life. He read daily the 
Scriptures in the original. He kept well abreast of 
the religious literature of the day, and yet was a 
careful and thoughtful student of passing events. 
So modest was he that few except his intimate 
friends knew the treasures of learning he had 
gathered. He had been for several years stated 
clerk of Muncie Presbytery, and was a regular and 
valued member of the church courts. For many 
years he was a member of the congregation of the 
First Church of Indianapolis, of which he had for- 
merly acted as pastor, and was a most punctual and 
earnest attendant upon the ministry of the Word and 
the prayer-meetings, and ever ready to afford his 
pastor the benefit of his counsels, sympathies, and 
prayers." Mr. Holliday was married to Miss Lucia 
Shaw Cruft, to whom were born seven children. 
Two of these died in infancy, and a third at the age 
of fourteen years. The four survivors are Rev. 
Wm. A. Holliday, pastor of the First Presbyterian 
Church of Belvidere, N. J., Margaret G. Holliday, 
a missionary of the Presbyterian board at Tabriz, 
Persia, John H. Holliday, founder and editor of 
The Indianapolis News, and Francis T. Holliday, its 
publisher. The death of Rev. William A. Holliday 
occurred Dec. 16, 1866, in his sixty-fourth year, 
and that of Mrs. Holliday Jan. 17, 1881, in her 
seventy-sixth year. She was a native of Boston, 
coming from Puritan stock numbering in its branches 
many eminent and worthy people of New England. 
Her grandfather, with whom she lived for some 
years during childhood, was the Rev. William Shaw, 
for more than fiftt years a pastor at Marshfield, 
Mass., and she was trained in all the rugged New 
England virtues. Two of her brothers settling on 
the Wabash at an early day, she removed to Indiana 
in 1826, making her home at Terre Haute and Car- 
lisle until married. 

Mrs. Holliday was a woman of rare strength and 
charm of character. Prominent and devoted in her 
religious life, among the foremost in the benevolent 
and missionary work which falls peculiarly to the 
hand of woman, she yet illustrated the words of Lord 
Lyttletou, that " a woman's noblest station is retreat," 



394 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and reserved for the sanctity of home and the nar- 
rower circle of intimate and loving friends that 
fuller exhibition of a thoroughly developed and 
symmetrical life, which will cause her memory to 
be cherished as a precious incense. In her girlhood 
she enjoyed only the ordinary common-school edu- 
cation incident to that period in the State of her 
birth ; but she was all her life an omnivorous reader, 
was endowed with unusual perception, and was 
withal a deep and logical thinker. With these 
faculties she became a woman of great and varied 
information, of clear and strong judgment, and a 
ready and capable conversationalist and reasoner. 

Cheerfulness and sympathy wore prominent traits 
of her character, and these probably were the ex- 
planation of the strong hold she secured and retained 
upon her friends. Throughout her long life, check- 
ered with hardships inseparable from the lines in 
which it was cast, she ever had a smiling Hice, a 
warm hand, a sympathetic heart for everybody. In 
her Christian affection she was no "respecter of 
persons," and from every walk and .station of life 
there came at her death the sincerest grief, because 
" a friend has fallen." One of the most unselfish 
of women, forgetting herself entirely to serve others, 
she received the reward of a devotion from her 
family, and of sincere aifection from those who lived 
within the influence of her deeds, which was con- 
spicuous because of its rarity. 

Rev. James W. McKennan succeeded Mr. HoUiday 
in February, 1835, and remained till 1840, when 
Rev. Phineas D. Gurley followed and remained till 
1849. Blr. Gurley was the cotemporary and friend 
of Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, pastor of the other 
Presbyterian Church, — separated and by no means 
generally friendly in those days like other sects, — and 
in after-years, as the pastor of a church in Washington 
City, attained a national reputation. For about two 
years the church remained without a pastor, and then 
Rev. John A. McClung, of Kentucky, was called. 
He was a brother of the distinguished lawyer, politi- 
cian, and duelist of Mississippi, Col. Alexander Mc- 
Clung, and for many years had himself been one of 
the leading lawyers of his State. At that time he was 
sceptical, and is said by his friends to have converted 



hin)self by a close study of the prophecies. Whether 
this was true or not, he was more profoundly versed 
in the prophecies, and treated them more frequently 
and fully in his sermons, than any man that ever filled 
a pulpit in Indianapolis, or probably any other city. 
In his younger days he compiled a volume of stories 
of the adventures of the pioneers of Kentucky called 
" Western Adventures," which was a very popular 
and widely-read book, though now out of print. Mr. 
McClung remained here till 1855. Some years after- 
wards, probably during the war, he was drowned in 
the Niagara River, — some thought by suicide, — a few 
miles below Buffalo. His daughter was married to a 
son of Edmund Browning, of the old Washington 
Hall Hotel. Rev. T. L. Cunningham followed Mr. 
McClung in October, 1855, and remained till 1858, 
marrying here the daughter of Governor John Brough, 
of Ohio, previously for many years president of the 
Madison Railroad here. For two j"ears the church 
remained without a pastor, when Rev. John Howard 
Nixon came in 1860 and remained till 1869. Rev. 
R. D. Harper succeeded him, and resigned in 1876 
to take charge of a church in Philadelphia. The 
p/esent pastor, Rev. Myron W. Reed, took charge of 
the church in 1876. 

In the old frame church on Pennsylvania Street 
was conducted during most of its existence the 
" Union Sunday-school," which formed so con.spicu- 
ous a part of the moral ageiicies of the early settle- 
ment, and a still more conspicuous part of the 
celebration of the Fourth of July. The first meet- 
ing was held on the 6th of April, 1823, in Caleb 
Scudder's cabinet-shop, on the south side of the 
State- House Square. It continued through the sum- 
mer, till cold weather began to come in the fall, with 
about seventy pupils, — a very creditable number 
for a little village in the woods of not more than five 
hundred souls all told. In 1824 it was revived, and 
thenceforward carried on in the Presbyterian Church, 
constantly increasing in average attendance, and not 
suspended on account of the weather. The average 
ran up from forty the first year to fifty the next, sev- 
enty-five the third, one hundred and six the fourth, 
and one hundred and fifty the fifth, by which time a 
library of one hundred and fifty volumes had been 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



395 



accumulated of the little marble-paper backed Sun- 
day-school literature of the " Shepherd of Salis- 
bury Plain"' school. On April 2i, 1829, the Bleth- 
odists, having completed their first church, and the 
first brick church in the town, drew off to them- 
selves. The Baptists colonized their school in 1832, 
leaving the Presbyterians alone. In 1829 the Sun- 
day-schools formed a prominent feature of the cele- 
bration of the Fourth of July for the first time, and 
for thirty years following were either the chief or sole 
feature of that national ceremony. 

The old church was abandoned in 1842, when 
a new brick was built on the corner of Circle 
Street and Market, the site of the present Journal 
building, during the pastorate of Rev. P. D. Gurley. 
After this the old house came to base uses. It was a 
carpenter- or carriage-shop for a little while, and an 
occasional assembly-hall for chance gatherings that 
could not go anywhere else. It was torn down or 
moved away in 1845 or 1846. The new church was 
dedicated May 6, 1843, and cost about eight thou- 
sand three hundred dollars. The present structure 
was begun in 1864. The west end, or chapel, con- 
taining Sunday-school rooms, lecture-room, social- 
room, and pastor's study, was completed and occupied 
in 1866. The main building and audience-hall were 
finished and opened for service Deo. 29, 1870. The 
present membership of the First Church is three 
hundred and sixty-five ; Sunday-school pupils, three 
hundred and eighty-one ; estimated value of property, 
one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. 

Second Presbyterian Church, — This was better 
known, even in Indianapolis, for a good many years 
as " Beecher's Church." It was organized with fif- 
teen members Nov. 19, 1838, in the " lecture-room," 
or main upper room, of the old seminary. Henry 
Ward Beeoher came as its first pastor July 31, 1839. 
The old seminary room continued to be the place of 
worship for over a year. On the 4th of October, 
1840, the frame building erected for it on the corner 
of Circle and Market Streets, directly opposite to that 
occupied a year or two later by the new First Church, 
was completed and dedicated, though the basement- 
room was occupied previously. Thus the Second 
Church was fully launched on what has proved to 



be a prosperous and beneficent career. The division 
was not the effect of any local or personal dissension, 
but grew out of the same influences that produced 
the separation into the " Old" and " New" School 
Churches. Mr. Beecher made this church, during 
seven years of its life and his, the most conspicuous 
in the State. In 1843 or thereabouts he delivered 
in this church on Sunday nights the " Lectures to 
Young Men," which gave him his first reputation 
abroad, and which were soon after republished by an 
Eastern house. About the same time he conducted 
a revival, in which he secured the conversion of some 
of the " fast" young men about town. A year or 
two later he spoke out on the slavery issue with so 
unequivocal an utterance that some of his parishion- 
ers of an adverse political inclination got up and 
walked out of the house. A few left the church 
altogether. At the same time, and, in fact, all the 
time, he waged relentless war on liquor drinking and 
selling, following up the reform movement begun here 
by the " Washingtonians" under Mr. Matthews. In 
the course of this discussion he was brought into col- 
lision with a Mr. Comcgys, of Lawrenceburg, then 
an extensive distiller, but previously a clerk of the 
eminent merchant, Nicholas McCarty, and a well- 
known citizen here. The debate grew so acrimonious 
that the distiller hinted at a personal interview and a 
physical discussion, to which Mr. Beecher replied 
(the correspondence appeared in the Journal') that 
if his antagonist wanted to fight, he (Beecher) 
" would take a woman and a Quaker for his 
seconds." BIr. Beecher left the church early in the 
fall of 1847, closing his pastorate on the 19th of 
September. 

Rev. Clement E. Babb succeeded Mr. Beecher in 
the Second Church May 7, 1848, and remained till 
the 1st of January, 1853. Mr. Babb was succeeded 
by Rev. Thornton A. Mills, after an interval of a year, 
Jan. 1, 1854, remaining till Feb. 9, 1857. He was 
chosen secretary of the committee on education of 
the General Assembly, the duties of which required 
his residence in New York. He died there suddenly 
June 19, 1867. Rev. George P. Tindall succeeded, 
Aug. 6, 1857, and remained till Sept. 27, 1863. 
Rev. Hanford A. Edson, now of the Blemorial 



396 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Chui-oh, followed Mr. Tindall, Jan. 17, 1864. Rev. 
William A. Bartlett served the church for several 
years in the interval since Mr. Edson left it for his 
later charge, and Rev. Arthur D. Pearson succeeded 
him for a short time. The present pastor is Rev. 
James McLeod. The old edifice, on Circle and Mar- 
ket Streets, was abandoned in December, 1867, when 
the chapel of the new one, northwest corner of Penn- 
sylvania and Vermont Streets, was ready for occu- 
pancy. This building, one of the finest in the city 
or the State, was begun in 1864, the corner-stone 
laid May 14, 1866, the chapel occupied Dec. 22, 
1867, and the completed edifice dedicated Jan. 9, 
1870. The value of the property is now probably 
one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. The 
membership is eight hundred and four ; Sunday- 
school pupils, six, hundred and thirty-nine. 

Third Presbyterian Churcli was organized by the 
Presbytery of Muncie, at the residence of Caleb 
Scudder, Sept. 23, 1851, twenty-one members of the 
old First Church getting letters of dismission for that 
purpose. The leading men were James Blake, Caleb 
Scudder, John "VV. Hamilton, Horatio C. Newcomb, 
Nathaniel Bolton, Dr. William Clinton Thompson, 
and Charles B. Davis. They first met for worship 
in Temperance Hall, — now the News building, — and 
erected the present church, northeast corner of Illinois 
and Ohio Streets, in 1859. Rev. David Stevenson 
was the first pastor. He has been succeeded by Rev. 
George Heckman, Rev. Robert Sloss, and Rev. H. 
M. Morey. Just at this time the church, now known 
as the " Tabernacle,'" has no pastor. The membership 
is three hundred and thirty-five. The Sunday-school, 
organized Oct. 26, 1851, has two hundred and ninety- 
five pupils ; the value of the property, about sixty 
thousand dollars. 

Fourth Presbyterian Church. — This is a colony 
of the Second Church as the Third is of the First 
Church, and was formed almost at the same time. 
The Fourth was organized on the 30th of November, 
1851, by twenty-four members of the Second Church, 
who were given letters of dismission. Samuel Mer- 
rill, Lawrence M. Vance, John L. Ketcham, Alex- 
ander H. Davidson, Alexander Graydon, Horace 
Bassett, Joseph K. Sharpe, Henry S. Kellogg were 



among the prominent members in this organization. 
The first pastor was Rev. George M. Maxwell, of 
Marietta, Ohio. In 1857, September 13th, a fine 
church edifice was completed and dedicated on the 
southwest corner of Delaware and Market Streets, 
now forming part of the Baldwin Block, the congre- 
gation selling it a dozen years ago and moving up 
town to the northwest corner of Pratt and Pennsyl- 
vania Streets. Mr. Maxwell retired from ill-health 
in November, 1868, and was succeeded by Rev. A. 
L. Brooks in October, 1859. He remained till 1862, 
and was succeeded by Rev. Charles H. Marshall. The 
present pastor is Rev. A. H. Carrier. Membership, 
two hundred and twenty ; Sunday-school scholars, 
two hundred and ninety ; value of property, probably 
sixty thousand dollars. 

Fifth Presbyterian Church is a colony of the 
Third, which purchased a frame mission Sunday- 
school house on Blackford Street, between Vermont 
and Michigan, in the fall of 1866, and in October the 
Indianapolis Presbj'tery authorized the organization 
of the Fifth Presbyterian Church here, with eighteen 
members, — twelve from the Third, one from the First, 
and five from churches out of the city. The present 
house, on the southwest corner of Michigan and Black- 
ford Streets, was erected in 1873. The first pastor 
was the Rev. William B. Chamberlin. Present pas- 
tor, Rev. Joshua R. Mitchell. Membership, two hun- 
dred and ninety-four; Sunday-school pupils, thiee 
hundred and eighty ; value of property, probably 
fifteen thousand dollars. 

Sixth Presbyterian Church. — This church was 
organized Nov. 20, 1867, with twenty-one members, 
and a handsome brick house built on the northeast 
corner of Union and McCarty Streets in a few years 
after. The first pastor was Rev. J. B. Brandt, so long 
secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association. 
He had two or three successors, but the pastorate is 
now vacant. The membership is seventy-five ; the 
Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and sixty-two ; 
value of property, probably ten thousand dollars. 

Seventh Presbyterian Churcli. — This was origi- 
nally a mission branch of the First Church on Elm 
Street near Cedar. It was the suggestion of an old 
member of that body, William R. Craig, who hoped 



CHUKCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



397 



to reduce to better order a troublesome juvenile pop- 
ulation of the southeast quarter of the city by the 
influence of a Sunday-school. The scheme worked 
well, and the mission Sunday-school, established in 
an old earpenter-shop in 1865, grew into a mission 
church and a uew frame building, on a lot donated by 
the late Calvin Fletcher and his partners in a tract of 
city property, in December of that year. The parent 
church gave Rev. W. W. Sickles as stated supply at 
the outset, but in 1867, November 27, a church was 
organized with twenty-three members. Rev. C. M. 
'Howard was the first pastor, who resigned in 1869, 
and was succeeded for a time by Kev. J. B. Brandt, 
but finally in 1870 by Rev. Charles H. Raymond. 
Rev. L. G-. Hay preceded him for a few months. 
Pastorate vacant. Membership, two hundred and 
fifty-six ; Sunday-school pupils, three hundred ; value 
of property, about three thousand dollars. 

Eighth Presbyterian Church (Indianola). — Or- 
ganized Oct. 1, 1871, with seven members. The first 
pastor was Rev. J. R. Sutherland. Rev. T. C. Hor- 
ton, stated supply. Location, northeast corner of 
Blarket and Drake Streets. Membership, sixty ; Sun- 
day-school pupils, one hundred and sixty-six ; value 
of property, probably three thousand dollars. 

North Presbyterian Church (Colored). — Organ- 
ized Feb. 18, 1872, with fourteen members. The 
first pastor was Rev. L. Faye Walker. Church dis- 
solved in 1880, and reorganized as a colored Presby- 
terian Church. The building is that on Michigan 
Street near Tennessee, originally erected by one of 
the extinct Universalist congregations. The pastor 
is Rev. William A. Alexander ; membership, thirty ; 
Sunday-school pupils, forty-five ; value of property, 
probably eight thousand dollars. 

Tenth Presbyterian, or Memorial Church. — 
The origin of the Memorial Presbyterian Church is 
to be traced to the action of the session of the 
Second Presbyterian Church in the winter of 1869- 
70, during the pastorate of the Rev. H. A. Edson. 
It was the desire to signalize the memorial year of 
Presbyterian reunion by the establishment of another 
mission. At a meeting of the session, March 17, 
1870, a committee was appointed to secure ground 
for that purpose in the northeast quarter of the city. 



Lots were accordingly purchased at the southwest 
corner of Christian Avenue and Bellefontaine Street, 
and a temporary building was erected. On the 8th 
of May, at four o'clock p.m., the house was dedicated, 
a Sabbath-school having been held there for the first 
time at 8.30 a.m. of the same day. At first the 
enterprise gave small promise of success. The Sun- 
day-school had a vacation, and an offer for the pur- 
chase of the property was favorably considered. 
Better counsel, however, prevailed, and at a meeting 
of the session, Oct. 13, 1870, the whole work was 
committed to the Young Men's Association of the 
Second Church. It was prosecuted with energy, and 
in February, 1873, forty persons reported themselves 
desirous of entering a formal church organization. 
At a special meeting of Indianapolis Presbytery, 
Mai'oh 3, 1873, the project was fully considered, and 
the church was constituted March 12th. Immediately 
upon his release from his former field, Mr. Edson 
began work on the new ground, holding the first 
service on the first Sabbath of April. The present 
site, on the northwest corner of Christian Avenue 
and Ash Street, was at once purchased for a perma- 
nent edifice. On the 7th of April, 1874, the corner- 
stone was laid, and worship was conducted for the 
first time in the chapel, March 7, 1875. 

A printed report of the board of trustees, January, 
1884, shows a property valued at twenty thousand 
dollars, with considerable resources in real estate, and 
subscriptions for the continuance and completion of 
the enterprise. The officers of the society are at 
present as follows : Pastor, Hanford A. Edson ; 
Ruling Elders, Benjamin A. Richardson, George W. 
Stubbs, Joseph G. McDowell, James H. Lowes, 
William P. Ballard, Frank F. McCrea; Deacons, 
E. A. Burkert, W. J. Roach, Charles H. Libean, C. 
W. Overman, P. M. Pursell, Joseph E. Cobb, H. H. 
Linville, I. H. Herrington, A. J. Diddle; Trustees, 
G-eorge W. Stubbs, A. G. Fosdyke, J. H. Lowes, J. 
W. Elder, C. C. Pierce. Membership, three hundred 
and sixteen ; Sunday-school pupils, four hundred and 
fifty. 

Rev. Hanford A. Edson, D.D. — The Edson 
family are of English nationality, and trace their 
lineage from Deacon Samuel Edson, of Bridgewater, 



398 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAEION COUNTY. 



Mass., and his wife Susanna, the former of whom 
died July 9, 1692, and his wife February 20, 1699. 
In the direct line of descent was Jonah, born July 
10, 1751, who died July 21, 1831. To his wife 
Betsey were born fourteen children, of whom Free- 
man is the father of the subject of this biographical 
sketch. His birth occurred Sept. 24, 1791, in West- 
moreland, N. H., and his death June 24, 1883, in 
his ninety-second year. He studied medicine with 
Dr. Twitchell, of Keene, and also at Yale College, and 
at the close of the second war with Great Britain, 
in 1814, settled at Scottsville, N. Y., in the prac- 
tice of his profession. Hanford A., his son, born 
in Scottsville, Monroe Co., N. Y., March 14, 1837, 
was named for his maternal grandfather, one of the 
earliest settlers in Western New York. He enjoyed 
early advantages of tuition at home and at the neigh- 
boring district school, and entering the sophomore 
class of Williams College, Massachusetts, graduated 
from that institution in 1855. For a large part of 
the three following years he was instructor in Greek 
and mathematics in Geneseo Academy, New York. 
In September, 1858, he was admitted to the Union 
Theological Seminary, New York City, and for two 
years prosecuted the study of divinity. In May, 
1860, he repaired to Europe and was matriculated 
in the University of Halle, where especial attention 
was given to theology and philosophy under the in- 
struction of Tholock, Julius Mtiller, and Erdman. 
After extended tours in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, 
France, and England, hastened by the war, he re- 
turned home. Being licensed to preach by Niagara 
Presbytery at Lyndonvillc, Oct. 29, 1861, he assumed 
charge of the Presbyterian Church at Niagara Falls, 
and remained until called to the pastorate of the Sec- 
ond Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, where his 
labors began Jan. 17, 1864. He discontinued his 
relations with this parish, and became the pastor of 
the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, 
on the 1st of April, 1873. 

Dr. Edson has been the recipient of many ecclesi- 
astical honors. In 1873 he represented the General 
Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the National 
Congregational Council in New Haven, Conn. ; and, 
in 1878, he was commissioned to the same duty 



before the General Council of the Reformed Epis- 
copal Church in Newark, N. J. He has written 
largely for the press, and is the author of various 
magazine articles and published sermons and ad- 
dresses. Among the latter may be mentioned com- 
mencement address at McLean Institute, 1864 ; com- 
mencement address before the theological societies of 
Marietta College, 1867 ; address at the dedication of 
the library and chapel of Wabash College, 1872 ; 
commencement address before the theological socie- 
ties of Hanover College, 1873 ; semi-centennial ad- 
dress before the synods of Indiana, 187G. His 
thanksgiving sermon, Nov. 26, 1868, is said to have 
given special impulse to the establishment of the 
Indianapolis Public Library. 

Dr. Edson was married, July 16, 1867, to Helen 
M., daughter of William 0. Rockwood, Esq., of 
Indianapolis, and has had the following children : 
William Freeman, Mary, Hanford Wisner, Elmer 
Rockwood, Helen Mar, and Caroline Moore. Of 
these the four last named are living. 

Eleventh Presbyterian Church, east side of 
Olive, north of Willow Street. Organized April 18, 
1875, with thirty-seven members. Rev. William B. 
Chamberlin was the first pastor. Present supply, 
Rev. C. H. Raymond. Membership, eighty-eight ; 
Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and fifty ; value 
of property, probably four thousand dollars. 

Twelfth Presbyterian Church, south side of 
Blaryland Street, west of West Street. Organized 
June 14, 1876, with fourteeu members. First pastor, 
Rev. E. L. Williams. Rev. C. C. Herriott until very 
recently was pastor. Membership, one hundred and 
six; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and fifty-one; 
value of property, probably three thousand dollars. 

Thirteenth Presbyterian Church. — This is a 
mission of the Second Church recently organized on 
Alabama Street, near the Exposition building and 
fair ground. 

METHODISTS. 

Wesley Chapel. — The Methodists of the first set- 
tlement of Indianapolis do not seem to have made a 
church organization till after the Indianapolis Circuit 
had been constituted by Rev. William Cravens, of the 
Missouri Conference, in 1822. How long after, or 





-iLc^^ 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



399 



just when, there is no record to show. As early as 
1821, Rev. James Scott came here from the St. Louis 
Conference and held services at private houses, and 
on the 12th of September, 1822, a camp-meeting was 
held on the farm of James Givan, on what is now 
East Washington Street, near the Deaf and Dumb 
Asylum. It was probably at this time that the 
Indianapolis Circuit, in connection with the Missouri 
Conference, was constituted. In 1825 there was a 
division of the Conference, and this circuit was 
attached to the Illinois Conference. At this time the 
Methodists of the town had an organization, and 
probably had had for a couple of years. In that year 
they rented a hewed log house on the south side of 
Maryland Street, on the corner of the alley east of the 
east end of the Grand Hotel, and worshiped there till 
they removed to the first old brick church on the 
southwest corner of Circle and Meridian Streets in 
1829. This first building cost them three thousand 
dollars, and remained till the walls cracked in 184(3, 
when it was replaced by Wesley Chapel at a cost of 
ten thousand dollars. 

From the first visit of a Blethodist preacher here 
in 1821, till the division of the church in 1842-43, 
was a period of twenty years of primitive Methodism, 
— extempore sermons, "lined out' hj'mns, congrega- 
tional singing, separation of the sexes in church, and 
a sort of clerical uniform for the preachers resem- 
bling a little the Quaker fashion. During this now 
historical period the appointments to this circuit will 
be interesting : 

Preacher. Presiding Elder. 

1821...ReT. Wm. Cravens (circuit). None. 
1822-23. ..Rev. Jas. Scott (circuit). Rev. Samuel Hamilton. 
1823-24...Rev. Jesse Hale and Rev. " AVilliam Beauchamp. 

George Horn (circuit). 
1825 ..Rev. Jobn Miller (circuit). " John Strange. 

1825-26. ..Rev. Thomas Hewston " " " 

(circuit). 
1826-27. ..Rev. Edwin Ray (cir- " " " 

uuit). 
1827-28...Rev. N.Griffith (circuit). " " " 

1828-29. ..Rev. James Armstrong " " " 

(stationed). 
1829-32. ..Rev. Thomas Hitt (sta- " Allen Wiley. 

tioned). 
1832-33. ..Rev. Benjamin 0. Ste- " John Strange. 

venson (stationed). 
1833...Rev.C.W.Ruter (stationed). " Allen Wiley. 
1833-3'l...Rov. C. W. Ruter (sta- " James Havens. 

tioned). 



Preacher. Presiding Elder. 

]S3-l-35...Rev. Edward R. Ames Rev. James Havens. 

(stationed). 
1835-36. ..Rev. J. C. Smith (sta- " " " 

tioned). 
1836-37...Rev. A. Eddy (stationed). " " " 

] 837-38. ..Rev. J. C. Smith (sta- " A.Eddy. 

tioned). 
1838-39. ..Rev.A.Wiley{5talioned). " " " 
1839-4(1... " " " " " " 

1840-41. .. Rev. W. H. Goode (sta- " James Havens. 

tioned). 
1841-42. .. Rev. W. H. Goode (sta- " " " 

tioned). 



There are but few survivors of this early period 
of the Methodist Church here. Rev. John C. Smith 
is still living in the city, and a few years ago pub- 
lished an interesting book of reminiscences of the 
prominent preachers and the religious condition of 
the country at that time. Rev. Greenly H. 
McLaughlin, though too young to be in the min- 
istry then, was a member of the church and well 
remembers the early incidents of its history. 

Rev. Greenly H. McLaughlin. — The great- 
grandfather of the subject of this sketch was James, 
a native of Scotland, who married Nancy Franklin, 
and emigrating to America settled near Richmond, 
Va. Among their children was John, who was born 
in Virginia, and married Miss Herod, a native of 
Virginia. Their children were James, Francis, John, 
William, Nancy, and Mary. John, with his family, 
removed from Virginia to Pittman's Station, Ky., in 
1781. His son William, father of the subject of 
this biography, was born in Virginia Dec. 19, 1779, 
and died March 26, 1836. He was reared in Ken- 
tucky, and later in life removed to Ohio. He mar- 
ried, Dec. 31, 1812, Miss Elizabeth Hannaman. Her 
grandfather was Christopher Hahnemann, born in 
Germany, who had seven children, among whom was 
John, born in Cherry Valley, N. Y., Feb. 15, 1769, 
and died Nov. 15, 1832. He married Susannah 
Beebe, born June 11, 1771, who died April 2, 1842. 
Their children were thirteen in number, of whom 
Judge Robert L., of Kuoxville, III, is the only sur- 
vivor and now in his eightieth year. Elizabeth, their 
eleventh child, was born in Scioto County, Ohio, 
Nov. 4, 1795, and died Feb. 3, 1880. She married, 
as above, William McLaughlin, and had children, — 



400 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Susannah, Euphemia W., Greenly H., Nancy R., 
William H., Elizabeth J., and Maria Gr. 

William MoLaughliu, who was a soldier of the 
war of 1812, bought the quarter-section two miles 
southeast of the court-house, on which the subject of 
this sketch now resides, at the land-sales at Brook- 
ville, in July, 1821, before the lands of the " New 
Purchase" were subject to entry. There was then 
no road or " trace" through it, and it was regarded as 
not first choice ; hence he was permitted to bid it off 
at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. This, 
however, nearly absorbed his entire capital, leaving 
only a few dollars for the expenses incident to mov- 
ing and fixing up. In September of that year he 
moved upon this purchase and took up his abode in a 
temporary camp. This soon gave way, however, to a 
first-class cabin of round logs, eighteen by twenty 
feet, which for several years did the compound duty 
of kitchen, parlor, and bedroom, to which was often 
added the further service of tavern and meeting- 
house. 

Greenly was at this time four years old, having 
been born in Fayette County, Ohio, Dec. 24, 1817, 
His great-grandfather being a Scotch Catholic and 
his great-grandmother a Scotch Presbyterian, to set- 
tle all probable discords on account of differences on 
religion, if was agreed in advance that the boys who 
should be born of the marriage should be educated 
in the Catholic faith and the girls in the faith of 
their mother. But the pair moved to America and 
settled near Richmond, Va., before there was much 
occasion to carry out this agreement, and all in the 
third generation became Protestants through maternal 
influence. 

BIr. McLaughlin, though only four years old when 
his father moved from their temporary sojourn (from 
1819 to 1821) in Rush County to a more permanent 
home in Marion, remembers the peculiar trials and 
pleasures incident to what pioneer life then was in 
the midst of a dense forest. He recalls the abun- 
dance of game and of snakes, and to have seen In- 
dians as they passed to and fro through the country. 
He remembers that his father once shot a deer stand- 
ing in his own door-yard, and such was the abundance 
of squirrels that the killing of them partook more of 



drudgery than of sport, for if left unmolested they 
would entirely destroy the small patches of com 
that grew in the midst of the heavy timber every- 
where abounding. To aid in protecting the crop 
the children who were too young to handle guns 
were armed with immense rattles, called horse- 
fiddles, and sent frequently through the field to 
drive the thievish " varmints" away. He recalls 
the primitive schools and the primitive school-houses 
with the primitive teacher and his primitive rod 
and ferule. The structures were made of round 
logs, with doors of clapboards hung on wooden 
hinges, and with no light except that which strug- 
gled through greased paper in the absence of glass. 
Nearly one entire end was devoted to the fireplace. 
Such at least was the one which stood on the iden- 
tical spot now occupied by Mr. McLaughlin's ele- 
gant residence, and in which he obtained the knowl- 
edge of a, b, c, and other intricacies of the spelling- 
book. To the ordinary appointments of such houses, 
the dimensions being eighteen by twenty feet, was 
added a pulpit in the end opposite to the fireplace, in 
which the early Methodist, Baptist, and other preach- 
ers very frequently expounded the Word to the sturdy 
yeomanry of the country, and this school-house be- 
came so much of a religious centre that it was fol- 
lowed by a neat hewed-log and then a frame church 
on the same farm, and the first camp-meeting ever 
held in Marion County was held here in 1826, under 
the management of Rev. John Strange. 

The elder McLaughlin and his wife brought with 
them their membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and soon after their ai'rival the first class of 
that church was formed in Indianapolis, of which 
they became members. His piety and talents were 
such that he became a leader and exhorter in the 
church, and was extensively useful as such during the 
remainder of his life, which ended in 1836. It is 
hardly to be wondered that under these circumstances, 
with such a home, a frequent-lodging place for the 
itinerants of those days. Greenly grew up a Meth- 
odist of a most pronounced type, nor surprising that 
four out of five of his sisters became wives of Meth- 
odist preachers. 

As Greenly advanced in years the educational advan- 





^ 



CHUECHBS OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



401 



I 



tages of the home log school-house were supplemented 
by occasional attendance at some of the better schools 
in the town. He finally became a pupil at the " Old 
Seminary," adding frequent turns at teaching in the 
neighboring districts both as a means of turning an 
honest penny and as further developing his own mind. 
In the summer of 1840, Mr. McLaughlin entered 
Indiana Asbury University with the intention of grad- 
uating at that young institution. He was then nearly 
twenty-three years of age, with a religious character 
well established, and a fund of theological knowledge 
much above the average of men of his age just from 
the plow ; hence, when the next year he was licensed 
to preach the gospel, it is not strange that he at once 
took a high rank among the student preachers of that 
institution. Such was the demand for his gratuitous 
pulpit labors, even at that age, that his studies were 
seriously interfered with though he held a respectable 
standing in his class, and at the expiration of two 
years he yielded to the importunities of friends and 
gave up his college life altogether to enter upon the 
pastoral work in the Indiana Conference. His stand- 
ing as a preacher may be readily inferred from the 
class of appointments received. He was welcomed at 
such places as Knightstown, Shelbyville, Brookville, 
Rushville, and Vincennes. While at Vincennes in 
1847 he was tendered the important work of chaplain 
to the port of Canton, China, under the auspices of 
The American Seamen's Friend Society, but his health 
not being suflSciently robust to justify such a mission, 
he declined.- In 1849 he was solicited by Bishop 
Janes to take a part in the interest of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church at St. Louis, Mo., but this he also 
declined for the same reason. 

After seven years of successful labor m the pastoral 
work, including one year as agent for Asbury Univer- 
sity, he sought rest and recuperation by returning to 
country life on the old farm where he now lives. He 
immediately gave himself to the work of a local 
preacher while engaged in the work of farming, and 
has been extensively useful and acceptable in this field. 
Meanwhile his health improved, but again relapsed, so 
that he never felt sufficiently strong to assume the 
work of a pastor. 

Mr. McLaushlln is an industrious and successful 



farmer, as he was, while so engaged, a successful and 
industrious pastor. In these years of comparative 
retirement he has kept well read in the theology and 
literature of his church, after contributing to the col- 
umns of the church periodicals valuable papers on 
theological and ecclesiastical subjects. He lives still 
on the farm purchased by his father more than sixty 
years ago, and to which he came when a boy of only 
four years. He is among the few who have witnessed 
the growth of the city of Indianapolis from the be- 
ginning. 

He was married, June 1, 1854, to Mary M. Ball, of 
Ru.sh County, taking one of the three daughters 
of the family, all of whom became wives of Meth- 
odist preachers. The children of this marriage have 
been four in number. Zopher Ball, the great-grand- 
father of Mrs. McLaughlin, was a soldier of the Rev- 
olution and resided in Washington County, Pa. He 
had five sons, — Henry, Caleb, Dennis, Abel, and 
Isaiah, all of whom were patriots. Caleb, who served in 
the war of 1812, married Phoebe Walton, of Mercer 
County, Pa., where he settled early in the present 
century. His children were Amos, Jonathan, Caleb, 
Henry, William, Sarah, Mercy, and Aseneth. Jona- 
than Ball, of this number, was born in Washington 
County, Pa., Jan. 2, 1797, and removed to Rush 
County, Ind., in 1835. He later became a resident 
of Henry County, and died May 13, 1867, in his 
seventy-first year. He married Aseneth Moore, and 
had children, — Samuel, Henry, Demas, William, Mary 
M., Phcebe, Cyrus, Caleb, and Emily, of whom Mary 
M., born May 8, 1830, is married, as above stated, to 
Mr. McLaughlin. Their children are Oltn S., a suc- 
cessful hardware merchant at Knightstown, Ind., and 
Wilbur W., yet a minor attending Butler University, 
and at intervals assisting on the farm, and two who 
died in infancy. 

In 1842-43 the station here was divided, and 
a new church called Roberts' Chapel was formed. 
In 1846, as above noted, Wesley Chapel replaced the 
old church, and was itself sold in 1869 and converted 
into the Se.ntinel building, now changed to a block of 
business houses. 

Meridian Methodist Church. — After the sale of 
Wesley Chapel in 1869 the congregation worshiped 



402 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



in tlie Michigan Street Church, built by the Univer- 
salits, and now a colored Presbyterian Church. It 
stands on the southwest corner of Meridian and 
New York Streets. It is of stone, costing about one 
hundred thousand dollars, and finished in 1870. A 
brick parsonage is connected with it, which cost about 
eight thousand dollars. The full membership num- 
bers five hundred and eighty-seven, with ton on pro- 
bation ; Sunday-school attendance, about four hun- 
dred. The school has no circulating library, but pro- 
vides all necessary books and charts lor all the pupils. 
The annual contributions for benevolent purposes, 
exclusive of five thousand dollars annual expenses, is 
over one thousand dollars. Rev. John Alabaster, 
D.D., is pastor. His residence is No. 25 West New 
York Street ; presiding elder, Rev. John K. Pye. 

Roberts' Chapel. — Indianapolis station having 
been divided in 1842 into western and eastero 
charges, the latter went out from the old -hive, and 
formed an organization, calling itself Roberts' Chapel 
congregation. In 1843-44 a church building was 
erected on the northeast corner of Market and Penn- 
sylvania Streets, at a cost of ten thousand dollars, 
which was at that time the most imposing church 
edifice in the city, except posfibly the second build- 
ing of the First Presbyterian Church, built very 
nearly at the same time. In the square base of the 
spire was set the first town clock in the city, made 
by John MoflStt, and paid for by a special tax. The 
Rev. John S. Bayliss was the first pastor. In the 
basement of this church the first course of lectures 
ever delivered in the city was given. Here Governor 
Henry S. Foote, of Mississippi, lectured a short time 
before the war. Here Jonathan Green, the "re- 
formed gambler," lectured on his first visit. In 
1868 the old church, then just a quarter of a cen- 
tury old, was sold, and incorporated in one of the 
Martindale blocks, now occupied by the counting- 
room of the Journal newspaper. 

Roberts' Park Church. — During the time after 
the sale of the old chapel till the occupancy of the 
new church the congregation held seryices in a frame 
building near the site of the new one. The latter was 
completed far enough for use in 1870. It is of 
dressed limestone, cost one hundred and fifty thou- 



sand dollars, including the lot, and is said to be " the 
finest free-seat church in the United States." The 
present pastor is Rev. Ross C. Houghton, D.D. The 
number of members, eight hundred and ninety-one; 
Sunday-school pupils, six hundred and three : super- 
intendent, H. C. Newcomb; presiding elder, Rev. 
John Poucher. 

California Street Church, — This congregation 
was originally formed in 1845, for the benefit of the 
region west of the canal, and called the "■ western 
charge." The first preacher was Rev. Wesley Dor- 
sey. A frame building on Michigan Street, west of 
the canal, was built, and called " Strange Chapel," 
after John Strange, the third presiding elder in this 
circuit, in 1825. Soon after the building was re- 
moved to Tennessee Street, near Vermont. In 1869 
a difficulty occurred in the church in consequence of 
the desire of some of the prominent members, who 
had contributed largely to the purchase of the lot 
and building, to reintroduce the old fashion of the 
church, — separation of the sexes and congregational 
singing. A resolution to this effect was adopted, and 
about half of the congregation withdrew. In the 
same year the lot on West Michigan Street was sold, 
and a new brick church built at a cost of thirteen 
thousand dollars, dedicated Jan. 9, 1870. The 
" Primitive Methodists" bought the lot, or donated 
it to the church, and made it a condition of the deed 
that the old ways should be adhered to. On Sunday, 
the 8th of January, 1871, however, the church took 
fire, and was burned to the bare walls, and sold. The 
congregation had divided before the catastrophe on 
the question of receiving the pastor assigned by the 
Conference, Rev. Luther M. Walters, the dissenting 
portion occupying the abandoned Universalist Church, 
previously used by Meridian Church congregation. 
After the fire the part of the congregation still 
adhering together occupied Kuhn's Hall, with Mr. 
Walters as pastor. The completion of arrangements 
for a new church suggested a change of name from 
that which distinguished so inauspicious a career as 
that of Strange Chapel, and St. John's Church was 
adopted. A lot was purchased on the southwest 
corner of California and North Streets for fourteen 
hundred dollars, and a building erected to cost about 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



403 



twenty thousand dollars, now estimated, including 
the lot, at only ten thousand dollars. There are two 
hundred full members and ten on probation. The 
Sunday-school has about two hundred pupils, with 
a similar provision of books to that of Bleridian 
Street. Annual expenses, about fifteen hundred 
dollars ; benevolent contributions, about one hundred 
dollars. Present pastor, Eev. W. B. Collins, 297 
North California Street. 

Fletcher Place (formerly Asbury) Church was 
first organized, in a school-house on South Street 
near South New Jersey, by Rev. S. T. Cooper, in 
1849, and John Dickinson, William L. Wingate, 
Samuel M. Sibert, Samuel P. Daniels, and John 
Day were the first board of trustees. Of the origi- 
nal members there remains six, — John Dickinson 
and wife, Mrs. Nancy Ford, Mrs. Ellen Smith, Mrs. 
Montieth, Mrs. Tabitha Plank. It was first organ- 
ized under the name of Depot and East Indianapolis 
Mission. In 1850 it was called Depot Charge. In 
1852 it was called Asbury Chapel, and in 1856 Asbury 
Church. In 1874 its name was changed to Fletcher 
Place Methodist Church. The first church building 
was located on South New Jersey Street, near South 
Street. It was begun in 1850 and completed in 
1852. The present church, a fine brick structure, is 
located on the corner of South and East Street. It 
was built about ten years ago, but not fully com- 
pleted till later. It is valued at thirty-five thousand 
dollars. The membership, which at first was less than 
sixty, is now over five hundred. The present pastor 
is Rev. J. H. Doddridge, B.D. The Sabbath-school 
has at present on the roll eight hundred and forty- 
nine members. The ofiicers are A. C. May, superin- 
tendent; Mrs. H. Furgeson, assistant; Miss Blollie 
Roberts, treasurer; Miss Mary Brown, secretary; 
P. M. Gallihue, chorister ; W. T. Ellis, Jr., libra- 
rian. 

Ames Methodist Church, formerly South City 
Mission, is located at the head of Union Street, at 
the intersection of Merrill Street and Madison Ave- 
nue. It was organized by twelve members in Feb- 
ruary, 1867, a mission having been maintained 
since July of the year before by Rev. Joseph Tar- 
kington, in an unfinished frame on Norwood and 



South Illinois Streets, till cold weather, and then in 
an unoccupied grocery-room on Madison Avenue. 
About the time the church was organized, a Sunday- 
school was formed. Though flourishing well in a 
moral aspect, the young church was financially strait- 
ened, and the trouble continued till the pastor. Rev. 
Mr. Walters, made a resolute push out of it, and 
bought the present site and building of the India.nap- 
olois mission Sunday-school for five thousand dollars. 
Repairs were made to the amount of fifteen hundred 
dollars, and a good sale of a lot owned by the church 
on South Illinois Street enabled it to pay off most of 
the whole expense. It has now two hundred and five 
full members, seven on probation, and about two hun- 
dred pupils in the Sunday-school. Annual expense, 
about twelve hundred dollars ; benevolent contribu- 
tions, one hundred and twenty-five dollars ; present 
pastor. Rev. C. E. Asbury ; value of property, about 
five thousand dollars. 

Blackford Street Church, located on the south- 
east corner of Blackford and Blarket Streets, built in 
1873-74; property valued at four thousand dollars; 
membership, one hundred and twenty-five ; pi-oba- 
tioners, forty-three ; Sunday-school pupils, one hun- 
dred ; annual expenses, seven hundred dollars, and 
aided by Meridian Church; Rev. T. EI. Lynch, pastor. 
The presiding elder. Rev. Dr. Poucher, says, " These 
churches are all out of debt, and have all improved 
largely in the last three months." 

Grace Church, on the northeast corner of Market 
and East Streets, was organized in September, 1868, on 
the request of a number of Methodists " residing in and 
near Indianapolis," as their memorial to the Confer- 
ence stated. They believed five thousand dollars 
could be raised for a suitable church building, and 
promised to " go forward at once in the enterprise of 
building a church for the use of such congregation." 
Rev. W. H. Mendenhall was appointed to the charge, 
held the first quarterly meeting 19th and 20th of 
September, 1868, and at the close, one hundred 
members of Roberts' Chapel united with the mission. 
The first quarterly Conference was organized Sept. 
22, 1868. A site for a church was obtained at once, 
a house erected, and on the 21st of February, 1869, 
was dedicated by Bishop Clark. Present pastor. 



404 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Rev. S. G. Bright ; membership, three hundred and 
thirteen ; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and 
fifty ; teachers, sixteen ; probable value of property, 
eighteen thousand dollars. 

Third Street Church., on the north side of Third 
Street between Illinois and Tennessee, was organized 
from a class of thirty-six, led by Jesse Jones, in 
1864. A site was purchased in 1866, and a building 
commenced for a mission church, under the direction 
of Ames Institute. Finding themselves unable to 
finish it, the young men of the institute gave it up 
to Mr. Jones, who completed it at his own expense. 
It was dedicated Sept. 8, 1867, by Rev. (now bishop) 
Thomas Bowman. The present pastor is Rev. E. B. 
Rawls ; membership, one hundred and fifty-four ; 
Sunday-school pupils, two hundred and twenty, 
under Superintendent WoUever. 

East Seventh Street Church, organized in 1874 ; 
church building is a frame ; membership, two hundred 
and fifty-six ; Sunday-school pupils, two hundred and 
twelve ; pastor, M. L. Wells ; school superintendent, 
H. C. Durbin ; value of property, nine thousand 
dollars. 

Central Avenue Church was organized in June, 
1877. It was formed by the consolidation of 
Trinity and Massachusetts Avenue Churches, both 
of which were located in the northeastern part of. 
the city. The consolidated organization leased an 
eligible lot situate on the northeast corner of Cen- 
tral Avenue and Butler Street, and removed to it the 
building formerly occupied by the Massachusetts 
Avenue Society. This building was enlarged so as 
to comfortably accommodate the membership of the 
church. The lot has since been purchased, and is 
now owned by the church. It is the present plan of 
the society to erect at an early date a plain and sub- 
stantial church edifice. The location of the church 
is an excellent one, and by careful and prudent man- 
agement Central Avenue Church will, without doubt, 
be one of the largest and most e£Fective organizations 
of the denomination in this city. Number of mem- 
bers, three hundred and seventy ; value of church 
property, ten thousand dollars ; names of former 
pastors. Rev. B. F. Morgan, Rev. Reuben Andrus, 
D.D., Rev. J. N. Beard ; present pastor. Rev. Abijah 



Marine, D.D. ; total number of oificers and teachers 
in the Sunday-school, thirty-six ; scholars, three 
hundred and fifty ; Sunday-school oflScers, superin- 
tendent, W. D. Cooper ; assistant superintendents, 
W. B. Barry, Mrs. C. T. Nixon ; secretary, H. G. 
Harmaman ; treasurer. Miss Sallie Pye ; librarian, 
Jefferson Cuylor. 

Edwin Ray Church, southwest corner of Wood- 
lawn Avenue and Linden Street; organized in 1874; 
frame building ; membership, one hundred and fifty- 
two ; Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and fifty ; 
John Jones, school superintendent ; pastor. Rev. 
William B. Clancy. 

Coburn Street Church, on northwest corner of 
Coburn and McKernan Streets. 

Simpson Chapel, comer of Howard and Second 
Streets ; pastor, Rev. Charles Jones. 

First German Church, southwest corner of New 
York and New Jersey Streets; pastor, Rev. Otto 
Wilke ; organized in 1849, with fifteen members. The 
first church building was erected in 1850 on Ohio 
Street, between New Jersey and East. The first trus- 
tees were William Hannaman, Henry Tutewiler, John 
Keeper, Frederick Truxess, and John B. Stumph. 
A more commodious building was needed, and in 
1869 was erected on the present site, which was pur- 
chased in December, 1868. The dedication took 
place on the 17th of April, 1871, the ceremonies 
being conducted by Professor Loebenstein (of Berea 
College, Ohio), Dr. William Nast, and Rev. H. Lie- 
bert. The membership is about two hundred and 
fifty, and the Sunday-school has over two hundred 
pupils. The value of the church property is about 
thirty thousand dollars. 

Second German Church, northeast corner of 
Prospect and Spruce Streets ; pastor. Rev. John 
Bear. 

North Indianapolis Church. — No pastor and no 
report of Sunday-school attendance. Brightwood 
Church, not included in the statements of either of 
the Conferences which divide Indianapolis and Centre 
township. 

COLORED METHODISTS. 

Forty-eight years ago, among the earliest churches 
of the city following the pioneer bodies, a colored 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



405 



Methodist Churoli was organized here, called Bethel 
Chapel now. It stood on Georgia Street, fronting 
the open ground to the south, which then extended 
with hardly a break by house or fence to the river. 
The house was a cheap little frame, erected about the 
year 1840-41, and the leading man was the late 
Augustus Turner. Rev. W. R. Revels, brother of 
the United States senator from Mississippi, was 
pastor for four years, from 1861 to 1865. For a 
number of years after the completion of the first 
little church Rev. Paul Quinn, of Baltimore (later a 
bishop of the Colored Methodist Church, and a man 
of marked ability, and as highly esteemed even in 
those days as any of his white coadjutors), visited the 
city and preached there. His arrival was the signal 
for a revival, and many a peculiarly enthusiastic time 
have the brethren had on the floor while the sedate 
old bishop stood in the pulpit and looked compla- 
cently on, but never giving any encouragement to the 
boisterous glory of the especially ecstatic members. 
In 1857, when the first Episcopal Church was re- 
moved to make way for the present edifice, it was 
bought by the Bethel Church and moved to Georgia 
Street, where it was burned in two or three years. 
The congregation now has a fine brick edifice on Ver- 
mont Street, northeast corner of Columbia ; pastor. 
Rev. Blorris Lewis : membership, about six hundred, 
Sunday-school pupils, about three hundred. 

Allen Church, east side of Broadway, north of 
Cherry. West Mission, west side of Blackford 
Street, near North. 

Zion Church, on the northeast corner of Black- 
ford and North Streets, Rev. Thomas Manson pastor. 
The colored churches belong to the Lexington Con- 
ference. 

METHODIST PROTESTANT CHUKCH, 

on the southeast corner of Dillon Street and Hoyt 
Avenue, Rev. Seymore S. Stanton pastor. 

CHRISTIANS. 

Central Chapel. — This is the oldest religious or- 
ganization in the city after the three pioneer churches 
of the three leading denominations at that time. It 
was made on the 12th of June, 1833. Rev. John 
O'Kane, who died but two or three years ago in Mis- 
souri, visited the city in the fall of 1832, and gave 



the first impulse to the organization. Of the original 
twenty members there are none living now but Mrs. 
Zerelda Wallace, widow of Governor Wallace. Mr. 
O'Kane and Rev. Love H. Jameson visited the infant 
church occasionally, as they had an opportunity, and 
in 1834 or 1835 Rev. James McVey came and held 
a protracted meeting in the lower room of the old 
seminary, then recently completed, and won quite an 
addition of converts. The leading members in the 
early days of the organization were Robert A. Tay- 
lor (father of Judge Taylor, of the Superior Court), 
Dr. John H. Sanders (father of Mrs. Governor Wal- 
lace, Mrs. R. B. Duncan, Mrs. D. S. Beaty, and Mrs. 
Dr. Gatling, of gun fame), Ovid Butler, James Sul- 
grove, Leonard Woollen, Cyrus T. Boaz, John Wool- 
len, Charles Secrist. The preachers who visited the 
church most frequently were, as already noted. Rev. 
John O'Kane, subsequently noted as a debater in the- 
ological duels with logical arms. Rev. Love H. Jame- 
son, Rev. John L. Jones, very recently deceased after 
long years of partial or total blindness. Rev. Michael 
Combs, Rev. Andrew Prather, Rev. Thomas Lock- 
hart, and Rev. T. J. Matlock. On the 18th of 
March, 1839, Rev. Chauncey Butler, father of the 
late Ovid Butler, founder of Butler University, served 
as pastor for about a year, and Butler K. Smith, a 
blacksmith on Delaware Street, whose residence stood 
where the present Central Chapel stands, occasionally 
preached. He subsequently devoted himself wholly 
to the ministry, and made a very able and efiioient 
preacher. The first regular pastor was Rev. Love H. 
Jameson, who took charge Oct. 1, 1842. and remained 
till 1853. 

Love H. Jameson was born in Jefferson County, 
May 17, 1811, of Virginia parents, who came to 
Kentucky, the father in 1795, the mother in 1803. 
In 1810 they settled on Indian Kentucky Ci'cek, 
in Jefferson County. He was educated at a country 
school in winter, and helped his father on the farm 
in summer from 1818 to 1828. He began preaching 
on Christmas eve, 1829. He taught himself the 
classic languages to such a degree of proficiency as to 
entitle himself to the degree of A.M. from Butler 
University, and also made himself equally familiar 
with music, which he occasionally taught in the city 



406 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



after he became pastor of the church here. He was 
married first in 1837 to Miss Elizabeth M. Clark, 
who dropped dead in the garden when seemingly in 
perfect health, on 18th June, 1841. In the summer 
of 1842 he married his present wife, Miss Elizabeth 
K. Robinson, and brought her with him to Indian- 
apolis when he first came to assume his pastorate. 
Ho has one son still living by his first wife, and seven 
children by his second, of whom two sons are dead. 
Mr. Jameson served for many years as trustee of the 
Deaf and Dumb Asylum, and was one of the fore- 
most of those engaged with Mr. Butler in founding 
the Northwestern Christian (now Butler) University. 
During the war he was chaplain of the Seventy-ninth 
Regiment, Col. Fred. Knefler, and after nearly two 
years of service resigned from ill health and general 
disability, ibr which he is now in receipt of a moder- 
ate pension. Since his retirement from the pastorate 
of the First Christian Church, in 1853, he has been 
chiefly engaged in serving congregations throughout 
the county, and occasionally in remote localities. Last 
fall ho went to Europe, at the invitation of a Mr. 
Coop, a member of the church, a wealthy English- 
man living at Southport. He will make a tour of 
Europe and the Holy Land before he returns. 

In the summer of 1836 the church built its first 
house of worship on Kentucky Avenue, about half- 
way between Maryland and Georgia' Streets, on the 
southeast side. Here the church remained till 1852, 
when the present Central Chapel, southwest corner of 
Delaware and Ohio Streets, was completed. In that 
year, or the year before, Rev. Alexander Campbell 
visited the city and preached in Masonic Hall, the 
only visit he ever made here. The present pastor of 
Central Chapel is Rev. David Walk. The number of 
members is seven hundred and fifty-two ; of Sunday- 
school pupils, about four hundred ; value of property, 
probably fifty thousand dollars. 

Second Cliurch. (Colored), corner Fifth and Illi- 
nois Street; organized in 1868. Present pastor, 
LeRoy Redd ; present membership, seventy-five ; 
Sunday-school pupils, one hundred and twenty ; 
value of property, probably three thousand dollars. 

Third Church, corner Ash Street and Home 
Avenue; organized Jan. 1, 1869. First pastor, 



Elijah Goodwin. Charter members, seventy ; pres- 
ent pastor, S. B. Moore ; present membership, two 
hundred and thirty-seven ; Sunday-school, about two 
hundred pupils ; value of property, about ten thou- 
sand dollars. 

Fourth Church, corner Pratt and West Streets, 
organized in 1867. First pastor, John B. New. 
The present pastor is E. P. Wise; present mem- 
bership, one hundred ; Sunday-school, one hundred 
and fifty ; value of property, about five thousand 
dollars. 

The Fifth Church, Olive Branch, was organized 
in 1868, but lost its meeting-house in the fall of 
1880, and the members were scattered to the other 
churches, principally to the First and Sixth. 

Sixth Church, corner Elm and Pine Streets, 
organized Feb. 14, 1875. Pastor, no regular. 
Present pastor, J. W. Conner; present membership, 
two hundred and twelve. 

CATHOLICS. 

The following account of the Catholic Churches 
and Institutions of Indianapolis is furnished for 
this work by the kindness of Rev. Dennis O'Don- 
oughue, chancellor of the diocese. 

The first Catholic Church in Indianapolis was 
built in 1840 by the Rev. Vincent Bacquelin, then 
residing in Shelbyville, in this State. It was called 
Holy Cross Church, and was situated near West 
between Washington and Market Streets. Father 
Bacquelin was killed by a fall from his horse, Sept. 
2, 1846, in a wood near Shelbyville. His successor 
was the Rev. John McDermott, who had charge of 
Holy Cross Church for several years. The next 
clergyman in charge was the Rev. Patrick J. R. 
Murphy, who was transferred to another congrega- 
tion in 1848. He was succeeded by the Rev. John 
Gueguen, who commenced the erection of the old 
St. John's Church in 1850. This edifice fronted on 
Georgia Street, and was located on the spot where 
the bishop's residence now stands. Father Gueguen 
was succeeded by the Rev. Daniel Moloney, who, in 
1857, built an addition to the church. This same 
year the Rev. A. Bessonies took charge of the con- 
gregation, a position which he still retains. 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



407 



The Sisters of Providence built a young ladies' 
academy on the corner of Georgia and Tennessee 
Streets, in 1858, which they occupied until their 
present academy was built in 1873. The school 
building for boys was commenced in 1865, and was 
completed the following year, when the Brothers of 
the Sacred Heart took charge of the school. The 
pastoral residence was built in 1863, and was enlarged 
by Bishop Chatard, when he took up his residence 
here in 1878. 

The present St. John's Church, fronting on Ten- 
nessee Street, was commenced in 1867. It is the 
largest church edifice in the city, measuring two hun- 
dred and two feet in length and having a seating 
capacity of one thousand sis hundred. St. John's 
congregation numbers at present four thousand souls. 
The parish schools are attended by five hundred chil- 
dren. There are several religious and benevolent 
societies attached to the congregation, of which the 
following are the principal : The Sodality for men, 
established in 1860, with a membership of one hun- 
dred ; the Living Rosary Society for women, having 
one hundred and thirty-two members ; the Young 
Ladies' Sodality, organized in 1877, with eighty-five 
members ; the Cathedral Altar Society, two hundred 
and twenty-five members ; Boys' Sodality, seventy 
members ; Sodality of the Children of Mary, one 
hundred and fifty members ; Total Abstinence Society, 
eighty members ; Knights of Father Mathew, seventy 
members ; Catholic Knights of America, one hundred 
members; the St. Vincent de Paul Society for the 
relief of the poor, composed of men and women, 
seventy-five members. 

St. Mary's German Catholic Church, situate 
near the corner of Maryland and Delaware Streets, 
was commenced in 1857, and was opened for service 
the following year by the Rev. L. Brandt, its first 
pastor. The next pastor was the Rev. Simon Siegrist, 
who had charge of the congregation until his death, in 
1879. He was succeeded by the Rev. A. Scheideler, 
the present pastor. The congregation has large school 
buildings for boys and girls. St. Mary's Academy 
was built in 1876 by the Sisters of St. Francis from 
Oldenburgh, in this State, at a cost of forty thousand 
dollars. The pastoral residence attached to the church 



was built in 1871, at a cost of eight thousand five 
hundred dollars. 

St. Mary's congregation numbers one thousand five 
hundred souls. There are three hundred and ten 
children attending the parish schools. The following 
religious and benevolent societies are attached to the 
congregation : St. Mary's Altar Society, two hundred 
members ; St. Joseph's Aid Society, one hundred and 
forty members ; St. Boniface Aid Society, one hundred 
and ten members ; St. Rose's Young Ladies' Sodality, 
one hundred and fifty members ; St. Anthony's Church 
and School Society, seventy-five members. 

St. Patrick's congregation was formed in 1865. 
That year the congregation built a church at the ter- 
minus of Virginia Avenue, of which the Rev. Joseph 
Petit was the first pastor. He was succeeded by the 
Rev. P. R. Fitzpatrick in 1869, who commenced the 
erection of a new church the following year. St. 
Patrick's Church is built of brick, and is in the form 
of a cross, Gothic style, with a spire of neat design 
over the intersection of the transept. It is one hun- 
dred and ten feet in length and has a seating capacity 
of six hundred and fifty. The present pastor is the 
Rev. H. O'Neill, who succeeded the late Father Mo- 
Dermott in 1882. The congregation numbers one 
thousand four hundred souls. There are two parish 
schools, attended by two hundred children. The boys' 
school is under the management of the Brothers of 
the Sacred Heart ; the girls' school is taught by the 
Sisters of Providence in the building formerly used 
as a church. The following are the societies attached 
to the church : St. Patrick's Altar Society, one hun- 
dred and twenty members ; Young Ladies' Sodality, 
one hundred and sixty members ; Men's Sodality, one 
hundred and thirty members ; Children of Blary So- 
ciety, sixty members ; St. Patrick's Benevolent Society, 
forty members. 

St. Joseph's congregation was organized in 1873 
by the Rev. Joseph Petit. He erected a two-story 
building on East Vermont Street, which was to serve 
as church, school, and pastoral residence. He re- 
signed in 1874, and was succeeded by Rev. F. M. 
Mousset, and later by Rev. E. J. Spelman. This 
building was afterwards remodeled by Bishop do St. 
Palais and converted into a diocesan seminary. St. 



408 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAllION COUNTY. 



Joseph's congregation, in 1880, purchased ground on 
the corner of North and Noble Streets, and built the 
new church in which they now worship. Tiiis church 
is of Gothic style, one hundred and thirty feet in 
length, and cost seventeen hundred dollars. A pas- 
toral residence was built in 1881 costing two thousand 
five hundred dollars. A large school building has 
just been erected by the Sisters of Providence, which 
is to serve as a parish school for boys and girls of this 
congregation. The number of children in atteudance 
is about two hundred. The congregation numbers 
twelve hundred souls. The Rev. H. Alerding is the 
pastor. He has had charge of the congregation since 
1874. The following societies are attached to the 
congregation : St. Aloysius Society for Boys, thirty 
members ; Children of Mary, forty members ; St. 
Joseph's Confraternity for Young Men, fifty mem- 
bers ; Society of the Immaculate Conception, one 
hundred and six members ; St. Michael's Confrater- 
nity for Men, forty-five members ; St. Ann's Confra- 
ternity for Married Women, eighty-five members ; 
St. Joseph's Association, four hundred members. 

The Church of the Sacred Heart, for the German 
Catholics living in the southern part of the city, was 
built in 1875, and is situate on the corner of Union 
and Palmer Streets. The building first erected, and 
which served as a church, school, and monastery, be- 
came insufficient, and a new church was commenced 
in the summer of the present year. It is not yet 
completed, but will be soon opened for service. The 
clergymen attending this church are priests of the 
Order of St. Francis, known as Franciscans. The 
present pastor is the Rev. Ferdinand Bergmeyer, who 
is superintending the erection of the new church. 
There are parish schools for boys and girls. The 
latter is under the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph, 
who erected a school building and residence in 1875. 
About two hundred children attend these schools. 
The congregation numbers eleven hundred souls. 
The following societies are attached to the church : 
St. Bonaventure's Society, one hundred and forty 
members ; St. Mary's Altar Society, one hundred and 
thirty members ; St. Cecilia's Singing Society, sixty 
members; Young Ladies' Sodality, seventy members; 
Emerald Beneficial Association, thirty-five members ; 



Catholic Knights of America, thirty-five mem- 
bers. 

St. Bridget's Church, on the corner of West and 
St. Clair Streets, was opened for service on the 1st 
day of January, 1880. It was built under the su- 
pervision of Rev. D. Curran, the present pastor, and 
has a seating capacity of five hundred. The congre- 
gation is now large enough to fill it twice on Sunday, 
the number of souls being over one thousand. The 
church measures one hundred and six feet by forty- 
four, and cost eleven thousand dollars. A pastoral 
residence adjoining the church was erected in 1882, 
costing twelve hundred dollars. A large school 
building was erected in 1881 near the church by the 
Sisters of St. Francis, from Oldenburgh, at a cost of 
eleven thousand dollars. There are one hundred 
and fifty children in attendance. The societies at- 
tached to the church are : The Sodality for Men, 
sixty members ; Young Ladies' Sodality, seventy 
members ; Altar Society, seventy members ; First 
Communion Society, fifty members. 

The Home for the Aged Poor, conducted by 
the Little Sisters of the Poor, was founded in 
1873, and is situate on Vermont Street, between 
East and Liberty. These sisters take charge of the 
aged and destitute, and support them by soliciting 
alms from the public who are charitably disposed. 
They rely entirely on the means obtained in this way. 
They receive no one into their house except such as 
are old and destitute. This community was founded 
in France in 1840, and it has now in charge two 
hundred and twenty-three houses in different parts 
of Europe and America. 

The House of the Good Shepherd, situate south 
of the city on i^lie Bluff road, was founded in 1873. 
The city authorities donated a building partly finished, 
and which was intended for a female reformatory. 
The object of this institution is to afford an asylum 
to females whose virtue is exposed to danger, or to 
reclaim such as have fallen and desire to amend their 
lives. The rules are founded on the strictest princi- 
ples of Chrifetian charity, and no one is received ex- 
cept she is willing to enter ; hence the asylum is in 
no sense a compulsory prison. The inmates are di- 
vided into two classes, — the penitents, or those who 



CHURCHES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



409 



have fallen from virtue, and in whose case, as a sani- 
tary precaution, certain conditions are required ; and 
the class of perseverance, or those who seek refuge 
from danger to which they are exposed. These two 
classes are entirely separated from each other, and are 
under the care of different members of the commu- 
nity. The period for which persons are usually 
received is two years, after which they are either 
returned to their friends or the sisters try to find 
situations for them. This community does its work 
in silence, away from the noise of the world, and but 
few are aware of the good that it accomplishes. 

St. Vincent's Infirmary, situate on Vermont 
Street near Liberty, was established by Bishop Chat- 
ard in 1881. It is in "charge of the Sisters of Charity 
from Baltimore. The building used is the Old St. 
Joseph's Church and Seminary. The sisters intend 
to locate the infirmary in another part of the city 
soon, when they will erect a new and suitable build- 
ing. The Sisters of Charity are a religious commu- 
nity founded by St. Vincent de Paul in 1633. Its 
object is the care of the poor, especially the sick, and 
its members are everywhere the servants of the poor 
and afflicted. The destitute who enter the infirmary 
are supported by the alms which the sisters solicit. 
Contributions are received from those who may be 
able to pay for the service rendered them, and the 
means obtained in this way go to the support of the 
institution. There is no religious distinction made 
in regard to those received into this infirmary. 

Rev. John Francis August Bessonies. — The 
grandfather of Father Bessonies was Dubousquet de 
Bessonies, who during the horrors of the French 
revolution of 1793 thought prudent to drop the "de," 
a title of nobility, which was, however, again assumed 
by the family in 1845, but never by the subject of 
this sketch. His great-uncle, a Catholic priest, was 
arrested as such, and about to be transported or 
drowned when happily released by the death of 
Robespierre. The parents of Father Bessonies were 
John Baptist Bessonies and Henrietta Moisinac. 
Their son was born at the village of Afeac, parish of 
Sousceyrac, department du Lot, diocese of Cahors, on 
the 17th of June, 1815, and is one of four surviving 
children. A sister died an Ursuline nun after twenty- 



five years of religious life. August (as Father 
Bessonies now writes his name) was placed under 
the instruction of a priest of a neighboring parish, 
but made little improvement. On attaining his tenth 
year he was placed with the Picpucians, and spent a 
year in preparation for a collegiate course. Here he 
made his first communion, and was confirmed by 
Monseigneur Guilaume Baltazar de Grandville, said 
to be closely allied to Napoleon First, After two 
years at the latter school he repaired to the Petit 
Seminaire of Montfaucon, and spent seven years in 
pursuing the classics and rhetoric. In 1834 he 
entered the famous seminary of St. Sulpice in Paris, 
and spent two years at Issy in the study of mathe- 
matics, philosophy, and natural philosophy. In 1836 
he entered the great seminary as a divinity student, 
and at the expiration of the first year received the 
sacred order of subdeaconship and the second year 
that of deaconship. In 1836 he offered his services 
to Right Rev. Simon Gabriel Brute, Bishop of Vin- 
cennes, in Indiana. After completing his studies the 
young man left for America and arrived, after a 
tedious journey, in 1839. Having been ordained 
priest in 1840, his earliest mission was in Perry 
County, where thirteen years were spent. During 
this period he founded the town of Leopold and 
erected two stone and three wooden churches. Sever- 
ing his very happy relations with the parishes of 
Perry County, he removed to Fort Wayne in 1853, 
and remained one year, meanwhile erecting a church 
and parsonage. His next mission was Jeffersonville 
and the Knobs, where during a period of four years 
he held service regularly, never missing an appoint- 
ment. He completed the church at the Knobs, built 
a parsonage and enlarged the church at Jeffersonville, 
and secured a fine lot for the present church. In 
1857 he became pastor of St. John's Church, Indi- 
anapolis. He raised the first cross in the city on the 
old St. John's Church, which is still in use on the 
vault of St. John's Cemetery. He the following 
spring erected the St. John's Academy, where a school 
was opened by the Sisters of Providence in 1859, 
and soon after built a parsonage. The Catholic cem- 
etery now in use was purchased with his private 
means. Soon after a school building for boys was 



410 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 




y^^.il^JmAU Y'^. 



erected, and at the same time the St. Peter's Church 
edifice, now used as a school building. In 1867 was 
begun the present St. John's Cathedral, which was 
opened for worship in 1877, and cost about one hun- 
dred thousand dollars. He was also instrumental in 
obtaining from the city, ground for the buildings 
occupied by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd and 
the Little Sisters of the Poor. Father Bessonies 
was appointed vicar-general by the bishop of the 
diocese, and later administrator of the Diocese of 
Vincennes by the Archbishop of Cincinnati. His 
zeal in the cause of temperance has won for him the 
afiFectionate regard of citizens irrespective of creed, 
and prompted, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth 
anniversary of his pastorate and his departure for 
Europe, the presentation of a purse of four hundred 
dollars, with a graceful address by the mayor of the 
city. Father Bessonies continues to fill the offices of 
rector of the cathedral, vicar-general of the' diocese, 
and agent for the orphans' asylum. He manifests 



the same earnest spirit in his life-work and enjoys as 
ever the esteem and love of his parishioners. 

EPISCOPALIANS. 

Christ Church was organized in 1837. There 
had been an occasional clergyman in the settlement, 
and he had held occasional services at private houses, 
through a period reaching nearly as far back towards 
the first settlement as the early services of any denom- 
ination, but the Episcopal was the weakest numer- 
ically of all the leading sects, and took longer to grow 
up to organizing and building strength. Among the 
clergymen who were here temporarily were, first. 
Rev. Melanchthon Hoyt, then Rev. J. C. Clay (after- 
wards Dr. Clay, of Philadelphia), Rev. Mr. PfeiflFer, 
and Rev. Henry Shaw. The end of the transition 
period came with Rev. James B. Britton, in 1837 ; as 
a missionary he held regular services in July of that 
year. Three months before a movement towards 
organization had been made, and with the arrival of 



CHURCHES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



411 



Mr. Britton it was advanced a step and completed. 
On the 13th of July, less than a week after Mr. Brit- 
ton's first ministration, a meeting was held and the 
following agreement made: 

'* We, whose names are hereunto affixed, impressed with the 
importance of the Christian religion, and wishing to promote 
its holy influence in the hearts and lives of ourselves, our fam- 
ilies, and our neighhors, do hereby associate ourselves together 
as the parish of Christ Church, in the town of Indianapolis, 
township of Centre, county of Marion, State of Indiana, and 
by so doing do recognize the jurisdiction of the missionary 
bishop of Indiana, and do adopt the constitution and canons 
of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of 
America. 



'Joseph M. Moore. 

D. D. Moore. 

Charles W. Cady. 

T. B. Johnson. 

George W. Mears. 

Thomas McOuat. 

Janet McOuat, 

William Hannaman. 

A. St. Clair. 

Mrs. Browning. 

Miss Howell. 

Miss Gordon. 

Mrs. Riley. 

Miss Drake. 

Mrs. Julia A. McKenny. 
' Indianapolis, July 13, 1837." 



G. W. Starr. 
Mrs. G. W. Starr. 
James Morrison. 
A. 6. Willard. 
M. D.Willard. 
James Dawson, Jr. 
Edward J. Dawson. 
Joseph Farbos. 
Nancy Farbos. 
Joseph Norman. 
Joanna Norman. 
Stewart Crawford. 
John W. Jones. 
Edward Boyd. 
Mrs. Stevens. 



Under this organization an election for yestrymen, 
on the 21st of August, resulted in the choice of 
Arthur St. Clair, senior warden, Thomas McOuat, 
junior warden, James Morrison, Joseph M. Moore, 
and William Hannaman. On the 7th of May, 
1838, the corner-stone of the first church was laid 
with suitable ceremonies, and that was the first corner- 
stone laid in Indianapolis. One of the members 
made a deposit in it of the first silver coins of the 
dime and half-dime class ever brought to the town. 
On the 18th of November following the edifice was 
opened for worship, and consecrated on the 16th day 
of December by Bishop Kemper. In 1857 it was 
removed to Georgia Street for the colored (Bethel) 
church, and burned soon after. The present thor- 
oughly ecclesiastical edifice, orthodoxically covered 
with ivy, was finished in 1860, the chime of bells, 
the only one in the city, put up in the spring of 1861, 



and the spire completed in 1869. The membership 
is three hundred and fifty; Sunday-school pupils, two 
hundred. Value of the property, seventy-five thou- 
sand dollars. Rector, Rev. E. A. Bradley. 

St, George's Chapel, a little stone mission church 
on the corner of Morris and Church Streets, was 
built some half-dozen years ago by the Christ Church 
congregation. It is served by Rev. Mr. Bradley, has 
about two hundred children attending the Sunday- 
school, and the value of the property is about two 
thousand dollars. 

St. Paul's Cathedral, the largest Protestant Epis- 
copal Church in the city, is situate on the southeast 
corner of Illinois and New York Streets. The parish 
was organized, in 1866, by the Rev. Horace Stringfel- 
low. The first services were held in Military Hall, 
which was in the building located on East Washing- 
ton Street, over Craft & Co.'s, and Cathcart, Clel- 
land & Co.'s stores. The present edifice has a seat- 
ing capacity of ten hundred and fifty, besides th( 
chapel, which will seat about two hundred and fifty. 
The present edifice was erected in 1869, at a cost of 
about ninety thousand dollars. The number of com- 
municants, three hundred and twenty-one. Bishop, 
Right Rev. D. B. Knickerbacker, D.D. ; dean and 
rector, Rev. Joseph S. Jenckes. Sunday-school, one 
hundred. 

St. James' Mission, located on West Street above 
Walnut, is also under control of St. Paul's Cathedral, 
and possesses a neat little edifice, erected in 1875 at a 
cost of seven thousand dollars ; has a flourishing Sun- 
day-school of one hundred scholars. Full service is 
held every Sunday evening by Rev. Mr. Jenckes. 
Will seat about two hundred. 

Grace Church, at the corner of Pennsylvania and 
St. Joseph Streets, has a good building with seating 
capacity of about two hundred and fifty, with large 
school-room. Is at present closed as a church, but 
Bishop Knickerbacker will have it reopened as soon as 
possession can be obtained, as it has been rented for 
school purposes. 

Holy Innocents, on Fletcher Avenue, has a neat 
frame building ; seating capacity about two hundred. 
Has seventy-three communicants. Until recently 
under charge of Rev. Willis D. Bnde. 



I 



412 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



REFORMED EPISCOPAL. 

Trinity, on the northwest corner of Alabama and 
North Streets. 

LDTHERANS. 

First English Lutheran Church, organized Jan. 
22, 183*7. P. W. Seibert, one of the early hardware 
merchants of the city, was president, and Elijah 
Martin, secretary. The first elders were Adam 
Haugh and Henry Ohr, who, like Rev. Abraham 
Reck, the first pastor, were Maryland men. The first 
deacons were King English (father of Joseph K., for- 
merly county commissioner) and Philip W. Seibert. 
The first house was a brick of one story on the south 
side of Ohio Street, near Meridian, but not on the 
corner. It was built in 1838. Mr. Reck resigned 
the pastorate in 1840, and was succeeded by Rev. A. 
A. Timper. Mr. Reck died in Lancaster, 0., in 
1869. His son, Luther, entered the Indianapolis 
company of the First Indiana Regiment in the Mexi- 
can war, and was drowned while swimming in the 
Rio Grande, at Matamoras, where the regiment was 
stationed. During the pastorate term of Rev. J. A. 
Kunkleman, about 1860, the church was torn down 
and another built on the southwest corner of New 
York and Alabama Streets, which was dedicated in 
1861. A few years ago this church was sold and a 
third built on the corner of Pennsylvania and Walnut 
Streets. The present pastor is Rev. John Baltzley. 
The membership is one hundred and two ; Sunday- 
school pupils, seventy-five ; value of property about 
eighteen thousand dollars. 

St. Paul's (German), on the corner of East and 
Georgia Streets, was organized June 5, 1844. The 
first church was built on Alabama Street below Wash- 
ington, and dedicated May 11, 1845 ; first pastor, Rev. 
Theodore J. G. Kuntz. In 1860, another church 
was built on the corner of East and Georgia Streets, 
and dedicated Nov. 3, 1860, by Rev. Dr. Wynckan, 
president of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. In 
the rear of the church two school-houses have been 
built, where a parochial school has been maintained 
for twenty years. A parsonage on East and Ohio 
Streets was built in 1869, and in 1870 the cemetery 
south of Pleasant Run, on the east side of the Three- 
Notch road, already referred to, was purchased and 



laid out. The present pastor is Rev. Charles C. 
Schmidt. The membership is over two hundred, 
and the Sunday-school attendance is about four hun- 
dred. The value of the church property is about 
sixty thousand dollars. 

Second Lutheran Church (German), on the 
northeast corner of East and Ohio Streets. The 
pastor is Rev. Peter Seuel ; membership, one hun- 
dred and fifteen ; Sunday-school pupils, two hun- 
dred; value of property, probably twenty thousand 
dollars. 

Zion's Church (German) was organized in 1840 
by the German members of the First English Lu- 
theran Church. They wanted services in their own 
language, and formed the new organization for that 
purpose. The first pastor was the Rev. J. G. Kuntz, 
who was later the first pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran 
Church, who served until 1842. The congregation 
was then without a pastor till 1844, when Rev. J. F. 
Isensee was called. The first church building was 
erected where the present one is in 1844, and was 
dedicated in 1845, May 18th. In 1866 the present 
house was begun, the corner-stone laid July 1, 1866, 
and the dedication celebrated Feb. 5, 1867. The 
church has about two hundred members, and the 
Sunday-school one hundred and fifty pupils. The 
value of the church property is over thirty thousand 
dollars. 

First Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, 
southeast corner of MoCarty and Beaty Streets. 

Second Danish Evangelical Lutheran Church, 
east side of New Jersey Street, south of Merrill. 

During about a year, in 1882-83, a small Danish 
mission church was maintained in a neat little frame 
building on South Missouri Street, below Merrill. 
The " wash" of the west bank of Pogue's Creek at 
that point cut away the ground between the church 
and the creek, and finally cut under the house, and 
the congregation moved. The building was turned 
into a little grocery-store. 

GERMAN BEFOEMED. 

Emanuel Church, on the northwest corner of 
Coburn and New Jersey Streets ; Rev. H. Helming, 
pastor. 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



413 



First Churcli, east side of Alabama, south of 
Market Street ; pastor, Rev. John Rettig. The first 
steps in the organization of this church were taken 
by Rev. George Long, who came here as a missionary 
of the German Reformed denomination — chiefly fol- 
lowers of Zwingle and Calvin — in 1851, and preached 
till the following spring, 1852, when he organized 
the First Church, and they began the erection of the 
church, which was completed and dedicated in Octo- 
ber, 1852. In 1856, Mr. Long resigned, and Rev. 
M. G. I. Stern succeeded. The membership is over 
two hundred, and the Sunday-school attendance about 
as large. The value of the property is about fifteen 
thousand dollars. 

Second Church, west side of East Street, opposite 
Stevens Street. Organization was made in the sum- 
mer of 1867 by some members of a former church 
who lived in the southeastern part of the city. Rev. 
Mr. Steinbach, who had served here as a Lutheran 
minister, took the church first, resigning at the end 
of the year 1867. Rev. M. G. I. Stern was selected 
in place of Mr. Steinbach, and under him the mission 
was changed to the " Second German Reformed 
Church." Mr. Stern is still the pastor. A German- 
English parochial school of one hundred pupils is 
connected with the church, under two teachers. 
Membership, about one hundred and fifty-six ; the 
attendance at Sunday-school, nearly double that ; 
value of property, about twelve thousand dollars. 

GBEMAN EVANGEIilCAL ASSOCIATION. 

First Church, on the southeast corner of New 
Jersey and Wabash Streets; organized June 19, 
1855, with twenty-one members, as the Immanuel 
Church of the Evangelical Association of Indianap- 
olis. Rev. Joseph Fisher is the pastor. The mem- 
bership is about two hundred ; the Sunday-school 
attendance, about two hundred ; value of property, 
probably twelve thousand dollars. 

FEIENDS. 

Their meeting-house is on the southwest corner of 
Delaware and St. Clair Streets. The ministers are Jo- 
seph J. Mills, Anna Mills, Calvin W. Pritchard, Jane 
Trueblood, and Sarah Smith. The organization was 



made in 1854, and the first minister Mrs. Hannah 
Pierson. Membership, about two hundred and fifty ; 
value of property, twelve thousand dollars. 

CONGKEGATIONALISTS. 

Plymouth Church, organized Aug. 9, 1857, by 
thirty-one members, who for some months previously 
had maintained religious services and a Sunday- 
school in the Senate Chamber of the old State- 
House. The chamber was used most of the time, 
till the congregation removed to their first church 
on Meridian Street, opposite Christ Church (Epis- 
copal). This edifice was begun in the fall of 1858, 
and the front part, containing the lecture-room, 
study, and social rooms, was completed and occupied 
in September, 1859. The remainder was finished 
and dedicated, after much improving, on the 30th 
of April, 1871, when the Rev. Joseph L. Burnett 
was made pastor. The first pastor was Rev. N. A. 
Hyde, now of the Mayflower Church. He began in 
the fall of 1866, and resigned the pastorate in 
August, 1867, to assume the duties of superin- 
tendent of the American Home Missionary Society 
for this State. Within the present year (1884) this 
church has completed and occupied a new and very 
fine church edifice on the southeast corner of Merid- 
ian and New York Streets. The value of it is esti- 
mated at forty thousand dollars. The membership 
is not counted by the number of communicants but 
by the number attending the church services, aver- 
aging about six hundred in the morning and seven 
to eight hundred young people in the evening. 

Mayflower Church, St. Clair and East Streets) 
was organized from a Sunday-school formed by the 
Young Men's Christian Association, at a private 
house on the corner of Jackson and Cherry Streets, 
May 23, 1869. There were thirteen original members, 
— five from Plymouth Church, two from the Third 
Street Methodist Church, one from Roberts Park 
Church, and three from the Fourth Presbyterian 
Church. The church edifice was completed and 
dedicated in January, 1870. It is a frame building, 
worth now with the lot probably ten thousand dol- 
lars. The membership is one hundred and fifty ; 
Sunday-school attendance, one hundred and eighty. 



414 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Rev. Nathaniel A. Hyde, first pastor of Plymouth 
Church, is the present pastor of Mayflower Church. 
Rev. Nathaniel Alden Hyde, D.D., pastor of 
the Mayflower Congregational Church of Indianap- 
olis, has been actively identified with the general, as 
well as the religious, interests of the city and State 
for upwards of twenty years. Like many other prom- 
inent and useful men of the West, he is of New 
England origin, and of genuine Pilgrim stock. He 
was born May 10, 1827, in Stafi"ord, Conn. His 
father, Nathaniel Hyde, was a thrifty and successful 



till she was removed by death in his ripe and suc- 
cessful manhood. This devoted mother was very 
desirous that her son should enter the gospel min- 
istry, and, very early in his life, laid her plans for 
him accordingly. At the age of twelve years he 
entered Monson Academy, then a very popular and 
flourishing school in the town of Monson, which was 
just across the line from his native town, in the State 
of Massachusetts. Here he pursued his preparatory 
studies for four years, entering Yale College at the 
age of sixteen, and graduating from that institution 




^^yfr /? j^^ 



iron-founder. His mother, whose maiden name was 
Caroline Converse, was a direct descendant of John Al- 
den, one of the Pilgrims coming in the " Mayflower" 
and landing on Plymouth Rock. This honorable 
ancestry was recognized by his parents, doubtless 
with commendable pride, in the name which they 
gave to their son, — Nathaniel for the father, and 
Alden for the Pilgrim father. The death of the 
father early left the son to the entire care and train- 
ing of the mother, between whom and himself there 
ever existed a peculiarly tender and intimate relation 



at twenty years of age in the class of 1847. His 
professional studies were pursued at Andover Theo- 
logical Seminary, from which he graduated in the 
class of 1851. After graduation, and before begin- 
ning his lotig and useful work in Indianapolis, he 
spent seven years in somewhat desultory work in 
his profession. During a portion of 1851-52 he 
preached in Central Village, Conn., and in 1852-53 
in Rockville, Conn. ■ He then became assistant secre- 
tary of the Children's Aid Society in New York 
City, a position which he held from 1854 to 1856. 



CHURCHES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



415 



After preaching for a short time in Deep River, 
Conn., in 185Y he turned his face and steps west- 
ward. On the 23d day of December in this latter 
year he was ordained at Columbus, Ohio, remaining 
there till the next year, when he went for a very 
brief period to fill a temporary engagement at Cin- 
cinnati. The Plymouth Church in Indianapolis had 
just been organized, and in 1858 it extended to Dr. 
Hyde a call to become its pastor. He accepted the 
call, and here entered, with this young church, upon 
his real life-work. The first services which he con- 
ducted here were held in the Senate chamber of the 
old State-House. But it was not long before the 
enthusiasm and earnestness of the young pastor, with 
the pressing need of a church home, resulted in the 
erection of the house of worship which has been 
occupied . till recently by that church. For nearly 
ten years he held this pastorate to the entire satis- 
faction and great profit of the church. In the 
year 1867 the State Association of Congregational 
Churches and ministers felt that the time had come 
when the general interests of the cause of religion, 
and the interests and usefulness of the demomination, 
demanded the appointment of a superintendent of 
missions for the State. When application was made 
to the American Home Missionary Society for such 
an appointment, and the officers of the society replied 
that they would comply with the request if the breth- 
ren in Indiana would name the right man for the 
place, the thoughts of all turned directly to Dr. 
Hyde. His long residence in the State, and conse- 
quent familiarity with its peculiarities and needs, 
coupled with his earnest Christian spirit and sound 
judgment, caused his brethren unanimously to feel 
that of all others he was the man for the place, a 
decision which subsequent results fully justified. 
Accordingly, although it was contrary to his own 
desires, and contrary to the desires of his church, 
which was very strongly attached to him, he was 
appointed to this important position, and, in obe- 
dience to a sense of duty, accepted it, and discharged 
its duties with rare fidelity, success, and acceptabil- 
ity for six years. The assertion will not be ques- 
tioned by those knowing the facts in the case that 
no other man in the State has done so much for 



the interests of the denomination of which he is a 
member as has Dr. Hyde. At the same time he is 
as far as it is possible to think from being a sectarian 
in his feelings or work. He is broad and catholic 
in his spirit, and has the profoundest respect of all 
denominations of Christians in the city and the 
State with whom the duties of his various positions 
have brought him in contact. Directly after resign- 
ing his position as superintendent of missions for 
domestic reasons, he became pastor of the Mayflower 
Church in 1873, which position he still holds. His 
pastorate has been a very successful one. In addition to 
his professional labors. Dr. Hyde has been associated 
with various other interests of city and State. He 
was for several years a prominent and efficient mem- 
ber of the school board, held the position of president 
of the State Social Science Association for several 
terms, contributing some very valuable papers to its 
meetings, and is a member of the boards of trustees 
of several educational institutions. As a friend of 
every good cause, and of all persons needing and 
deserving aid, he is widely and most favorably known 
throughout the city and State. He is ever counted 
upon as ready to lend a helping hand, and those who 
look to him are never disappointed, for, while he is 
quiet and unostentatious in manner, he is earnest 
and efficient in labor, of an excellent judgment, and 
has a very warm heart. Of all the worthy members 
of his profession in the city, it is safe to say that none 
are more generally or favorably known than is the 
subject of this biographical sketch. Dr. Hyde was 
married on the 28th of August, 1866, to Laura K., 
daughter of the late Stoughton A. Fletcher, Sr., of 
Indianapolis. 

UNIVERSALISTS. 

As related at the beginning of this chapter, the 
Universalists have no distinct organization, though 
for many years they had a strong one, and for sev- 
eral years had two. They claim that so large a 
portion of the orthodox churches has discarded the 
notion of a material hell and an eternity in it that 
their sectarian identity is effaced. Everybody is 
Universalist now, except a few immovable lumps of 
prejudice. At all events, there is no longer a Uni- 
versalist Church in Indianapolis. 



416 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



UNITED BKETHREN. 

The only church of this denomination is on the 
east side of Oak between Vine and Cherry ; pastor, 
Rev. Augustus C. Willmore. The first church of 
United Brethren was organized in 1850, and the 
congregation in 1851 built the brick house occupied 
for many years, on the southeast corner of New 
Jersey and Ohio Streets. In the fall of 1869 a 
dissension broke out which led to the formation of 
the Liberal United Brethren, containing a majority 
of the membership. They refused to allow the 
other division the use of the house, which led to a 
law-suit and the recovery of possession by the old 
society, Aug. 31, 1870. Then the Liberals dis- 
banded and distributed themselves about among the 
Methodist Churches. The property is worth about 
seven thousand dollars. The membership now is 
about one hundred ; the Sunday-school attendance 
rather larger. 

UNITARIAN. 

A brief account of this denomination and its dis- 
appearance about 1872 has been given. It never 
owned anything, so it has nothing to be noted after 
its own dissolution. 

SWBDENBOKGIAN. 

There is but one congregation of this denomina- 
tion in the city, and it occupies New Church Chapel, 
No. 333 North Alabama Street. 

UNITED PEESBTTBEIANS. 

The only church is on the northeast corner of East 
Street and Massachusetts Avenue. The pastor is 
Rev. James P. Cowan. 

HEBREWS. 

The first Hebrew congregation in this city was 
organized in the winter of 1855. Before 1853 there 
were no Hebrew residents here but Alexander Franco 
and Moses Woolf. The growth of this class of 
population increased so considerably in the next two 
years, however, that a church organization was a 
natural suggestion, and it was made. In the fall of 
1856 a room in Blake's Commercial Row, on Wash- 
ington Street west of Kentucky Avenue, was en- 
gaged for a church, and Rev. Mr. Berman became 
the pastor. In 1858 a change was made to a larger 



hall in Judah's Block, which was dedicated by Rabbi 
Wise, of Cincinnati, distinguished for his learning. 
Rev. J. Wechsler was engaged as pastor, and served 
till 1861. During that year the congregation had 
no pastor and became greatly reduced, but in 1862 
obtained Rev. M. Moses as pastor, and made some 
changes from the old style of ceremony which re- 
stored its strength, and it began to debate the pro- 
priety of having a house of its own. In 1864 
subscriptions were started, and on the 7th of Decem- 
ber, 1865, the cornerstone of the temple on Market 
Street east of New Jersey was laid with an address 
from Rev. Dr. Lilienthal, of Cincinnati. After some 
serious embarrassments the temple was completed 
and dedicated Oct. 30, 1868. The pews in this 
church are not rented from year to year, as in 
Gentile churches, but are sold outright as so much 
real estate, for which a regular conveyance is exe- 
cuted. Only adult males are counted as members 
in making up the strength of the congregation. 
The member.ship of Indianapolis Hebrew Society is 
eighty adult males. A regular school is kept 
through the week in the temple, and on the Sabbath 
a special school is held free for those who wish to 
pursue the study of Hebrew or biblical history. 
The value of the property is about thirty thousand 
dollars. 

A smaller congregation was formed a few years 
ago, which holds its meetings in Root's Block, corner 
of Pennsylvania and South Streets. Its membership 
is about forty, and has no school attachment. 

In the appended summary, exhibiting the present 
condition of the churches of Indianapolis, no more 
than an approximation is possible in some cases. In 
most, however, the church authorities have furnished 
as accurate statements as they could arrive at. The 
general result is very close to the truth. It must be 
noted, as before suggested, that the Catholic authori- 
ties number the members of their church as " souls," 
counting all of whatever age born into the church, 
as well as all attaching themselves to it, as professors 
of Protestant creeds do. This makes their numbers 
look disproportionately large. But count the Pres- 
byterians or Methodists in the same way and they 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



417 



will show larger congregations. The Plymouth Con- 
gregational pastor counts attendants on his services. 



Churche 



Member- 
ship. 

Baptist 1,100 

Presbyterian 2,960 

Methodist 4,700 

Christian 1,400 

Catholic 10,200 



Sundii.v-School 
Pupils. 
1,150 
3,400 
4,000 
1,000 



Episcopal 

Lutheran 

German Reformed 

German Evang'l Ass'n. 

Friends 

Congregationalist 

United Brethren 

Hebrew 



Totals . 



1,000 
600 
350 
200 
250 
800 

ino 

120 
33,770 



600 
850 
450 
200 



Value of 

Property. 

$100,000 

425,000 

420,000 

75,000 

500,000 

200,000 

125,000 

30,000 

12,000 

12,000 

50,000 

7,000 

35,000 

§1,991,000 
or $2,000,000 



CHAPTER XVIL 

SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OP INDIANAPOLIS. ■ 

Early Schools. — The history of the early schools 
of Indianapolis is very meagre, but happily not con- 
fused or uncertain. There seems to be no doubt that 
the first school-house was a log cabin on the point of 
junction of Kentucky Avenue and Illinois Street, 
adjacent to a large pond or mud-hole, and built dur- 
ing the pestilent summer of 1821. The first teacher 
was Joseph C. Reed, who was the first recorder of 
the county. He taught but a few weeks, a single 
quarter, probably, and was followed by one or two 
others, possibly, though there is no record or safe 
memory to assure us of it ; but the first year of the 
settlement appears to have been one of no consider- 
able solicitude about education. There was enough 
to do to get something to eat and keep a stomach 
healthy enough to hold it. By the summer of 1822, 
however, afiairs were getting in better shape, and with 
the irrepressible instinct of Americans for education, 
measures were taken to secure adequate tuition for 
the children of the yearling city capital. A meeting 
was held at the school-house on the 20th of June, 
1822, to arrange for a permanent school. Trustees 
were appointed, says the sketch of 1850, but the 
names are not given. James M. Ray, or James Blake, 



or Calvin Fletcher, one or the other, or all, most 
likely, made the first educational board of the city. A 
Mr. Lawrence and his wife were engaged as teachers, 
and continued in the first school-house till the com- 
pletion of the First Presbyterian Church in 1824, 
when they removed to that more eligible locality and 
building, and the first school-house disappears from 
history as it probably did from nature thenceforward. 
Whether it was torn down or turned into the log 
pottery-shop that preceded the old State Bank, there 
is no certain indication to suggest. Nor is there any- 
thing to enlighten antiquarian curiosity as to the 
origin or fate of that other log school-house on Mary- 
land Street and partly in it, west of Tennessee, which 
the Baptists used for a time as their place of worship. 
In 1825, after the arrival of the capital and its ac- 
companiments, Mr. Merrill, the treasurer, who was 
probably the best educated man in the place, at the 
solicitation of the citizens, undertook to relieve the 
educational stress of the time, caused by a large influx 
of population with the capital and the Legislature, 
and taught a school for a time in the log house on 
the south side of Maryland, west of Meridian, which 
the Methodists used for a church about that time. A 
Mr. Tufts taught there too, and one or two others 
later. 

It is not likely that there were more than this and 
the original school-house till the completion of the 
Presbyterian Church. Mr. Lawrence and his wife, 
it is supposed, continued in the church till near the 
time that Ebenezer Sharpe came here from Paris, 
Bourbon Co., Ky., in 1826. For three years before 
this the Union Sunday-school had been in operation 
in Caleb Scudder's cabinet-shop, and later in the 
church, and here Mr. Blake and his coadjators had 
taught the alphabet and spelling, as in any primary 
school, to some of their young pupils. It was more 
like a school, and less like a sort of semi-theological 
recreation, than the modern Sunday-school. Mr. 
Nowland says he learned his A, B, C's of Mr. Blake 
at the Union, and he was not alone by any means. 
Mr. Sharpe succeeded Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence in the 
school of the old church which was kept in the back 
part, on the alley that runs northward from Market 
Street past the Journal building. Some years later. 



418 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



about 1830, he took his school to a frame house on 
the site of the Club House, corner of Meridian and 
Ohio, where he continued till near his death in 1835. 
He was assisted a part of the time by his son, Thomas 
H. Sharpe, one of the best known and esteemed of 
the relics of the early days of the city. About the 
time that Mr. Sharpe took his school to the house on 
Meridian Street, Mr. Thomas D. Gregg opened a 
school in an old carpenter-shop on the northwest cor- 
ner of Delaware and Market Streets, where ho was 
succeeded till about 1840, or a little later, by William 
J. Hill and others, and lastly by Josephus Cicero 
Worrall. 

Contemporaneously with these, about 1832, Miss 
Clara Elliok opened a school in the old Baptist 
Church, corner of Meridian and Maryland Streets. 
She taught here a couple of years, probably, and then, 
in 1834, a little frame house was built purposely for 
a school-house near the west end of the lot, abutting 
on the alley east of the Grand Hotel. About 1835, 
Miss Elliek was married to a Methodist preacher by 
the name of Smith, and give up the school to Miss 
Laura Kise. During her tenancy of the little frame 
school-house the Baptists built a bell-tower of open 
frame-work for their church against the east end of 
the school-house, a hundred feet from the church. 
It stood there as long as the old church remained, 
and was sometimes made the occasion of a general 
uproar by frolicsome boys, who could not resist the 
temptation to climb up the frame and jerk the bell- 
clapper about like a fire alarm. One night two boys, 
one of whom is now the distinguished author and 
general, Lew Wallace, climbed up to the bell and 
fastened a cord to the clapper, which they led across 
the street and the intervening lots to the bedroom 
of one of them over a store on Washington Street, 
and here they kept a lively alarm going as long as 
they liked, to the infinite disturbance and mystery of 
the neighbors, who could not discover what made the 
bell ring. 

As related in the general history, the Legisla- 
ture, on the 26th of January, 1832, authorized the 
town agent to lease University Square, No. 25, 
to the trustees of Marion County Seminary for thirty 
years, with permission to them to build on the south 



or southwest corner, the other corners were then "out 
of town ;" and, if the square should be needed for a 
university before the termination of the lease, a half- 
acre, where the seminary stood, was to be sold to the 
trustees. Under this arrangement the old county 
seminary was built, in 1833-34, on the southwest 
corner, where a tablet, set in the ground by Ignatius 
Brown and some others of the " old seminary boys," 
marks the centre of the site. It was two stories 
high, about one hundred feet long from east to west 
from one lobby-wall to the other, with five windows 
' in each story on a side, and about forty feet wide in 
the main body, while the lobbies at the ends were 
about fifteen feet square. A stairway ascended from 
each lobby to the second story. That at the east 
end entered the lecture-room, or exhibition-room, 
where more than one church made its place of wor- 
ship before it was able to build a house. The stair- 
way in the west lobby ascended to a room about 
twenty feet square, where was kept the philosophical 
apparatus of the institution. The chief of these were 
an air-pump and an electrical machine. South of 
this room was another smaller, for the teacher's 
private room. A door led from the apparatus-room 
to the platform of the exhibition- or lecture-room. 
After the free-school system was put in operation, in 
1853 till 1859, the old seminary was occupied as 
the high school of the system. It was torn down in 
September, 1860. The only surviving trustee is 
Simon Yandes, Esq., and the last who died was 
James Sulgrove, in the fall of 1875. In the summer 
of 1860, before the old house was torn down, the 
whole square was inclosed with a high fence, and 
covered with an immense show-house or shed by a 
Mr. Ferine, who called it the " Coliseum," and pro- 
posed to make it a meeting-place for large assemblies, 
political or otherwise, and for big shows. It was 
opened on the 4th of July with a military parade, an 
instrumental concert, a balloon ascension by Mr. J. 
C. Bellman, and a display of Diehl's fire-works at 
night. The enterprise was too big for the place. 
The seats would hold twenty thousand spectators. 
In a few weeks the work was all torn away, and the 
old house too, and the square was left vacant all 
through the war. In 1865-66 the city got posses- 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



419 



sion of it, fenced it, laid it out in walks, set trees in 
it, and made it a very pretty park, which it will 
remain. 

The seminary was opened by the late Gen. Dumont, 
Sept. 1, 1834. He left after a single quarter's expe- 
rience, and William J. Hill succeeded in January, 
1835. Three or four months satisfied him, and 
Thomas D. Gregg came in May, 1836. William 
Sullivan followed in December, 1836, and Rev. Wil- 
liam A. HoUiday in August, 1837. James S. Kem- 
per took the school in the summer of 1838, and re- 
tained it till the spring of 1845. Of the effect of 
his administration on the reputation of the seminary, 
and the character of the pupils he taught there, the 
general history has treated as fully as it properly 
may. In 1845, J. P. Safford succeeded Mr. Kem- 
per, and gave way to Benjamin L. Lang in 1847 or 
1848, who continued till 1853, when the free-school 
system absorbed the seminary. Of these noted teach- 
ers, Mr. HoUiday, Gen. Dumont, Mr. Gregg, Mr. 
Hill, and Mr. Safford are dead, the last only two 
years ago in Zanesville, Ohio. Mr. Gregg made a 
valuable bequest to the city at his death. Of the 
schools contemporaneous with the old seminary, the 
Franklin Institute, the Worrall School, the Axtell 
Female Seminary, the general history has given an 
account, as well as of the later ones, the Indiana 
Female College and the McLean Female Insti- 
tute. The Baptist Young Ladies' Institute, occu- 
pied now as the high school of the city school sys- 
tem, was founded in 1858 by the Baptists of the 
city, who formed a stock company for the purpose, 
the paper of which was indorsed by the individual 
credit, to the amount of sixteen thousand dollars, of 
Rev. J. B. Simmons, pastor of the church ; Rev. M. 
G. Clark, editor of The Witness, the denominational 
paper ; Mr. Judson R. Osgood, of the Sarven Wheel- 
Works ; and Mr. James Turner. Thus the company 
was enabled to buy the acre at the northeast corner 
of the intersection of Pennsylvania and Michigan 
Streets. The first superintendent was Rev. Gibbon 
Williams, and his daughter was the principal. In 
1862, Rev. C. W. Hewes succeeded, and became 
substantially the proprietor of the institution. Up 
to 1866 the site, building, and improvements had 



cost fifty-three thousand dollars. The site was for 
many years the residence of Robert Underbill, one 
of the earliest iron manufacturers and millers of the 
city. In 1871 the school board bought the site 
and buildings, and removed the high school there 
from Circle Hall (or the old Beecher church). 

The McLean Female Institute filled so conspicuous 
a place in the educational advantages of the city and 
was so wholly the work of its founder, the Rev. C. 
G. McLean, that a short sketch of his life will be of 
interest to many who knew him without knowing 
anything of his past life. He was born in Ireland 
in 1787. His father. Dr. John McLean, a surgeon 
in the British navy, died in early manhood on the 
coast of Africa. His mother, who was also a Mc- 
Clain, was left a widow before she was twenty-one. 
She became the wife of Rev. James Gray, D.D., and 
soon after, with her husband, came to this country. 
For many years Dr. Gray was the honored pastor of 
Spruce Street Church, Philadelphia. Under him Dr. 
McLean prepared for the University of Pennsylvania, 
of which he was a graduate. His theological studies 
he pursued under the celebrated Dr. John M. Mason. 
In 1815 he married Helen Miller, of Philadelphia, 
who died in 1822, leaving two daughters. In 1844 
he married Mary Yates, daughter of Henry Yates, 
of Albany. His first charge was in Gettysburg, Pa., 
where he was pastor for twenty-seven years in the 
Associate Reformed Church. He was afterwards 
pastor for eight years of the Dutch Reformed Church, 
Fort Plain, N. Y. Being unable from ill health to 
perform pastoral duty, he came in 1852 to this city 
and opened a female seminary known as McLean 
Female Institute, in which he was aided by his son- 
in-law, C. N. Todd, by whom it was continued after 
his death in 1860. For some time previous he had 
been unfitted for his duties by a stroke of paralysis. 
The institution received a good share of the best pat- 
ronage of the city and State, and was regarded as 
permanently established at the time of its transfer to 
other hands on account of the health of the family. 
After a life of about fifteen years, it was suffered to 
go out of existence, but its elevating influence has 
not been lost. Dr. McLean was best known as a 
minister. He had rare pulpit gifts. By his famous 



420 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



teacher he was trained to independent thinking and 
thorough investigation of subjects. Having no pet 
theories, he sought every field of inquiry. Hence his 
discourses, rich in thought, had variety, freshness, 
and originality. He never read his sermons. His 
choice language and attractive elocution secured and 
held his hearers. The young were drawn to him. 
A winning playfulness led them to seek his presence, 
and even in his later years he would sport as a com- 
panion with them. In prayer he was gifted, and he 
scarcely placed a limit to its power. His strong faith 
kept him bright and hopeful in the darkest hours. 

The Northwestern Christian (now Butler) Uni- 
versity was the suggestion of the late Ovid Butler. 
He drafted the charter for it, and planned the outline 
of the system upon which it has been conducted, do- 
nated the ground for its first site, endowed one of its 
chairs permanently, provided a large portion of its 
general endowment fund, and so identified himself 
with its history, progress, and interests that the 
change of its name from the cumbrous and unmean- 
ing combination that loaded its first feeble existence 
to the deserved and descriptive name it now bears 
was an act of equal justice and good taste. The 
charter for it was passed by the Legislature in 1850, 
and authorized a stock company with a capital of one 
hundred dollar shares, the total to range from ninety- 
five thousand to five hundred thousand dollars. One- 
third might be expended in a site and building, but 
two-thirds at least must be an endowment fund. 
Rev. John O'Kane was appointed by the friends of 
the enterprise in Indianapolis soliciting agent. He 
visited all parts of the State in pursuing his work, 
and in two years had succeeded so far that in July, 
1852, the company organized and elected the first 
board of directors. Mr. Butler donated the ground, 
twenty-five acres of a beautiful natural grove of 
sugars, beeches, and walnuts, on the northeastern 
border of the city at that time, and part of the farm 
which was Mr. Butler's residence, called Forest 
Home, and here the college building was begun 
and never completed. The style was Gothic, — hand- 
some, striking, and convenient, — and the plan so con- 
trived that it could be built in divisions, which, when 
all were completed, would present a harmonious and 



efiective mass. The first section, which would have 
been about a third of the completed edifice, was fin- 
ished and opened for collegiate purposes on the 1st 
of November, 1855, th-e first and only college or in- 
stitution for the more advanced degrees of education 
ever known in the capital, except the seminary in 
Mr. Kemper's time, and some of the high school 



The leading feature of the Butler system, as distin- 
guished from that of all the institutions of learning 
in this country at that time, was the admission of 
female pupils upon the same conditions in the same 
classes, with the same course and graduation, as male 
students. No distinction was made, and no other 
school twenty years ago followed the example. Some 
years later another innovation was made on the old 
system of sexual separation even more startling than 
this. On the death of a young daughter, Mr. Butler 
determined to erect a memorial " more enduring than 
brass," and endowed a chair of English History and 
Literature called the Demia Butler chair, and pro- 
vided that the professor should be Miss Kate Merrill, 
daughter of the State treasurer who brought up the 
capital from Corydon, and the best known of the native 
teachers of the city. Another feature of a liberaliz- 
ing tendency (in which, however, it was preceded 
partially by Alexander Campbell's college at Bethany, 
W. Va., and by Brown University of Rhode Island) 
was the permission to a student to take any part of 
the full course he pleased, and graduate with the ap- 
propriate title in the division pursued. Thus, some 
took the full course, with the degree of A.B. ; others 
took only the scientific division, and graduated as Bach- 
elors of Science ; and a third class, following what is 
called the philosophical course, graduated as Bach- 
elors of Philosophy. Just how these masculine titles 
have been softened into fitness for female proficiency 
and educational honors we are not informed. About 
half of the students take one or the other of the 
partial courses, scientific or philosophical, and about 
a third of the higher grades of students are females. 
In the academic or preparatory courses the propor- 
tion of girls is larger. Of the four literary societies, 
two, the Athenian and Demia Butler, are composed 
of female students. 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



421 



A law department was opened in connection with 
the university in 1871, the first term beginning Jan- 
uary 16th, composed of three chairs or classes, taught 
by Judge Byron K. Elliott, Judge Charles H. Test, 
and Charles P. Jacobs. This was maintained for 
some years, but was recently discontinued and dis- 
solved. A commercial department, to assist students 
who desire to qualify themselves for business, was 
formed and carried on for a time, but appears to have 
been discontinued in the last few years. Musical in- 
struction is made a specialty also, and is still a part of 
the university system, though not of the regular 
course. The most important division of the univer- 
sity is the medical department. The Medical College 
of Indiana, referred to particularly in the chapter on 
the medical profession, forms this department. The 
last catalogue shows one hundred and sixty-eight 
students in the literary department of the university, 
and one hundred and sixty-four in the medical de- 
partment. Practically the two are little concerned 
with each other, one being in the city and the other 
five miles away. In the literary department is what 
is called a post-graduate course, of which the author- 
ities say that it, " with the Bible-classes of the fresh- 
man, sophomore, and senior years, presents a com- 
plete course of Bible study." This course is free. 
Of the difierent degrees conferred by the institution 
the following oflicial statement is made : 

" I. The degree of Bachelor of Arts is conferred 
on students who complete the studies in the course 
of arts and pass the examinations in the same. 

" II. The degree of Bachelor of Science is conferred 
on students who complete the studies in the course of 
science and pass the examinations in the same. This 
degree may be conferred also on students in special 
studies whenever the special work done shall be 
deemed by the faculty a full equivalent for the part 
of the scientific course which may have been omitted. 

" III. The degree of Bachelor of Philosophy is 
conferred on students who complete the studies in 
the course of philosophy and pass the examinations 
in the same. 

" No Bachelor's degree will be conferred on any 
person who may not have studied at least one year 
in this university. 



" IV. (1) The degree of Master of Arts, Master 
of Science, or Master of Philosophy will be con- 
ferred on any student who shall have taken the cor- 
responding Bachelor's degree at this university, on 
the following conditions : (a) When such student 
shall have pursued a post-graduate course of study 
for one year under the direction of the faculty, have 
passed a satisfactory examination, and have presented 
an approved thesis on some one of the subjects chosen 
for examination ; or (6) When, after not less than 
three years from the time of receiving the Bachelor's 
degree, such student shall have given satisfactory 
evidence of having been engaged in some literary or 
professional pursuit, and shall present to the faculty 
an approved thesis on some subject of research. 
(2) Any of the above-named Master's degrees may 
be conferred on any person who may have taken the 
corresponding Bachelor's degree at any other institu- 
tion authorized by law to confer such degree, when 
he shall have given to the faculty satisfactory evi- 
dence of scholarship, have pursued a post-graduate 
course of study under the direction of the faculty, 
and have presented an approved thesis on some one 
of the subjects chosen for examination. 

" V. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy will be 
conferred on graduates of this university or of any 
other institution authorized to confer Bachelor's de- 
grees, who, by special study in some department of 
science, literature, or philosophy, may have obtained 
eminence as original investigators, and shall present 
to the faculty a meritorious thesis based on such 
investigations. 

" VI. The honorary degree of A.M. or LL.D. will 
be conferred occasionally on persons who, in addition 
to possessing fair scholarship, may have obtained 
eminence in some pursuit or profession." 

In 1876 the university authorities determined to 
remove to the present location, on the west side of the 
handsome suburban town of Irvington, where strong 
inducements were offered by the citizens, and the sale 
of the old site, then entirely surrounded by the busi- 
ness and residences of the city, and largely enhanced 
in money value, would help to place the institution 
firmly on its feet. New buildings were erected, a 
fine " Campus" laid out, and the work kept moving 



422 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



on steadily and successfully in spite of the change. 
Soon after the removal some of the trustees sought 
to change the school into a more rigidly sectarian 
exclusiveness, and confine the tuition wholly to mem- 
bers of the Christian Church, the denomination which 
had originated and supported it, and which had re- 
garded it as a denominational school. This so far 
succeeded as to force out two or three of the best- 
known professors, and would probably have made the 
institution wholly sectarian but for the interference 
of Mr. Butler, who saw, if its injudicious friends 
could not, that this was not the day, nor this the 
community, to turn back a liberal revolution to old- 
time bigotry and exclusiveness, and the mischievous 
action was reversed. But not without some ill effect 
lingering, and possibly not wholly lost yet. The old 
site, the gift of Mr. Butler, has been partially sold 
out in city lots ; but part has been retained, and, with 
the building, is now occupied by the City Orphan 
Asylum. The following is the faculty : 

Harvey W. Everest, LL.D., president ; Allen R. 
Benton, LL.D., William M. Thrasher, A.M., Cath- 
arine Merrill, A.M., Scott Butler, A.M., Oliver P. 
Hay, A.M., Hugh C. Garvin, A.M., Demarchus C. 
Brown, A.M., Virginia K. Allan, Letitia Laughlin, 
librarian. 

Contemporaneously with the larger institution 
a German-English school was maintained for a 
number of years on East Maryland Street, east of 
Virginia Avenue, and several smaller schools of the 
same kind have been carried on in different parts of 
the city, and are still. Though German is now taught 
in the city schools, it does not serve the purpose of 
German children who have to be taught in the German 
language the use of English. 

There are five Kindergartens in the city, all of 
the last three years. One is in the Riverside 
Chapel, corner of McCarty and Chadwick Streets ; 
one is at No. 134 West Ohio Street, under Miss 
Steiger; another is at No. 443 North Meridian, 
under Miss Jane M. Moore; the fourth is at No. 
224 Broadway, under Miss Ella D. Oakes ; the fifth 
at No. 456 North Meridian, Miss Alice Chapin, 
principal. There are two schools of the Sacred 
Heart, one for girls and one for boys, connected 



with the Franciscan Convent, on Palmer Street, and 
besides these there are some ten other Catholic schools, 
of which an account is given by Rev. Father O'Don- 
noghue, in his statement of the Catholic institutions 
of the city. Schools, as intimated in the chapter on 
churches, are maintained in connection with the 
German Evangelical Lutheran Church on New Jer- 
sey Street, south of Blerrill, and by one or two other 
German Lutheran Churches. The Indianapolis 
Classical School for Boys is carried on by Mr. T. 
L. Sewell on the northwest corner of North and 
Alabama Streets, and a similar school for girls is 
maintained by the same man at the southeast corner 
of St. Joseph and Pennsylvania Streets. A female 
seminary of high character, conducted by John H. 
Kappes and wife, on North Pennsylvania Street, till 
last .summer, was given up by them to go to some 
remote Western region. Mr. Hadley, and Mr. Rob- 
erts at one time principal of the high school, have 
for some years maintained an academy of excellent 
repute, which seems to fill much the same place and 
need that the old seminary did. Colored schools are 
now mainly or wholly carried on in connection with 
the city school system. 

The first Commercial School was opened here by 
Mr. William McK. Scott, who maintained it with 
moderate success for some years, and during about a 
year, in 1851, as noted in the general history, kept 
up a reading-room in connection with it, intending to 
make a library a part of the plan ; but the public 
would not sustain it. Since then there have been 
but few and brief intervals without a commercial 
college. Sometimes there have been two or three 
together. The oldest and best known was Bryant & 
Stratton's, which Mr. Bryant has recently revived 
after an absence from the city of several years. Mr. 
W. W. Granger also has a commercial school in effi- 
cient condition in the upper story of the Vance 
Block. Of law and medical schools an account is 
given in the chapters touching those topics. The 
only theological school is that, if it can be called so, 
offered by the post-graduate course of Butler Univer- 
sity. A serious if not strenuous effort was made to 
induce the Legislature to locate the Agricultural Col- 
lege here. The location was practically put up at 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



423 



auction, to raise means enough to create a competent 
endowment with the avails of the land-grant made 
by Congress, and Indianapolis bid high. The late 
James Johnson made a munificent offer of land west 
of the city, but within the township, and other offers 
were made with the obvious superiority of a central 
situation here ; but Mr. Purdue offered a fine site 
and a liberal cash endowment, which were just what 
the college needed, for the honor of putting his name 
to it, and thus Indianapolis lost it. Attempts have 
been made, or rather discussed, to remove the State 
University here from Bloomington and to remove 
Asbury University here from Greenoastle, but noth- 
ing more than talk ever came of either suggestion, 
or ever will, now that a disastrous fire in the State 
institution has failed to stir it, in spite of strong sug- 
gestions in the papers up about the capital ; and 
Asbury has been permanently and munificently en- 
dowed by Mr. De Pauw, the citizens of Greenoastle, 
and the Methodists of Indiana, and has changed its 
name to that of its benefactor. 

The City Schools. — The education of the city is 
so nearly absorbed by the free-school system that no 
apology need be made for tracing here the history of 
it fully and authentically in the official reports of the 
managers in 1866 : 

. " During the Legislative session of 1846-^7, the 
first city charter, prepared by the late Hon. Oliver 
H. Smith, for the town of Indianapolis was intro- 
duced into the General Assembly. It would have 
passed without opposition as a matter of course and 
courtesy, had not a well-known member from this 
town, Mr. S. V. B. Noel, presented as an amendment 
Section 29, which provided that the City Council 
should be instructed to lay off the city into suitable 
school districts, to provide by ordinance for school 
buildings, and the appointment of teachers and su- 
perintendents ; and, further, that the Council should 
be authorized to levy a tax for school purposes, of 
not exceeding one-eighth of one per centum of the 
assessment. The amendment met with a vigorous 
and determined opposition from several influential 
members, whose arguments carried weight ; and the 
amendment was in peril, when a prudent and useful 
member, who advocated all sides on vexed questions. 



moved to still further amend by providing that no 
tax should be levied unless so ordered by a vote of 
a majority of the town at the ensuing April election, 
when the ballots should be marked ' Free Schools ' 
and ' No Free Schools.' The charter, thus amended, 
became a law. 

" An animated contest ensued in the town, and at 
the first charter election the school question became 
the overshadowing issue. The opposition was thin 
and noisy. The friends of free schools were quiet, 
but resolute, and on the day of election were by no 
means sanguine of the result. A citizen, who was to 
a considerable degree a representative of the learning, 
jurisprudence, and capital of the town, the late vener- 
able and eminent Judge Blackford, was earnestly 
cheered as he openly voted a ballot indorsed ' Free 
Schools.' The cause of impartial education triumphed 
by an overwhelming majority. 

" The population of Indianapolis was then about 
six thousand. City lots and building material were 
cheap and abundant ; but the valuation of property 
(for taxation) was low, and twelve and a half cents on 
a hundred dollars produced but a slender revenue. 
The proceeds of the tax were carefully husbanded, 
and economically invested, from time to time, in school 
lots and buildings. Lots were purchased and houses 
built in seven wards of the city, and teachers ap- 
pointed, who received their limited compensation from 
the patrons of the schools. 

" For a period of six years the records show pay- 
ments made by the city treasurer for lots and buildings, 
but none for teachers' salaries. Previous to 1853 
the schools were managed by trustees in each of the 
school districts into which the city was divided. The 
schools had nojcentral head, and no organization out- 
side of the several districts. In January, 1853, the 
Council appointed Messrs. H. P. Coburn, Calvin 
Fletcher, and H. F. West the first board of trustees 
for the city schools. At their first meeting, March 
18, 1853, they elected ten teachers for the city schools, 
and ordered that they receive two dollars and twenty- 
five cents a scholar for the term, to be paid by the 
parent or guardian. April 8, 1853, it was ordered 
that the Sixth Ward lot be graded. It is interesting 
to note that thirteen years elapsed before the grade 



424 



HI8T0KY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



was made. April 25, 1853, the first free schools were 
opened for a session of two months. On this date a 
code of rules and regulations, prepared and reported 
by Calvin Fletcher, was adopted. These rules were 
comprehensive and well matured, and constitute the 
basis of the code now in force in the schools. May 
14, 1853, occurs the first record of the payment of 
salaries to teachers. 

" From this time forward the receipts from city 
taxation and the State school fund by slow degrees 
increased, and the schools flourished and grew in favor 
with all good citizens. Early in 1855, Mr. Silas T. 
Bowen was appointed superintendent of the schools, 
with instructions to visit and spend a day in each 
school every month, and to meet the teachers every 
Saturday for review of the work done, instruction in 
teaching, and classification. His contract with the 
board called for about one-third of his time in the 
discharge of these and other duties. It is clear, from 
the arduous labor performed, that the schools got the 
best of this bargain. 

"March 2, 1856, Mr. George B. Stone was ap- 
pointed superintendent. All his time was given to 
the schools, and they were conducted with vigor and 
success. The schools were fully and generously sus- 
tained by the public. The revenue, in great part de- 
rived from local taxation, was sufficient to sustain 
them prosperously during the full school year. But 
this period was of short duration. Early in 1858, 
the Supreme Court of the State decided that it was 
unconstitutional for cities and towns to levy and collect 
taxes for the payment of tuition. The eflFect was 
most disastrous. It deprived the city schools of the 
principal part of their revenue, and in spite of gen- 
erous eiForts on the part of a portion of the public 
the free-school graded system, which had taken ten 
years to build up, was destroyed at a blow. The su- 
perintendent and many of the teachers emigrated to 
regions where schools were, like light and air, com- 
mon and free to all, with no constitutional restrictions 
or judicial decisions warring against the best interests 
of the people. 

" Then commenced the dark age of the public 
schools. The school-houses were rented to such 
teachers as were willing, or able from scant patronage. 



to pay a small pittance for their use. The State fund 
was only sufficient to keep the schools open one feeble 
free quarter each year ; and, in 1859, even this was 
omitted for want of money. (The schools remained 
in this crippled condition, improving hardly at all, till 
after the outbreak of the war. Then a new set of 
Supreme Court judges succeeded to that bench, and 
virtually reviewed and reversed the disastrous deci- 
sion.) The Legislature then made provision for more 
efficient and prosperous schools, and fuller taxation 
for their support. 

"During the last five years (from 1861 to 1866) 
the schools have been rapidly gaining in length of 
term, and in general prosperity and usefulness. We 
cannot here give even a condensed statement of the 
successive steps by which this improvement has been 
accomplished. The schools during the last two years 
have been in session the usual school year of thirty- 
nine weeks. Considering the ten years required to 
develop an efficient system of schools, previous to the 
judicial blotting-out, and the slow growth of the nine 
subsequent years, it is hoped that no further disaster 
will occur to set them back another decade, but that 
they may go on increasing in strength and vigor, and 
each succeeding year be stronger and better than the 
last." 

In April, 1854, an enumeration of the school pop- 
ulation was taken by order of the board of trustees. 
The number of persons in the city between the ages 
of five and twenty-one was found to be three thousand 
and fifty-three. The number enrolled in the schools 
was eleven hundred and sixty, with a daily average of 
eight hundred and one, all about evenly distributed 
among the seven wards into which the city was then 
divided. At the high school, conducted upon a rather 
1 ow grade for lack of proficient pupils to go higher, 
were one hundred and fifteen children, in the old 
seminary, under the direction of Mr. E. P. Cole, who 
served at one thousand dollars a year. 

The school fund fell oS in June, 1858, after the 
decision of the Supreme Court, till the balance in the 
city treasury belonging to the schools was only twenty- 
eight dollars and ninety-eight cents. At that time 
Mr. Thomas J. Vater was employed to take care of 
the school property, a good deal of which was, or s'oon 



SCHOOLS AND LIBEARTES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



425 



became, vacant from the paralysis of the system, and 
was often abused by the riotous occupancy of tramps, 
thieves, and strumpets. Mr. James Green was ap- 
pointed school director in September, 1858, at a salary 
of five hundred dollars a year when employed, and 
two hundred and fifty dollars in vacation. In term 
time he was to give lialf of his time to his school 
duties. In April, 1859, the school fund had accu- 
mulated to three thousand five hundred and forty- 
seven dollars for the current expenses of the schools, 
and in June the amount belonging to the tuition fund 
was three thousand three hundred and seventy-seven 
dollars. In order that the accumulation of means, 
in the crippled condition of resources made by the 
court, might be sufficient to maintain the schools ef- 
fectively when they were opened, the opening was 
put off till February, 1860, just two years after the 
calamity that had overtaken them. Teachers to the 
number of twenty nine were appointed, at salaries 
from one hundred dollars down to fifty dollars a 
quarter. The high school, killed in 1858, was not 
resurrected till August 18, 1864. 

In June, 1861, the first board of trustees, com- 
posed of a representative of each ward elected by the 
voters of the ward, was organized. Previously three 
trustees had been elected by the Council. In 1865 
the law was again changed and the trustees elected 
by the council till 1871, when a board of school com- 
missioners was created, each commissioner to repre- 
sent a school district. The first districts were the 
nine city wards, each ward making one ; but the 
commissioners, being authorized to change the districts 
when they deem it necessary, have made eleven. The 
commissioners hold o£Bce three years, and have com- 
plete control of all taxes, revenues, outlays, buildings, 
teachers, libraries, apparatus, grounds, everything 
appertaining to the school system, but they must ac- 
count every year to the county board for their receipts 
and expenses. 

At the close of the winter term, 1861, the schools 
remained closed till February, 1862, continuing in 
session then for twenty-two weeks. Professor George 
W. Hoss was appointed school director, to serve dur- 
ing the school term, giving one-half his time to the 
schools, at a salary of five hundred dollars per annum. 



Twenty-nine teachers were appointed at the following 
rates of pay, being an increase on the previous sala- 
ries : Principals of grammar schools, one hundred 
and fifty dollars a term of eleven weeks ; assistants 
of same, seventy-five dollars. Principals of interme- 
diate departments, seventy-five to eighty-five dollars 
a term ; and teachers in the primary schools, fifty to 
sixty-eight dollars. The aggregate compensation of 
teachers for the two terms was four thousand six hun- 
dred and fifty-eight dollars. Miss Nebraska Cropsey, 
the present and for a number of years past superinten- 
dent of the primary department, first appears among 
the teachers in 1862. She has been in the schools 
twenty-two years continuously, and always most effi- 
ciently. 

Owing to the pressure of taxation, by reason of the 
war of the Rebellion, the annual levy made in 
March, 1862, was reduced to three cents on each 
one hundred dollars valuation, and thirty cents on 
each poll. The same spring, by order of the trustees, 
shade-trees were planted on all the school property. 
In October of this year Professor Hoss was appointed 
superintendent. He was required to give one-fourth 
of his time to the schools for the quarterly pay of 
sixty-two dollars and fifty cents. The next term of the 
schools opened in November, 1862, with twenty-eight 
teachers. The salaries were fixed at the following 
prices for each day's services actually rendered : 
Principals of the grammar schools, two dollars and 
fifty cents per day ; assistants, one dollar ; principals 
of the First, Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh 
Wards (one-story buildings), one dollar and- twenty- 
five cents per day ; principals of the First, Second, 
Fifth, and Eighth Wards (two-story buildings), one 
dollar and fifty cents per day ; primary and secondary 
principals, one dollar and ten cents ; and all assistants, 
eighty-five cents a day. A few months later an in- 
crease of twenty per cent, on the above salaries was 
voted. 

In the spring of 1863 the trustees levied a tax of 
fifteen cents on the one hundred dollars. The pay- 
roll of twenty-nine teachers for the quarter ending 
May 2, 1863, amounted to two thousand eight hun- 
dred and thirty-four dollars. On the 29th of Au- 
gust, 1864, the trustees, by resolution, defined at 



426 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



length the duties of superintendent, fixed the salary 
at one thousand dollars a year, and elected to the 
position Professor A. C. Shortridge. The income 
arising from special taxation and the apportionment 
from the State tuition fund now rapidly increased, 
so that the schools, in spite of the rapid increase of 
the number of pupils, were kept open during the 
usual school year of thirty-nine weeks. In August, 
1864, the high school, which went down in the 
crash of 1858, was again organized in the school- 
house on the corner of Vermont and New Jersey 
Streets, and placed in 

charge of W. A. Bell, at ^^^t»w«s^ ^>^-»^x^- 
a salary of nine hundred 
dollars a year. Mr. Bell 
was for some years presi- 
dent of the school board. 
William Allen Bell 
was born near Jefferson, 
Clinton Co., Ind., Jan. 
30, 1833. His father, 
Nathaniel Bell, settled in 
Micbigantown, in the 
same county, when young 
Bell was only six years 
of age, and the village 
and vicinity continued to 
be his home until he was 
twenty years old. His 
early education was ob- 
tained in the common 
school, and at the age of 
eighteen he taught his first 
school of sixty-five days 

for one dollar per day and board himself. He likes 
to recall the inaugural address of Horace Mann upon 
the opening of Antioch College at Yellow Springs, 
III, in 1853, at which time he entered the prepara- 
tory department of that institution, from which he 
was graduated in 1860 with a standing above the 
average of his class. Dependent entirely upon his 
own resources to defray the expenses of his college 
course, he met this necessary obstacle with a will to 
succeed by engaging in outside work and teaching 
during his vacations and in connection witli his 




studies. Upon leaving college he went to Missis- 
sippi as a teacher, but the breaking out of the war 
caused his return the same year. In 1861 and 1862 
he had charge of the schools at Williamsburg, Ind., 
and in the summer of 1863 he was chosen principal 
of the Second Ward school at Indianapolis. Upon 
the organization of the present city high school, in 
1864, Mr. Bell was made its principal. In 1865 he 
was superintendent of the schools of Richmond, Ind., 
and the following year resumed the principalship of 
the Indianapolis high school at an increased salary, 
which position he filled 
creditably until the close 
of the school-year 1871. 
During the last four years 
of this time he served as 
school examiner for Mar- 
ion County, and in the 
summer of 1870 visited 
Europe. On July 20, 
1871, Mr. Bell married 
Miss ^liza C. Cannell, a 
woman of high literary 
attainments, a native of 
Waterford, N. Y., who 
had efficiently served as 
first assistant teacher in 
the city high school for 
five years prior to her 
marriage. 

In August, 1871, he 
became sole proprietor and 
editor of the Indiana 
School Journal, and has 
devoted his time and energies largely to its interests 
since, thereby increasing its size, improving its char- 
acter, and more than quadrupling itscirculation. In 
his hands the Journal has been a power for good, and 
Indiana teachers have reason to be proud of it. In 
1873, Mr. Bell was president of the Indiana State 
Teachers' Association, and since 1873, over ten years, 
he has been a member of the Indianapolis School 
Board, of which time he has served seven consecu- 
tive years as its presiding officer. His practical 
knowledge of school work has made him a most val- 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



427 



uable member of the board, and his long gratuitous 
service cannot easily be repaid. 

Since his connection with the Journal Mr. Bell 
has spent much time in traveling over the State 
doing school work, and his efficient school labors in 
teachers' institutes and lecturing tours have reached 
eighty-nine out of ninety-two counties in the State. 
His editorial writings are perspicuous, and have a 
remarkable adaptedness to his purpose and his read- 
ers, and have exerted a pronounced influence upon 
school legislation and methods. Whether in the 
school, the church, or in any other field of labor, 
Mr. Bell is known as a faithful and conscientious 
man, and his candor, earnestness, sociability, and 
high moral and Christian worth have won for him a 
large circle of friends. 

In the spring of 1865 the income from the special 
fund was fifteen thousand nine hundred and eighty- 
three dollars, and from the tuition fund fourteen 
thousand four hundred and eighty-nine dollars. In 
April of that year, under the new common-school 
law of the State, a board of three trustees was elected 
by the Common Council, and in the summer they 
ordered the erection of the first really adequate and 
creditable school buildings of the city. One was on 
the corner of Blackford and Michigan Streetg, the 
other on the corner of Vermont and Davidson Streets. 
The two, with the fences and out-buildings, cost 
seventy-one thousand dollars. Thenceforward the 
managers built only large, durable, and valuable 
houses. It is not necessary to notice the addition 
of these to the school system in detail. In 1866 
was issued a full report of the condition and prog- 
ress of the schools, from which this sketch of their 
history has been condensed. During the school 
year, 1869-70, schools for colored pupils were 
opened in the old houses of the Fourth and Sixth 
Wards. A second story was added to the Fourth 
Ward house in 1870, and an evening school for 
colored pupils opened in the winter of 1871. 

Evening Schools were reported in 1871 to have 
had the preceding winter three hundred and seven- 
teen pupils enrolled, the average attendance being 
one hundred and sixty-one. The total cost was but 
five hundred and seven dollars, or one dollar and 



fifty-nine cents per enrolled pupil and three dollars 
and fifteen cents per pupil actually attending. The 
first report says, — 

" Their instructions have been eminently useful to 
a class of persons who have no other opportunities 
for obtaining useful learning, but their numbers 
should be largely increased from that class of un- 
taught boys and girls who, as at present situated, 
are subjected to the worst influences during the long 
nights of winter. The evening schools have been 
even too respectable, containing few youth who are 
not of confirmed steady and industrious habits. We 
earnestly commend these schools to all good citizens 
as worthy of their best endeavors to increase the in- 
terest in them by frequent visitations, and to add to 
their numbers by solicitations, watchfulness, and 
missionary effort among those young persons who 
can hardly escape becoming bad citizens unless res- 
cued by the influences thrown around them in these 
schools by exciting a thirst for knowledge which shall 
overcome the fascinations of idleness and vice." 

In 1866 the lowest school age, which had previ- 
ously been five years, was increased to six, reducing 
the total of enrollment for that year from twelve 
thousand four hundred and fifty-five in 1865 to nine 
thousand one hundred and seventy-seven. Part of 
the difference is ascribed to incomplete returns. 
Since 1870 all children, colored and white alike, are 
counted in the school enumeration. On the basis of 
this the State's fund, derived from the State school tax 
and the income of the congressional township fund 
and the sinking fund, is apportioned to the counties 
and cities and school districts. The city school 
tax constitutes a large and indispensable part of the 
school revenue. This is now assessed by the school 
board, but until within a few years past was fixed by 
the City Council with other city taxes. The rate of 
school tax is limited to twenty cents on one hundred 
dollars. 

A recent report of the school board presents some 
interesting facts in regard to the grounds and houses, 
modes of lighting, warming, and ventilating, that are 
important in giving the reader a clear idea of the 
free-school system of Indianapolis in its entirety. 
Where so many thousands of those whose habits are 



428 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



unformed, physical systems immature, and modes of 
life unsettled have to pass so large a portion of every 
working-day, the conditions touching health are of 
the highest importance. President Bell says of the 
school grounds, " It has been the policy of the 
board to purchase large lots upon which to erect 
Bchool-houses ; the lots will average for twelve-room 
buildings one hundred and fifty by two hundred 
feet ; and for smaller buildings the lots average one 
hundred and twenty-five by two hundred feet. In 
most instances these lots are bounded on three sides 
by streets and alleys. Sixteen of them are corner lots. 
Schools Nos. 3, 4, and 9 have less than the desired 
amount of space, but in no instance does the school 
building cover one-third the lot upon which it stands. 
In no instance does a neighboring building stand 
within the distance of its own height from the school 
building. In other words, no building stands so near 
a school-house as in any perceptible degree to cut ofi' 
its light or air. Thus the size and location of the 
school lots secure sufficient play-ground, and ample 
light and air." 

In regard to the construction and character of the 
school buildings he says, " Out of our twenty-six 
school buildings but three are more than two stories 
high, and one of these three will be abandoned soon. 
This arrangement saves the climbing of stairs by 
both teachers and pupils, and greatly lessens danger 
in case of fire. The halls and stairways are uni- 
formly wide, and all outside doors and all doors that 
open from the school-rooms into halls swing outward 
on their hinges to prevent danger in case of a panic. 
The school-rooms are, with few exceptions, twenty- 
seven by thirty feet in size, and most of them four- 
teen feet in height of ceiling. This gives fifty pupils, 
which is more than the average number in a room, 
each seventeen square feet of floor space and two 
hundred and thirty-eight cubic feet of air space. All 
school-rooms are furnished with comfortable desks ; 
twelve rooms with double desks, two hundred and 
six with single desks.'' 

Of heating and ventilation he says, " The simple 
matter of heating a school-room is comparatively an 
easy task, but to heat it and at the same time ven- 
tilate it so that the air can be kept pure in it when 



it is occupied by fifty pupils, is a problem most diffi- 
cult to solve. The solution the board has arrived at 
is to make a separate ventilating shaft for each 
room, and they have done this in all the buildings 
erected for several years past. The foul-air registers 
have twice the capacity of the heat registers. The 
stoves used for heating warm the cold air before it 
gets to the pupil. This systein is applied to about 
one hundred school-rooms, and gives the best satis- 
faction. The average of children to a room in the 
primary department is about fifty, and it ought not 
to be more than forty. That of other departments 
is thirty-eight." 

Of the lighting of the school-rooms the report 
says, '■ Next in importance to pure air in a school- 
room is good light. Too much care cannot be taken 
of the children's eyesight. It is safe to say that 
there is not a hadly-lighted school-room in the city. 
Out of the two hundred and ten rooms in use, in 
not one of them do the children sit facing the light, 
and in one hundred and sixty-four of them the light 
is admitted from the left hand and from the back, 
and in fifteen rooms from the left hand only, and in 
the remaining thirty-one the light comes from the 
right hand and the back. In our later buildings all 
the rooms are so arranged as to admit the light from 
the back and the left only, and this is the best possi- 
ble arrangement, according to the weight of authority 
and our experience. 

" There are in these buildings four windows in 
each room, — two in the rear and two at the side, — 
each window nine feet six inches by three feet ten 
inches in size." 

Course op Instruction. — In the first applica- 
tion of the system of grades to the city schools there 
were four divisions, the primary, the intermediate, 
the grammar, and the high school. Some years later, 
about the close of the war or soon after, these were 
reduced to three grades, the primary, the intermedi- 
ate, and the high school. Still later the intermediate 
was changed to a grammar department, as appears in 
the "Manual of 1881," and four years were assigned 
to each, making a full course of the free schools cover 
twelve years. Since 1881 the grammar department 
] has been eliminated and the course below the high 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRAKIES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



429 



school runs on continuously from the first year to the 
eighth. In each year there are two grades, the lower, 
B, advancing quarterly into the next, or A grade. 
The first year has Grade 1 B and Grade 1 A ; the 
second year, Grade 2 B and Grade 2 A ; the third 
year, Grade 3 B and Grade 3 A ; the fourth year. 
Grade 4 B and Grade 4 A, and so on through the 
fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth years, each year 
marking the numbers of the grades in it. There are 
two quarters to each year, and the school year consists 
of thirty-nine weeks. 

First Year, or Grade 1 B. — Reading Monroe's 
" Chart Primer," spelling by sound words of reading, 
general lessons, inventions, and oral lessons on pictures 
and plants, music, writing. These for the first quar- 
ter. Second quarter the same, with addition of arith- 
metic, counting with and without objects, and finding 
a given number of objects. The general lessons on 
color and animals. 1 A, reading, spelling, arithmetic ; 
general lessons (the human body and drawing, first 
quarter ; oral compositions on pictures and lessons on 
plants, second quarter), music, writing. 

Second Year, 2 B. — Reading, spelling, arithmetic, 
language (how to talk, oral compositions, lessons on 



color), writing, drawing, music, continued through 
both quarters. 2 A, reading, spelling, arithmetic, 
language, writing, drawing, music, through both 
quarters. 

Third Year, 3 B. — The course in both quarters 
consists of the same studies substantially as in Grade 
2 A, with slight variations that are of no conse- 
quence to such a summary as this. S A, the same 
as 2 A, advancing in the text-books, and in the 
second quarter introducing geography. 

Fourth Year, ^ B. — The same as in 3 A, last quar- 
ter, with some changes of text-books and methods, 
continuing through both quarters. 4 -^ still contin- 
ues reading, spelling, arithmetic, language, geography, 
writing, drawing, and music through both quarters. 
Both B and A are going the same road, with one a 
little ahead of the other. 

The other four years of the course preceding the 
high school continue the same studies, only advancing 
from quarter to quarter till the seventh year of A, 
when history is introduced and kept up through the 
year, and introduced in the eighth year of B. In 
eighth year of A physiology is introduced, and con- 
tinued through the year in the place of history. 



HIGH SCHOOLS. 





Mathematics. 


Weeks. 


Science. 
(September Classes.) 


Weeks. 


Science. 
(January Classes.) 


Weeks. 


4 




20 
20 




20 
10 
10 




20 
10 
10 


2. Algebra 


cy f 1. Pbysical Geography... 


, f 1. Physical Geography... 












20 
20 




20 
20 




20 
10 
10 


2. Arithmetic 


2. Botany 












"1 


1. Solid Geometry 

2. Trigonometry and 


20 
20 


-J 1 1. Botany 


10 
10 
20 




20 
20 






















20 
20 

20 
20 




20 
20 

20 
20 














9J 





430 



HISTORr OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



HIGH SCHOOLS— Cmtinued. 





English. 


Weeks. 


Commercial and 
History. 


Weeks. 


Language. 


Weeks. 


si 




20 
20 










2. Khetoi-ic, Literature, Read- 




1" 




20 
20 


1. Commercial Course 


20 
20 




40 




2 Commercial Course 












20 
20 


, f 1. Grecian History 

I i. Boman Histori/ 

„ n. Medimml History... 

{ 2. Modern History 


20 
20 


German, Latin, Greek, 


40 








^1 


1. English Literature and 


20 
20 


1. Civil Government, United 


20 
20 

20 


German, Latin, Greeh, 


40 


2. Political Economy 


2. English Literature and 











The required branches are in Roman letters and the elective branches in italic. Drawing and music are also elective in the 
first year. The Commercial Course includes book-keeping, commercial law, and a review of arithmetic, and is designed especially 
for pupils who intend business pursuits. Three recitations daily are required to complete the high school course in four years. 



STATISTICS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOB THIETT TEAKS, 1853 TO 1883. 







No. of 


No. 
Teach- 




No. of 


Average 


Average 




tt Salary 


Salary 


Salary of 
Principals of 


Date. 


* School 


Weeks 


} Salaries Paid 


Different 


Whole 


Daily 


Per Cent, of 




Principal 
of High 
School. 


Census. 


of 


to Teachers. 


Pupils 


Number 


Atten- 


Attendance. 


Superin- 






School. 






Enrolled. 


Belonging. 


dance. 




tendent. 




1R63 
1864 




8 
11 


10 












tS76 
f 76 






3,063 
3,901 
4,604 
4,338 
4,739 
4,934 


$250 






$600 












1000 


600 


















1300 




600 


1857 


















s 


600 
















260 


1 




1869 
1860 
1861 
1862 
1863 
1864 


** 


































500 




400 


4,803 




















400 
















500 




400 to 600 


6,863 
11,907 


30 
36 






2,040 
2,^74 












300 to 600 


30 


240 to 260 


1,260 


1096 


64.86 


1200 


900 


300 to 700 


1865 


12,465 


38 


28 


360 to 376 


2,533 


1,428 


1306 


92. 


1500 


1000 


500 to 620 


1866 


fl: 9,177 


39 


34 


400 


3,242 


1,763 


1000 


91.2 


2000 


1000 


600 to 620 


1867 


8,964 


40 


44 


400 


4,149 


2.602 


2361 


94.2 


2000 


1250 


600 to 620 


186S 


9,607 


40 


62 


400 to 600 


4,949 


3,250 


3099 


95. 


2000 


1500 


600 to 700 


1869 


11,028 


40 


78 


400 to 600 


5,160 


3,649 


3375 


94.9 


2000 


1600 


a? 1200 


1870 


nil 13,082 


40 


92 


400 to 600 


6,796 


3,967 


3759 


94.7 


2400 


1700 


M 1300 


1871 


14,617 


40 


103 


400 to 600 


6,660 


4,408 


4206 


94.4 


2400 






1872 


16,718 


40 


112 


400 to 600 


6,896 


4,676 


4379 


93.6 


2400 


2300 


600 to 800 


1873 


16,927 


40 


128 


460 to 650 


8,178 


6,728 


5306 


92.6 


3000 


2400 


700 to 1100 


1874 


19,125 


40 


161. 


450 to 660 


9,361 


6,756 


6283 


94. 


3000 


2400 


700 to 1100 


1875 


20,723 


40 


176 


460 to 650 


11,013 


7,467 


7210 


95.3 


2800 


2400 


700 to 1100 


1876 


21,255 


40 


189 


450 to 650 


12,315 


7,686 


76»6 


92. 


2600 


2400 


700 to 1100 


1877 


22,806 


40 


203 


460 to 650 


13,679 


8,606 


7920 


92. 


2500 


2000 




1878 


26,012 


40 


208 


450 to 600 


13,178 


9,204 


8666 


93.5 


2500 


1800 


700 to 1000 


1879 


26,039 


40 


213 


420 to 570 


13,336 


9,543 


8912 


93.3 


2500 


1760 




1880 


26,789 


40 


219 


400 to 600 


13,960 


9,646 " 


8926 


92.6 


2600 


1760 


700 to 1000 


1881 


28,959 


39 


233 


400 to 600 ■ 


12,833 


9,750 


9065 


92.8 


3000 






1882 


30,888 


39 


235 


300 to 600 


13,277 


10,198 


9495 


93.2 


3000 


180U 


800 to 1100 


1883 


32,079 


39 


259 


300 to 600 


13,686 


10,763 


9938 


92.4 


3000 







* The census from 1854 to 1865 included all white persons between five and twenty-one years ; from 1866 to 1871, all between the ages of six 
and twenty-one ; and since 1870, all white and colored persons between the last-mentioned ages. 

t City Clerk, acting school director. 

j Salaries are based on the rale per annum for a full school year of forty weeks. 

^Superintendent was also principal of the high school. 

ij High school suspended until 1864. 

** No free schools — school-hoiises rented. 

tfFrom 1858 to 1863 the executive officer of the board was called the " Director." His pay was 8250 during vacation and $500 during term 
time. 

It This falling off in the census is ascribed to the minimum age being increased by one year {six and twenty-one years) and in part to 
incomplete returns. 

32 Two principals only appointed; one for the districts north and one for the districts south of Washington Street. 

II Includes the first enumeration of colored persons of school age. 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



431 



Present Condition. — In the following tables, 
taken from the last reports of the board of commis- 
sioners and the school officers, is presented as full 
and accurate a view of the present condition of the 
public schools as can be obtained. No additions have 



been made to the houses or lots of this or other prop- 
erty of the schools since the compilation of the fol- 
lowing statistical table, which is for the year 1881, 
so that it is as complete as if made for the past year 

(1883) : 



TABLE SHOWING SCHOOL PROPERTY, SIZE, LOCATION, COST OF GROUNDS, BOILDINGS, FURNITURE, ETC., JULY 1, 1881. 



School 
Buildings. 


Location and Size of Lots. 


Date of 
Erection. 


Cost or 

Estimated 

Value of 

Sites. 


Cost of 
Buildings 

and 
Improve- 
ments. 


1 


No. of 
Seats. 


How 

Seated. 


How 
Heated. 


Value of 
Furni- 
ture and 
School 
Appa- 
ratus. 


Total 
Value of 
Property. 




Corner Vei-raont and New Jersey 

Streets, Lot 90 bv 195. 
Corner Delaware and Walnut Streets. 

Lot 1871,^ by 95. 
Meridian Street, between Ohio and 

New York. Lot 135 by 196. 
Corner Blackford and Michigan Sta. 

Lot 167H Ijy 210. 
Maryland Street, between Mississippi 

and Mi6,souri. Lot 67?^ by 195. 
Corner Union and Phipps Streets. Lot 

266 by 139. 
Corner Bates and Benton Streets. Lot 

180 by 190. 
Virginia Avenue, near Huron Street. 

Lot 240 by 126. 
Corner Vermont and Davidson Streets. 

Lot 160 by 190. 
Corner Ash Street and Home Avenue. 

Lot 135 by 254. 
Corner Fourth and Tennessee Streets. 

Lot 121! by 208. 
Corner West and McCarty Streets. Lot 

154 by 188. 
Corner Buchanan and Beatv Streets. 

Lot 164 by 231. 
OhioStreet.east of Highland Avenue. 

Lotl35iiby 219. 
Market Street, between West and Cal- 
ifornia. Lot 67 by 204. 
Indianola, corner Ray and Plum 

Streets. Lot 173 by 181. 
Corner Michigan and Huntington 

Streets. Lot . 

Yandes Street, between Home Avenue 

and Lincoln Street. Lot 120 by 168. 
Shelby Street, south of Virginia Ave- 
nue. Lot 61 by 160. 
Spruce Street, south of Prospect. Lot 

198 by 181. 
New York Street, between Illinois and 

Tennessee. Lot 82'/ by 125. 
Corner Chestnut and Hill Streets. Lot 

lis by 223. 
Corner Fourth and Howard Streets. 

Lot 183 by 201. 
Corner North and Minerva Streets. 

Lot 136^ by 208A- 
Corner New Jersey and Merrill Streets. 

Lot ■. 

Beeler Street, between Lincoln Ave- 
nue and 7th St. Lot 165.6 by 174.4. 
Corner Pennsylvania and Michigan 

Streets. Lot 252}^ by 196. 
East Street, north of Louisiana. Lot 

90 by 200. 
East Washington Street, near Deaf and 

Dumb Asylum. Lot 66 by 193. 
Pennsylvania Street, south of South. 

Lot 691^ by 150. 
Corner Pennsylvania and Ohio Streets. 

Lot 120 by 120. 

Add the books and furniture of c 


1881 

1871 

1875 

1867 

Recon- 

B'ted 1859 

1808 

1872 

1857 

1867 

1872 

1872 

1874 

1873 

1878 

Hecon- 

8'tedl870 

1873 

1873 

1876 

1878 

1875 

Recon- 

s'tedl862 

1876 

1880 

1880 

1881 

1881 

1872 
Not in use 
Not in use 
Not in use 

1880 

ity library 


$11,500.00 
32,650.00 
40,697.60 
10,000.00 
7,000.00 
15,000.00 
11,000.00 
16,000.00 
13,000.00 
15,260.00 
12,200.00 
7,000.00 
6,600.00 
4,900.00 
4,500.00 
3,000.00 
4,000,00 
3,600,00 
2,800.00 
6,000.00 
12,000.00 
5,000,00 
2,600,00 
2,600,00 
8,500.00 
2,000.00 
60,000.00 
7,000.00 
6,500,00 
5,000.00 


Sll,"! 46.35 
42,431.76 
61,131 45 
46,046.00 

2,000.00 
40,500,00 
28,061,00 

6,106.62 
45,600.00 
32,043.00 
25,291.66 
22,000.00 
32,078.41 
10,241.32 

3,300.00 

3,500.00 
23,401.36 

5,342 00 

6,032.00 
26,706.00 

2,000.00 
16,518,28 

6,483.36 
10,871.03 
10,134.19 
11,890.46 
60,000.00 

1,500.00 

1,466.61 


8 
14 
13 
12 

12 
12 
6 
12 
14 
12 
8 
12 
8 
4 
3 
8 
4 
4 
8 
4 
8 
4 
8 
8 
8 
7 


448 Single 
seats 

777 Single 
seats 

720 Single 
seats 


Grossius 
beaters 
Steam 

Steam 

Grossius 
beaters 

heaters 
Grossius 

beaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

lieaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

beaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Grossius 

heaters 
Heaters & 

furnace 


$2,096.20 
6,709.88 
3,255.65 
4,614.72 
1,081.64 
4,330.64 
3,475.26 

952,40 
6,174.90 
3,744,60 
2,097.65 
2,059.10 
3,118.90 
1,962.82 

831,50 

829.81 
2,065.61 

766.00 

606.65 
2,856.66 

200.00 
1,858.65 

783.66 
1,660.47 
1,541.32 

396.63 
9,019.76 


$25,040.66 
81,791.68 
94,984.60 
59,660.72 
10,081.64 
69,830.64 
42,536.26 
21,059.02 
63,674.90 
51,037.60 
39,589.20 
31,059.10 
41,697.31 
17,094.14 
8,631.50 
7,329.81 
29,456.96 
9,608.00 
8,538.65 
34,662.85 
14,200.00 
23,376.93 
10,067.02 
16,031.60 
20.175.51 
14,287.09 
119,019.76 
7,000.00 
8,000.00 
5,000.00 
2,989.11 






No. 4 


No. 5 


210 


double 
Single 
seats 


No. 6 




seats 
644 Single 

seats 

284 ! S'gle & 

double 

693: Single 

seats 
777 Single 

seats 
603' Single 

seats 
382, Single 

seats 

628 Single 

' seats 

483, Single 

1 seats 

144, Single 

seats 
168 Double 

seats 
336 Single 

seats 








No. 11 


No 12 


No. 13 


No. 14 


No. 16 










161 
423 
464 
381 
209 
362 
504 
434 
643 


seats 
Single 

seats 
Single 

seats 
Single 

Single 

seats 
Single 

seats 
Single 

seats 
Single 

seats 
Single 

seats 
Single 

seats 




No. 21 


No. 22 




No. 24 


No. 25 




High School. 
Old No. 7.... 
Old No. 14.... 
Old No. 6.... 
Lib. B'lding.. 






















GrossiuB 
heaters 


1,522.60 








8334,997.60 
and ofBce ft 


$572,021.73 


225 


11,946 


$69,392,67 


$976,411.90 
35,000.00 












$1,011,411.90 





432 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



23,990 
6,898 



12,916 

361 

1,053 

190 

185 

8334,907.50 

572,021.73 

69,392.67 

976,321.90 

2,633,500.00 

.02 



25,257 
7,822 



SUMMARY OF STATISTICS. 
, Legal school age, six to twenty years inclusive. 
Number of population according to the census : 

Under six 

Between six and sixteen 

Over sixteen 

, Whole number of different pupils enrolled : 

Under six 

Between six and sixteen 

Oyer sixteen 

Number in schools other than public, as reported by census enumerator 

Number of school days in the year 

Number of days taught 

Estimiited real value of property used for school purposes, grounds, or sites 

Buildings 

Furniture , 

Total 

Total taxable property of city, assessed value 5 

Tax for school purposes, mills per dollar, assessed value 



13,378 

307 

2,833 

190 

186 

$346,347.50 

602,071.73 

72,682.67 

1,021,101.90 

53,081,400.00 

.02 



10. Number of rooms in which pupils are seated for study and recita- 

tion under one teacher 

11. Number of rooms in charge of two or more teachers 

12. Number of rooms used for recitation only 

13. Number of school buildings 

14. Number of sittings for study 

15. Number of teachers, January, including principals: 

Males 

Females 

16. Average number of teachers 

17. Number of pupils enrolled 

18. Average daily attendance 

19. Average daily attendance per teacher 



26 
11,373 



211 

219 

12,678 

8,772 



12 

27 

11,916 

17 

218 

235 

13,301 

9,228 



223 

2 

2 

28 

12,279 

11 

233 

244 

13,151 

9,938 

40.7 



224 

7 

12 

29 

12,822 

18 

241 

259 

13,709 

10,442 



ANNUAL SALARIES. 

1882. 

Of superintendent $3000 

Of assistant superintendent 2000 

Of superintendent of primary instruction... 1400 

Of special teacher of music 1295 

Of special teacher of drawing 1450 

Of principal of normal school 1650 

Of principal of high school 1800 

Of assistants 950 

Of principals of ward schools SSOO to 1100 

Of assistants in ward schools 300 to 600 

Expense of instruction per capita based on av 
attendance ; 

Tuition S14.57 

Incidentals 4.27 

Total $18.84 



1883. 

$3000 

2000 

1500 

1400 

1500 

2000 

2000 

$750 to 1100 

800 to 1100 

300 to 650 

verage daily 

S14.86 
4.26 

S19.12 



NUMBER OF SCHOOL CHILDREN BY COMMISSIONERS' DIS- 
TRICTS, 1883. 

No. 1 1,68.') 

No. 2 1,764 

No. 3 1,596. 

No. 4 3,857 



No. 5 3,868 

No. 6 3,484 

No. 7 2,413 

No. 8 5,118 

No. 9 2,477 

No. 10 4,193 

No. 11 2,624 

Total 33,078 

Transfers 91 

Tot.al 33,170 



STATEMENT OF ATTENDANCE, ETC. 

1882. 1883. 

Enrollment 13,277 13,685 

Average number belonging 10,198 10,753 

Average attendance 9,495 9,938 

Per cent, of attendance 93.2 92.4 

Cases of tardiness 8,244 6,054 

Number of tardy pupils 3,571 3,539 

Number of pupils neither absent 

nor tardy 1,777 3,659 

Number of truancies 553 556 

Number of truant pupils 352 422 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



433 



TABLE SHOWING THE RELATION BETWEEN SCHOOL CENSUS 
AND SCHOOL ENROLLMENT. 



Year. 


School CensuB. 


Total. 


School 
EnroU- 


No. in Pri- 
vate Schools. 


No. at 


White. 


Colored. 


Work. 


1869... 


10,407 


621 


11,028 


5,160 


Not given. 


Not given. 


1870... 


12,274 


808 


13,082 


5,795 


" 




1871... 


1.3,714 


903 


14,617 


6,560 


" 




1872... 


14,708 


1010 


15,718 


6,895 


" 




1873... 


16,035 


894 


16,927 


8,178 


" 




1874... 


18,074 


1051 


19,125 


9,351 


" 




1876... 


19,734 


989 


20,723 


10,013 


" 




1876... 


19,925 


1330 


21,255 


12,315 


2100 


4739 


1877... 


21,095 


1711 


22,806 


13,679 


1340 


3931 


1878... 


23,956 


2056 


25,012 


13,178 


1156 


3265 


1879... 


23,738 


2301 


26,039 


13,336 


1597 


4680 


1880... 


22,263 


2776 


26,029 


■13,936 


1116 


3652 


1881... 


25,961 


2998 


28,959 


13,964 


1334 


3643 


1882... 


27,372 


3516 


30,888 


13,277 


1063 


3636 


1883... 


29,363 


3716 


33,079 


13,685 


2833 


7731 



In Private Schools. — In Indianapolis the number 
enrolled in all schools other than public is thirteen 
and a half per cent, of the public school enroll- 
ment. 

Per 
Cent. 

In Fort Wayne, Ind 83 

In Logansport, Ind 45 

In Terre Haute, Ind 17 

In Vincennes, Ind 51 

In Madison, Ind ■. 57 

In Detroit, Mich , 47 

In Chicago, 111 .- 39 

In St. Louis, Mo 34 

In Buffalo, N. Y 40 

In Cincinnati, Ohio 51 

In Cleveland, Ohio 46 

EXPENDITtJKES. 





Expended 
1881-82. 


Expended 
1882-83. 


Estimates 
1883-84. 


Tuition 


$148,648.17 

8,938.60 

2,841.77 

6,351.68 

100.60 

256.00 

1,478.12 

6,736.81 

1,538.72 

1,992.66 

3,879.14 

671.18 

990.80 

20,442.11 


$159,876.00 

9,192.00 

3,053.60 

6,661.10 

91.60 

256.00 

4,969.94 

5,916.08 

1,092.33 

2,003.31 

4.040.52 

530.17 

648.26 

23,680.09 

154.35 

1,116.17 

679.63 

22.20 

10,784.41 

4,097.88 

588.88 

9,342.14 


$160,000.00 








Fuel 








Water 








Repairs and expenses.. 


6,000.00 


















New buildings 










805.75 

814.04 

82.20 

8,881.33 

3,952.87 

621.10 

11,305.32 






1,000.00 




Interest 


9,000.00 








12,500.00 






$231,328.97 


$248,596.66 


$225,000.00 



The Gregg Fund. — This is the bequest of Thomas 
D. Gregg, one of the early teachers of the city, who 
died in Virginia some years ago. The condition of 
the gift was that the value of the lands of which it 
consisted should be safely invested and the income 
applied to the city schools. The last report of the 
trustee of the fund, Mr. Merritt, shows that the 
amount of it is ten thousand two hundred and one 
dollars and eleven cents, and the income fund is one 
thousand seven hundred and forty-three dollars and 
thirty-three cents. 

Normal School. — In 1867 a normal school depart- 
ment was formed, and placed in charge of Miss Fu- 
nelle, in which the chief purpose was the education 
and training of the pupils of our own schools for 
teachers in them. The present superintendent of this 
department, Mr. Lewis H. Jones, says that fifty-seven 
per cent, of the teachers now in the city schools have 
graduated from it since 1867. He says that according 
to present regulations applicants must be at least 
eighteen years of age, and of good moral character 
and good health, with an education equivalent to that 
given by the high school, but that graduates of that 
school may be subjected to competitive examination 
by the principal of the normal school. There are now 
two departments in it, — a theory department, in 
which instruction in methods of teaching and in 
school management is given ; and a practice depart- 
ment, in which the pupil-teachers, under the care of 
a competent critic, put into practice the theories of 
school work learned in the other. Bach pupil-teacher 
is required to remain in each department twenty 
weeks, filling the place of a regular teacher during 
her stay in the practice-school, without pay, her in- 
struction paying for her services. The following is 
an outline of the course of study : 

Psychology, one recitation per day for .20 weeks. 

Arithmetic and methods in primary number, 10 weeks 

each 20 weeks. 

Rhetoric, practical composition, and language 20 weeks. 

Botany (elementary), 8j school economy, 12 20 weeks. 

Geography, 12; lessons on place, 4; object lessons, 4.. 20 weeks. 
Methods in primary reading and spelling, 10 ; form, 

6; moral instruction, 4 20 weeks. 

Music, drawing, and ponm.anship, one lesson per week. 

Within the three years sixty-four persons have 
received its diploma. 



434 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



PKBSENT COMMISSIONERS. 
Diet. Term expirea. 

I., J. P. Frenzel, Merchants' National Bank 1885 

II., Charles W. Smith, 76 East Washington Street 1885 

III., H. G. Carey, corner North and Illinois Streets 1886 

IV., George Merritt, 4U West Washington Street 1886 

v., J. J. Bingham, 14S West Maryland Street 1884 

VI., Austin H. Brown, 290 South Meridian Street 1884 

VII., E. P. Thompson, Post-Office 1886 

A'lII., I. W. Stratford, 187 Buchanan Street 1886 

IX., Clemens Vonnegut, 184 East Washington Street... 1884 

X., William A. Bell, No. 12 Journal Building 1885 

XL, Robert Browning, 7 and 9 E. Washington Street... 1885 

Officers of the Board. — President, Austin H. 
Brown ; Secretary, Charles W. Smith ; Treasurer, 
H. G. Carey ; Superintendent of Schools, H. S. Tar- 
hell; Assistant Superintendent, J. J. Mills; Superin- 
tendent of Primary Institution, Nehraska Cropsey. 
Special Teachers : Jesse H. Brown, drawing ; Charles 
E. Emmerich, German. Librarian, William DeM. 
Hooper ; Assistant Secretary, Emma B. Ridenour ; 
Building and Supply Agent, H. C. Hendrickson ; 
Clerk, Therese E. Jones. 

Trustees, — Prom 1853 to 1861, as before stated, 
the board of trustees was elected by the Common 
Council. From 1861 to 1864 the board was elected 
by the people, one from each ward ; and from 1865 
to 1871 the trustees were again appointed by the 
Council. In June, 1871, a board of school commis- 
sioners, one from each school district, was elected by 
the people. 

1853.— Henry P. Coburn, Calvin Fletcher, H. F. West. School 
Director, the city clerk. 

1854. — H. P. Coburn, Calvin Fletcher, John B. Dillon, William 
Sheets. Director, the city clerk. 

1855. — Calvin Fletcher, David Beaty, James M. Bay. School 
Superintendent, Silas T. Bowen. 

1856.— Calvin Fletcher, David Beaty, D. V. Culley. Superin- 
tendent, George B. Stone. 

1867.— D. V. CuIIey, N. B. Taylor, John Love. Superintendent, 
George B. Stone. 

1858-59.— D. V. Culley, John Love, David Beaty. Director, 
James Greene, 

1860. — Caleb B. Smith, Lawrence M. Vance, Cyrus C, Hines. 
Director, James Greene. 

1861-62.— Oscar Kendrick, D. V. Culley, James Greene, Thomas 
B. Elliott, James Sulgrove, Lewis W. Hasselman, Richard 
O'Neal. Director, George W. Hoss. 

1863-64.— James H. Beall, D. V, Culley, I. H. Boll, Thomas B. 
Elliott, Lucien Barbour, James Sulgrove, Alexander Metz- 
ger, Charles Coulon, Andrew May, Herman Lieber. Super- 
intendent, A. C. Shortridge. 



1865-68.— ThomaB B. Elliott, William H. L. Noble, Clemens 
Vonnegut. Superintendent, A. C. Shortridge. 

1869-70.— William H. L. Noble, James C. Yohn, John R. Elder. 
Superintendent, A. C. Shortridge, 

Commissioners. — The board of school commis- 
sioners of this city was organized in July, 1871, and 
since then the following gentlemen have served on 
the board: John R. Elder, James C. Yohn, H. G. 
Carey, Thomas B. Elliott, J. J. Bingham, Austin H. 
Brown, William F, Reasner, Peter Rentier, Clemens 
Vonnegut, Thomas R. Norris, A. L. Roache, Moses 
R. Barnard, John M. Youart, C. C, Hines, E. R. 
Moody, George Merritt, Charles W. Smith, John 
Coburn, Robert Browning, I. W. Stratford, Edward 
P, Thompson, and John P. Frenzel. 

City Library, — This is by far the largest, most 
complete, and best-managed library in the State. It 
is a part of the city school system, under the direction 
of the board of school commissioners, and supported 
by a tax levied with the city school tax. The his- 
tory of this institution deserves more than a cursory 
notice. On the 24th of May, 1872, a committee on 
the Public Library was appointed, in connection with 
the high school and night schools, consisting of Dr. 
Harvey G, Carey, Dr, Thomas B. Elliott, Austin H. 
Brown, and Judge Addison L. Roache, and the same 
members were continued for the following year. On 
the 5th of July, 1872, the committee employed W. 
F. Poole, of the Cincinnati Public Library, to prepare 
a catalogue of at least eight thousand volumes. On 
the 6th of September the school board appointed an 
advisory committee of citizens on the library, con- 
sisting of Mr. John D. Howland, Rev. Hanford A. 
Edson, and Judge Elijah B. Martindale, whose duty 
vras to " attend the stated meetings of the committee 
for consultation in regard to all matters affecting the 
interests of the library." 

On the 20th of September, 1872, the selection 
having been made by W. F. Poole, Esq., who was 
then librarian of the Cincinnati Public Library, the 
contract for supplying the books, bids having been 
invited for that purpose, was let to Messrs. Merrill & 
Field, of this city. On Nov. 15, 1872, Charles 
Evans, Esq., who had been thoroughly trained for its 
duties, was appointed librarian, at a salary of twelve 



SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



435 



hundred dollars per annum. To his many admirable 
qualifications for the position, his zeal in the work, 
and his indefatigable labors while librarian, is the 
success of the library in a large measure due. 

At this time there was in existence the Indianapo- 
lis Library Association, a stock company, having a 
catalogue of near four thousand well-selected books. 
With great liberality this association, on Dec. 20, 
1872, offered to transfer its library to the board upon 
the condition that the Indianapolis Public Library 
should ever be free to the citizens of the city. This 
generous gift was the corner-stone of our free Public 
Library. 

On March 21, 1873, rules for the government of 
the Public Library were adopted by the board. On 
the 4th of April, 1873, the terms of transfer of the 
Indianapolis Library Association to the city were ac- 
cepted by the board, and at the same time it made 
the following acknowledgment of the donation : " The 
board, in behalf of the citizens of Indianapolis, desires 
to return its thanks for this timely and munificent 
benefaction. Without it the free library could not 
have been opened at this time, nor would it at an early 
day have adequately supplied the immediate wants of 
the people." 

The first catalogue of the library was ordered to 
be published July 5, 1873. On July 18, 1873, the 
board added to its standing committees one on Pub- 
lic Library, and the following members were ap- 
pointed : 

H. G. Carey, A. H. Brown, W. A. Bell, and J. M. 
Ridenour. Advisory Committee, J. D. Howland. H. 
A. Edson, Simon Yandes, and C. C. Hines. 

The following persons have composed that commit- 
tee since that time : 1874-75, A. H. Brown, W. A. 
Bell, J. J. Bingham, J. M. Youart. Advisory Com- 
mittee, H. Gr. Carey, J. D. Howland, H. A. Edson, 
Simon Yandes, and C. C. Hines. 

1875-76, same as last year, with the exception of 
Simon Yandes, on the Advisory Committee, who re- 
signed. 

1876-77, C. C. Hines, J. J. Bingham, A. P. Stan- 
ton, and Clemens Vonnegut. Advisory Committee, 
J. D. Howland, H. A. Edson, H. G. Carey, W. P. 
Fishback. Mr. Stanton resigned on September 15th, 



and Robert Browning, Esq., was appointed in his 
place. 

1877-78, C. C. Hines, J. J. Bingham, H. G. 
Carey, and Robert Browning. Advisory Committee, 
J. D. Howland, H. A. Edson, W. P. Fishback, and 
A. C. Harris. 

1878-79, C. C. Hines, J. J. Bingham, Robert 
Browning, and H. G. Carey. Advisory Committee, 
Rev. 0. C. McCulloch, Rev. Myron W. Reed, 0. B. 
Hord, and Rev. C. H. Raymond. 

1879-80, N. A. Hyde, J. J. Bingham, Robert 
Browning, and H. G. Carey. Advisory Committee, 
Rev. 0. C. McCulloch, C. C. Hines, Mrs. Martha N. 
McKay, and Mrs. India Harris. 

1880-81, same as last year. 1881-83, same. 

The Public Library and Reading-Room were opened 
in the high school building, where they remained 
until January, 1875, when they were removed, with 
the oSiees of the board, to the Sentinel building, 
corner Meridian and Circle Streets, a more central 
location and additional room. The rapid growth of 
the library at the end of the five years' lease required 
more commodious quarters, with diminished fire risks. 
The board not having the means to erect a building 
for the purpose, conditionally purchased from E. S. 
Alvord, Esq., the property on the corner of Pennsyl- 
vania and Ohio Streets, very near if not quite the 
centre of the population of the city, paying annually 
five per cent, interest on ten-year bonds for sixty 
thousand dollars, dated Jan. 1, 1881, with the privi- 
lege of reconveying the property at the end of that 
time. By agreement, the improvements and additions 
to the property having been completed, the library, 
reading, and reference rooms, and the offices of the 
board, were removed to their present home in Sep- 
tember, 1880. 

Mr. Charles Evans continued librarian until July, 
1878, when Mr. Albert B. Yohn succeeded him, but 
on account of ill health he resigned at the end of the' 
school year. During his brief term Mr. Yohn did 
much to popularize the library, especially by increas- 
ing the usefulness of the reference department. In 
August, 1879, Mr. Arthur W. Tyler, who had been 
connected with the Astor Library, New York City, 
and the Johns Hopkins Library of Baltimore, was 



436 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



elected librarian. He resigned on the 30th of June, 
1883, and Mr. W. DeM. Hooper was elected. He 
has proved very efficient and popular. 

The Indianapolis Public Library was opened to the 
public April 8, 1873, with appropriate ceremonies. 
At a meeting of citizens, held in the high school 
hall on the evening of that day, addresses were made 
by the Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks, Rev. H. A. Edson, 
and Rev. Mr. Kumler, who forcibly and eloquently 
presented the advantages of a public library as an 
educational institution, and, being free to every citizen, 
making it a library for all who availed themselves of 
its privileges as a means of intellectual culture or en- 
joyment. The following historical sketch of the library 
was given by Judge Roache at the opening : 

" The public library is a part of the common school 
system of Indianapolis. After a trial of the general 
common school system in force in the State, it becomes 
evident that, while admirable in the main, it did not 
fully suit the wants of the larger class. A number 
of our citizens who felt an interest in the subject, 
held several meetings with the view of considering 
whether some plan could not be suggested which, 
while constituting a part of the general system, should 
be flexible enough to be adapted to the various needs 
and capacities of the larger cities of the State. One 
of the defects of the general law, when it came to be 
applied to cities, was the absence of any sufficient 
authority for the creation and maintenance of such a 
library as it was felt we ought to have. No system 
of education can be complete without such a collection 
of books as is beyond the ability of private individ- 
uals. Other cities are rapidly providing their people 
with such institutions, and regard them not only a 
most beneficial and material part of the system, but 
as the crown of the whole. The problem was to 
supply this defect. 

" The idea was suggested of embodying in the statute 
then being prepared for organizing the city schools a 
provision authorizing the board of school commis- 
sioners to levy an annual tax, so small that no one 
would feel it, the proceeds of which should be devoted 
exclusively to the providing and maintaining of a 
public library, free forever to all the inhabitants of 
the city. The law under which our present city 



schools are organized was accordingly drafted, and on 
the 3d of March, 1871, passed by the Legislature, 
one of its sections authorizing the board to levy a 
tax, for the purpose of creating a library, of one-fifth 
of one mill, equal to two cents on the hundred dollars 
of assessed valuation. This section was the origin of 
the Indianapolis Public Library. 

" The board levied the tax and immediately ad- 
dressed themselves to the task of selecting the books 
and perfecting a proper system of management, and 
they soon found they had more of a task on their 
hands than any of them had expected. Sensible of 
the importance of starting out on correct principles, 
and of their own want of the technical knowledge and 
experience in management necessary to its successful 
working, they sought to avail themselves of the ex- 
perience of men who were already familiar with the 
organization and working of such institutions in other 
cities. A committee was accordingly appointed by 
the board, consisting of Dr. H. Gr. Carey, Dr. T. B. 
Elliott, and Austin H. Brown, Esq., who visited the 
cities of St. Louis and Cincinnati, which had in 
operation most successful free public libraries, the 
former of thirty thousand and the latter of forty 
thousand volumes. 

" These gentlemen spent considerable time in study- 
ing the systems of those libraries, and were afibrded 
every facility for so doing by all the officers, who 
cheerfully imparted to them the fullest information as 
to the plans and details of management. Mr. Wil- 
liam F. Poole, the efficient and accomplished manager 
of the free library of Cincinnati, took a very deep in- 
terest in the enterprise, and rendered most valuable 
assistance, visiting this city on several occasions for 
the purpose of advising and consulting as to the 
selection of books and the organization of the 
library. 

" Upon the report of the committee a plan suggested 
by them was adopted, and the work of selecting and 
purchasing books was proceeded with as rapidly as 
was consistent with a due regard to economy and to 
the proper care and discrimination in making the 
selections. It was found that certain classes of books 
could be purchased much cheaper in Europe than at 
home, and whenever that was the case they were 



SCHOOLS AND LIBEARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



437 



bought abroad. It occasioned some delay, but that 
was amply compensated by the saving of our very 
limited means. 

" Some years since a number of our public-spirited 
citizens, impressed with the great need that existed 
in so rapidly a growing city for a public library, or- 
ganized a society for the purpose of providing one by 
public donations, and with a design of making it free 
to the public on such modei'ate terms as would barely 
provide for its maintenance. At a very considerable 
cost to themselves, a collection of near four thousand 
volumes of admirably selected books was made, and 
was rapidly becoming efficient and useful. When the 
Public Library of Indianapolis was organized, these 
gentlemen, perceiving that it would, if properly sus- 
tained by the people, accomplish the purpose they 
had mainly in view, and with much ampler means 
than they could command, conceived the generous 
idea of abandoning their organization and donating 
their handsome collection to the public library. The 
generous purpose was as generously carried out, and 
the entire body of the stockholders of the Indianap- 
olis Library Association have united in transferring 
their admirable collection of books to the public. 

" On the completion of the donation, the committee 
was enlarged by the addition of A. L. Roaohe, from 
the school board, and the appointment of Hon. John 
D. Howland, Rev. H. A. Bdson, and Hon. E. B. 
Martindale, the last three as advisory members, se- 
lected because of their former connection with the 
Indianapolis Library Association, and because of their 
great interest in the subject. The books embraced 
in this donation number three thousand seven hun- 
dred and forty volumes, the number purchased by the 
board six thousand two hundred and eighty, making 
in all ten thousand and twenty volumes now on our 
shelves, and there are still outstanding orders for two 
thousand five hundred more, making a total of twelve 
thousand five hundred and twenty volumes." 

Officers of Library. — Librarian, William DeM. 
Hooper, 258 North Delaware Street. Assistant Li- 
brarians, Mrs. I. MoElhennen, 32 Winslow Block ; 
Miss Alice B. Wick, 264 North Tennessee Street ; 
Miss Mary E. Lloyd, corner New Jersey and Sev- 
enth Streets ; Miss Mary E. Keatinge, 331 North 



Alabama Street ; Miss Emily S. Bingham, 148 West 
Maryland Street; Miss Lyde G. Browning, 300 
South Meridian Street; Mrs. E. L. S. Harrison, 191 
Christian Avenue ; Miss I. C. Schonacker, 220 North 
New Jersey Street. Night Attendants, Miles Clif- 
ford, 384 North West Street ; Lindsay M. Brown, 4 
Mayhew Block; Paul B. Hay, 14 Talbott Block; 
Charles W. Moores, 232 North Alabama Street. 

Accession catalogue, June 30, 1881, 35,198 vol- 
umes, 3252 pamphlets; June 30, 1883, 38,689 
volumes, 341Y pamphlets. Gain from June 30, 
1881, to June 30, 1883, 3491 volumes, 165 pam- 
phlets. 

Of these, 2902 volumes have been acquired by 
purchase, and 589 volumes and 165 pamphlets by 
gift. This does not represent, however, the number 
of volumes actually upon the shelves, many of the 
Tauchnitz edition of the English authors being 
bound two volumes in one ; many volumes having 
been worn out and condemned or lost, which have 
not been replaced. By actual count, the volumes 
upon the shelves amount to 35,025. The losses 
through failure to get the books back from bor- 
rowers, or to collect the cost of them, have been very 
small, amounting during the past two years to only 
five. Many books reported lost or missing will 
undoubtedly come to light when an examination of 
the shelves is made. 

The registration of borrowers continues in about 
the same ratio, 22,815 cards having been issued to 
date, — 1268 and 1211 having been issued during the 
years ending June 30, 1882, and June 30, 1883, re- 
spectively. It is to be regretted that some means 
cannot be devised to prevent the frequent forgeries 
and frauds which are to be met with in the filling of 
certificates of guarantee. Exercise what diligence 
we may, such cases will still occur, and occasionally 
it is necessary to call in a card for investigation upon 
the certificate on which it was issued. It is impos- 
sible to state how many of these cards are in actual 
use at present, since it is very seldom that a person 
leaving the city, or discontinuing the use of a card, 
will take the trouble to surrender it. 

The experience of this library has been similar to 
that of almost every other free library in the 



438 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



country, in a decrease of circulation during the busy 
and prosperous times of the past two or three years. 
Our circulation steadily decreased until it fell to 188,- 
239 during the year 1881-82. The year 1882-83 
just closed, however, shows a gain of 7138, having 
reached by June 30th, 195,377. From present indi- 
cations the current year will show a larger increase 
in circulation. The following shows the circulation 
for 1881-82 and 1882-83 : 

Home Use. Hall Use. Schools. Total. 

1881-82 120,840 47,800 19,599 188,239 

1882-83 125,375 46,607 23,395 195,377 


as evidence of the growing popularity and usefu 
of the library. 

It will be seen by adding the circulation of b 
reading-room, and schools that the total numb 
pieces handled amounts to nearly a quarter of a 
lion yearly : 

1881-82, number of pieces read 245,42 

1882-83 " " " 248,83 


InesB 

ooks, 
er of 
mil- 

8 
S 

cula- 

asses 


The following exhibit, made up from the cii 
tion for home use, shows the percentage of the c 
of reading for the two years : 


Gain, 4,535 Loss, 1,193 Gain, 3,342 Gain, 7,138 

Considering the population of the city, the age of 
the library, and its size, this is a very flattering ex- 
hibit 


1.. 

2.. 
3.. 
4.. 
5.. 
6., 

T.. 

8.. 


Classification. 


1881-82. 


1 


1882-83. 


■^ 


Volumes 
Used. 


Volumes 
Used. 


s. 


While the circulation for home reading shows a 




71,482 
20,050 
4,850 
9,620 
2,428 

3,148 


59.4 
16.5 
4.0 
7.9 
2.0 

2.6 

5.4 
2.2, 


69,606 
19,100 


68.6 










4n 


considerable increase, and the number of visitors to 


History, biography, and travel. 


12,366 10.4 


the reading-room increased seven thousand eight hun- 
dred and fifty-three, the number of pieces used has 


Theology, social science, phil- 
osophy, education 

Miscellaneous (literature, es- 


2,921 

4,279 
2,714 


2.8 
3.6 


decreased four thousand nine hundred and twenty-one 






2.3 








during the past year. It is undoubtedly true that 
there has been comparatively no idleness in the com- 
munity ; and this, coupled with the fact that the cir- 
culation otherwise increased largely, may be accepted 


120,840 


100.0 


118,673 


100.0 


The following exhibit shows statistics of reading- 
room and school reference libraries : 



July 

August... 
Septembei 
October... 
Novembei 
December 
January.. 
February, 
March.... 

April 

May 

June 

Total. 



1,952 
2,891 
3,387 
3,927 
3,996 
4,429 
4,691 
4,273 
4,189 
3,727 
3,758 
3,228 



1,931 
1,635 
1,501 
i,316 



1,994 
i,171 
i,268 
i,388 
1,507 



,615 
!,518 
!,594 
1,399 
i,732 
.,327 
;,632 



1,290 
•450 



44,358 .57,189 47,800 104,989 



4,546 
6,153 
7,095 
9,715 
9,594 
10,234 
10,341 
10,497 
10,432 
9,757 
9,678 
6,957 



1,134 
2,529 
2,076 
2,573 
1,413 
2.625 
2,549 
2,363 
1,782 
555 



19,599 



3,226 
3,130 
3,192 
4,212 
4,211 
5,331 
5,231 
5,297 
5,835 
4,506 
4,349 
3,601 



4,223 
4,293 
4,556 
4,866 
5,442 
5,387 
6,521 
5,812 
6,671 
5,392 
4,870 
4,906 



52,211 I 53,461 



2,217 
2,243 
2,617 
3,843 
4,167 
4,760 
4,323 
5,831 
5,798 
4,531 
3,392 
2,785 



6,440 
6,536 
7,173 
8,709 
9,609 
10,147 
10,844 
11,643 
12,469 
9,923 
8,042 
7,691 



46,607 I 100,068 



893 
2,466 
1,729 
2,864 
2,378 
2,974 
2,957 
2,924 
3,172 

519 



23,395 







EEPAIKS. 




Teah. 


No. Volumes 
Bound at 
Library. 


No. of Volumes Repaired. 


No. Vols. Cov- 
ered with Paper 
at Library. 


At Bindery. At Library. 


1881-82... 
1882-83... 


788 
832 


403 2578 
394 3749 


5580 
2304 



The Indianapolis Library, to which reference is 
made by Judge Roache in the historical sketch of 
the City Library, was formed in March, 1869, by 
one hundred citizens, each of whom was to contribute 
one hundred and fifty dollars, to be paid in annual in- 
stallments of twenty-five dollars, the annual amount 



SCHOOLS AND LIBKARIES OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



439 



to go to the maintenance and increase of a public 
library for five years to begin with. The officers 
were John D. Howland, president; William P. Fish- 
back, vice-president ; D. W. Grubbs, secretary ; 
William S. Hubbard, treasurer. A sketch of the 
City Library has related that the books of this associa- 
tion were given to the city institution and the organiza- 
tion dissolved. 

The County Library. — This library was founded 
in 1844 on a public fund, of which a share was given 
to each county for library purposes. The first trus- 
tees were Demas L. McFarland, George Bruce, Henry 
P. Coburn, John Wilkins, James Sulgrove, and Liv- 
ingston Dunlap. The first librarian was Augustus 
Coburn, elder brother of Gen. John, who removed to 
Ontanagon in 1846, and was drowned in a wreck on 
Lake Superior while returning from a visit here in 
1862. The next were B. R. Sulgrove, Gen. Coburn, 
and later Charles Dennis, recently of the Review. 
The number of volumes is about four thousand ; it 
was about two thousand when started. The first loca- 
tion was a little room in the southwest corner of the 
old court-house. It now has ample and superb ac- 
commodations on the first floor of the new court- 
house. The income of a fund of two thousand dol- 
lars is spent in the addition of new books and repairs 
of old ones. Any citizen of the county can take out 
two volumes for a week for about a dollar a year, or 
one a week for half of it. Henry P. Coburn selected 
the first books, and it was as admirable a selection as 
was ever made for a small library. It never had 
more than seventy to one hundred subscribers at once, 
and these were chiefly in the country. 

The Township Library contains one thousand or 
twelve hundred volumes, under charge of the town- 
ship trustee. It is founded on the township's share of 
money due to the State from the general government 
in some of the early business affairs of the two. 

The Catholic Workingmen's Library is kept in 
the building on the northeast corner of Georgia and 
Tennessee Streets, where the Sisters of Providence 
School was first established, and is open every night 
from six to ten o'clock. It contains some five hun- 
dred volumes, and is the property of one of the Cath- 
olic Sodalities of the parish. The Sisters of Provi- 



dence have a library of about one thousand volumes 
connected with their school. 

The State Library contains about seventeen thou- 
sand volumes. It was formed in 1825, and kept by 
the Secretary of State till 1841, when enough vol- 
umes, including public documents and legislative 
journals, had been got together to make a decent show, 
and it was thought becoming to constitute the library 
a positive and visible existence. This was done in 
that year by appropriating to it two rooms in the 
southwest corner of the first floor of the State-house, 
and electing John Cook librarian. His successors in 
office will be found in the list of State officers. Before 
the old State-house was torn down the State Library 
had become a sort of museum of historical relics, and 
contained daguerreotypes of all the members of the 
Constitutional Convention of 1850, memorials of the 
Mexican war, flags of Indiana regiments in the civil 
war, Indian weapons and utensils of pre-historic times, 
and other things of like interest, and filled nearly the 
whole of the west side of the lower floor of the build- 
ing. When the old house was about to come down, 
quarters were found for the library in the Gallup or 
McCray Block, on Market and Tennessee Streets, 
where it is likely to remain till it goes into the new 
State-house. The law library of the Supreme Court 
is kept in the State buildings, but it is not a public 
library, though open to the profession. 

The State Geological Museum is in the rooms of 
the building over the State Library. It contains more 
than one hundred thousand specimens of fossils, many 
of them the finest ever discovered. Dr. Cox, while 
State geologist, made considerable progress in the 
accumulation of this museum ; but it was left to the 
professional enthusiasm, personal liberality, and scien- 
tific sagacity of Professor Collett, present State geolo- 
gist, to make it the rare and wonderful collection and 
the admirably systematized work it is. 

The State System. — All the school revenues de- 
rived either from permanent funds or taxation go into 
a common fund which is apportioned to the counties 
according to their population of school age. This 
arrangement is cumbered by the very serious defect of 
forcing honest counties, which take fair enumerations 
and pay their taxes fairly, to pay a large share of the 



440 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



school expenses of rascally or slothful counties. 
Marion pays into the State treasury in her school tax 
one-third more than she gets back. The difference 
goes to counties that will not help themselves, or 
make exaggerated enumerations, as some were alleged 
to have done a few years ago, for the purpose of get- 
ting an undue allowance of State money. There is 
no remedy visible, however, and the better counties 
have to grin and bear it. Indianapolis and the 
county have not had much to do with the State system, i 
except feed it. The only superintendent born and 
bred here was Professor Miles J. Fletcher. 

Hon. Miles J. Fletcher. — The subject of this 
biographical sketch, who was the son of Calvin 
Fletcher, a distinguished citizen of Indianapolis, a 
sketch of whose life is elsewhere found in this vol- 
ume, was born June 15, 1828, in Indianapolis. He 
was the fourth in a family of eight adult sons, who 
in the various walks of life have made themselves 
honorable places. He received the rudiments of edu- 
cation at the old seminary of the city of his birth, 
under the guidance of Rev. James S. Kemper, and 
subsequently entered Brown University, from which 
he graduated in 1852. Almost immediately on his 
graduation he was elected professor of English litera- 
ture in Asbury University, Indiana. This position, 
which he held but a few months, was resigned to at- 
tend the law school at Harvard University. Gradu- 
ating at the law school, he returned to the professor- 
ship at Asbury, discharging its duties with great suc- 
cess until he received the nomination for superinten- 
dent of public instruction in 1860, to which office he 
was elected in October of the same year. He was at 
the time of his death filling its onerous and respon- 
sible requirements. It was an office which suited his 
tastes and satisfied his ambition, his labor being a 
" labor of love." Though frequently interrupted by 
circumstances incident to the war, and absent for 
weeks in efforts to learn the fate of and rescue his 
brother. Dr. Wm. B. Fletcher, then a prisoner, he yet 
worked so energetically as to fulfill every requirement 
of the law and to visit the schools extensively, giving 
a decided impetus to the cause of education. He 
possessed the untiring energy peculiar to his family, 
with a full share of enterprise, qualities which, com- 



bined with an intellect of more than usual vigor, 
indicated great promise and usefulness. Professor 
Fletcher was, in 1852, married to Miss Jane M. 
Hoar, of Providence, R. I., to whom were born two 
children, William T. and Mary B. The incident of 
Professor Fletcher's death was peculiarly sad. He 
was requested on the night of the 10th of May, 
1862, to join Governor Morton and a small party of 
gentlemen en route by special train for Pittsburgh 
Landing, their mission being provision for the im- 
mediate transportation of such sick and wounded 
soldiers from Indiana as could be safely brought to 
their homes, and the completion of suitable hospital 
arrangements for those whose condition would not 
admit of removal. The train had made but little 
progress when a detention occurred which alarmed 
Professor Fletcher, who on investigating its cause 
was instantly killed. This sad termination of a noble 
Christian career lost to the soldier an inestimable 
friend while fulfilling a mission of mercy and love, 
to the State a model officer of irreproachable char- 
acter, and to the people an example of integrity and 
uprightness worthy of lasting remembrance. The 
expressions of sorrow over the death of Professor 
Fletcher were not confined to his home but extended 
over the entire State, and were no less a tribute to 
the exemplary citizen than to the efficient public 
officer. 



CHAPTER XVII L 

MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OP 
INDIANAPOLIS. 

Origin and Early History. — For the purpose of 
tracing succinctly and clearly the origin and growth 
of the manufactures of the city, they may be divided 
into three leading classes, with several minor ones 
too slightly connected with others to be accurately 
classified. 1st. Food products, meat, meal, flour, 
and minor products of grain, including starch, beer, 
and whiskey. 2d. Wood products, lumber, hard and 
soft, house finishings, furniture, staves, wooden 
ware, boxes, picture-frames, wagons, agricultural 



p 




M. J. FLETCHER. 




^^^6(CiMA:i^in^ 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



441 



impleinents, and freight cars. 3d. Iron products, 
rails, machinery, stoves and hollow-ware, saws, files, 
railing and building work, and railroad repair-work. 
Agricultural implements belong about equally to 
wood and iron manufactures, but the bulkier por- 
tions being wood they are put in that class. Of 
minor industries, there are oils and varnish ; fertil- 
izers, an offshoot and adjunct of meat products ; 
printing, paper, and paper products ; textile fabrics 
of cotton and wool ; tobacco in different forms ; 
clothing ; marble and stone work ; saddles and 
harness ; tin, copper, and galvanized iron. There 
are many of less extent and importance than these, 
but a reference to them is not necessary to exhibit 
the early condition and progress of the productive 
industries. 

The germs of most of the manufactures that con- 
stitute the permanent prosperity and means of de- 
velopment of the city can be found in little mills 
and shops almost coeval with its first settlement. 
Not a little coarse meal was grated for a long time 
from half-hardened ears of corn for "mush" and 
" Johnny-cake," but there was a grist-mill in opera- 
tion in the fall of 1821 on Fall Creek race, after- 
wards known as " Patterson's mill," but its flour had 
to be sifted, as bolting cloths were unknown for 
ten years more. 

Samuel J. Patterson. — The Patterson family 
are of Scotch-Irish lineage. Robert, the father of 
the subject of this biographical sketch, a native of 
Maryland, early removed to Kentucky, from whence, 
in the fall of 1821, he came to Indianapolis. He 
was well versed in the law, and for many years judge 
of the Probate Court of the county. He also for a 
period engaged in contracting. He married Miss 
Annie Elliott, of Virginia, and had children, — Sam- 
uel J., Elliott M., Robert M., Mary Ann (Mrs. 
David Macy), Eliza J. (Mrs. I. Drake), Margaret 
M. (Mrs. James Hill), Annie (Mrs. James South- 
ard), James M., Almira C., Marion M., William J. 
D., and Henry C. Their son Samuel J. was born 
Oct. 18, 1804, in Cynthiana, Ky., and accompanied 
his parents in 1S21 to Indianapolis. His early ad- 
vantages of education were limited, though superior 
opportunities were offered at a later day under the 
29 



instruction of Ebenezer Sharpe. He early embarked 
with his father in the manufacture of bricks, and for 
several years conducted the business successfully. 
After his marriage Mr. Patterson engaged in the 
milling business on the farm which is the present 
home of his widow, and continued it until 1840, 
when the site was removed to the corner of Wash- 
ington and Blake Streets, where a spacious mill was 
erected, suitable to the wants of the increasing trade. 
Meanwhile he embarked in mercantile pursuits, and 
after an interval of some years again resumed milling 
and farming. He felt a deep interest in all schemes 
for the benefit of Indianapolis, and was at various 
times awarded contracts for the improvement of the 
city. 

In his political sympathies he was an ardent Whig, 
and found the principles of the Republican party on 
its organization in harmony with his convictions. 
His energies being devoted wholly to business, left 
little time for participation in the political measures 
of the day. He was, though not a member of any 
church, a supporter of the Meridian Street Meth- 
odist Church, with which Mrs. Patterson was con- 
nected, and at the time of his death a devout Chris- 
tian. 

Mr. Patterson was on the 17th of March, 1831, 
married to Miss Patsy, daughter of Isaac Wilson, 
one of the earliest settlers, who came to Indianapolis 
in 1821, when it contained but two houses. The 
dwelling in which they were married fifty-three years 
ago is still occupied by Mrs. Patterson. Here their 
golden wedding was celebrated in 1881. They have 
children, — Samuel W. (a contractor), Elizabeth J. 
(Mrs. B. F. Riley), Robert H., Charles W. (a con- 
tractor), and Fannie A. (Mrs. Cortland Van Camp). 
The grandchildren are Harriet Gr., Walter G., and 
Bessie G., children of Samuel W. and Agues Green- 
field Patterson ; Elizabeth J., Charles A., Robert M., 
and Sadie S., children of B. F. and Elizabeth J. 
Riley ; and Raymond P., Ella P., Samuel G., Fanny 
May, and Cortland M., children of Cortland and 
Fannie A. Van Camp. Mr. Patterson's death oc- 
curred May 25, 1883, in the house he had occupied 
for more than half a century. 

A saw-mill was erected about the same time as 



442 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Patterson's grist-mill on Fall Creek a little north of the 
line of Indiana Avenue. Within a j'ear Caleb Scudder 
made cabinet work, and in two years the late George 
Norwood made wagons. John B. Hall, the first car- 
penter ; Matthias Nowland, the first bricklayer ; 
Andrew Byrne, the first tailor; Amos Hanway, the 
first cooper ; Daniel Yandes, the first tanner ; George 
Smith, the first bookbinder ; Nathaniel Bolton, the 
first printer, were all here in or before 1821, and at 
work at their trades then or within a year or two ; 
and Samuel S. Rooker, the first house and sign 
painter ; William Holmes, first turner ; Conrad Brus- 
sel, first baker, came close along with these. 

George Norwood, one of the oldest citizens of 
Indianapolis, was born Jan. 21, 1789, in the city of 
Baltimore, and in 1793 removed to Washington 
County, Bast Tenn. In 1819 he became a resident 
of Wayne County, Ind., and on the 22d of March, 
1822, Indianapolis, which at that early day embraced 
but a few straggling cabins, became his home. Mr. 
Norwood was by trade a wagon-maker, and for a 
number of years conducted his business on the pres- 
ent site of the oflice occupied by his grandson, Frank 
Bird. He some years previous to his death divided 
a considerable estate between his children, retaining 
for himself only a house and lot on Illinois Street. 
He was married in 1812 to Miss Mary Ann Rooker, 
who died Feb. 28, 1877, in her eighty-fourth year, 
having enjoyed sixty-five years of married life. 
Their surviving children are Washington Norwood, 
Ann Maria (Mrs. Abram Bird), and E. F. Norwood. 
Mr. Norwood was in his religious predilections a 
Methodist, and the first trustee of the first Methodist 
Episcopal Church of Indianapolis. He on successive 
occasions filled the ofi&ce of Councilman, and in 1846 
was elected city treasurer. He enjoyed a reputation 
for strict integrity and scrupulous honesty, and was 
firm in his convictions, especially in discussions in- 
volving a question of right and wrong. Having 
acquired a competency, Mr. Norwood retired from 
business in 1850, and during the remainder of his 
life enjoyed excellent health until a short period 
before his death, which occurred March 8, 1880, in 
his ninety-second year. 

The women did most of the weaving and sewing, 



but machines for carding wool (or making " rolls"') 
were among the earliest attempts at .substituting ma- 
chinery for hand labor. A carding-machine was 
attached in 1823 by William Townsend and Earl 
Pierce to one of the first mills, probably the grist- 
mill of the late Andrew Wilson and Daniel Yandes, 
on the "bayou," a little west of the present location 
of the Nordyke & Marmon Machine- Works. Not 
far from the same site, and about the same time, a 
distillery was at work making a liquor popularly 
known as " Bayou Blue." Co-operating with the 
carding machinery moved by water were several 
smaller, and a little later, establishments worked by 
horse-power, applied on a large inclined wheel, fifteen 
to twenty feet in diameter, on the lower section of 
which a horse was kept in motion, as in other tread- 
mills. One of these, as late as 1833 or 1834. stood on 
the northwest corner of Illinois and Maryland Streets, 
and another on Kentucky Avenue a little below 
Maryland, and was converted into the first tobacco 
factory. Here in the first two years of the town's 
existence — for it was laid out in 1821, and previous 
to that was a mere settlement — were the beginnings 
of the flour and lumber trade, the woolen-mills and 
whiskey business, the latter never considerable and 
very intermittent even in the matter of existence, 
often dying out altogether. The products were wholly 
for home consumption, and in the ordinary sense of 
manufactures had no fair claim to be of the class. 

The first manufacture proper, the first product of 
skill and labor intended for sale and not for consump- 
tion at home, was that of ginseng, started by the late 
James Blake, in 1826, or thereabouts, on what was 
then the blufi" of Pogue's Creek, half-way between 
South Street and the creek, between Delaware and 
Alabama Streets. It- was sent to Philadelphia for 
the Chinese market. Ginseng was then a common 
growth of the dense woods about the village. It is 
all gone now, and has been for a generation. About 
the same time that the "Sang Factory," as it was 
generally called, began its work, the first great 
enterprise of skill and capital was put in operation. 
It was the mother of Indianapolis industries, though 
it died long before its family was big enough to be 
worth counting. That was the old " Steam-Mill 



,l,ll{lll ,11, I 

'Hi 




MANUFACTUKING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



443 



Company," composed chiefly, and managed wholly, by 
the late James M. Ray, Daniel Yandea, Governor 
Noble, James Blake, and Nicholas McCarty. A full 
account of it will be found in the general history. 
It was incorporated Jan. 28, 1828, bought at a nom- 
inal price, by special act of the Legislature, seven 
acres of public land on the river along the line of 
Blake Street back to Fall Creek, starting at the head 
of the old bridge, and by December, 1831, had a 
large four-story frame building with an attic fin- 
ished, and early the succeeding year had machinery 
for a grist-mill, with bolting apparatus — the first of 
the kind here — in operation, with a saw-mill that 
was kept quite busy usually, and a carding-machine 
that worked fitfully. The entire machinery, from 
boilers to bolting-cloths, was hauled here on wagons 
from Cincinnati, it is said, but it is probable that a 
part of it came on the first and only steamer that 
ever reached Indianapolis. In a year or two the 
failure of the disproportionate enterprise was assured. 
It was too big for the place and the times. The ma- 
chinery was sold for old iron, and the building made 
a haunt for idle boys, till the Messrs. Geisendorfi' 
attempted to revive the woolen manufacture there in 
1847, with little success. They left it in 1852, and 
on the night of the 16th of November, 1853, it was 
burned down. The fate of the first Indianapolis 
manufacturing establishment could hardly be consid- 
ered auspicious. 

Contemporaneously, or nearly, with the ginseng 
factory and the old steam-mill, a man by the name 
of Bagwell made cigars in a shanty on the southwest 
corner of Maryland and Illinois Streets, just south of 
one of the horse-power carding-machines of that day. 
His operations were too slight to be worth attention 
except as the first appearance of an industry of very 
considerable importance now, and forty-five years 
ago of a good deal more proportionately than now. 
About the time he disappeared, which was about the 
time the steam-mill gave up finally, the manufacture 
of tobacco was begun on a scale of production and 
general distribution that made it of State value and 
interest. This was in 1835, by the late William 
Hannaman and Caleb Scudder (the pioneer cabinet- 
maker of the city), at that time partners in the drug 



business. Their factory was on the west side of 
Kentucky Avenue, on the site of, and occupying as 
one of its buildings, the old horse-power carding- 
machine house of hewed logs. Here they made 
both plug and " fine-cut" — but little of the latter — 
and cigars. A fire destroyed the whole establish- 
ment in 1838, causing an uninsured loss — nobody 
insured in those days — of ten thousand dollars. 
John Cain, a long time postmaster, afterwards, and 
later Robert L. Walpole, owned the establishment, 
with Charles Cooper as manager. About a year 
before the establishment of the first tobacco-factory, 
in 1834, a Mr. John S. Barnes and Williamson 
Maxwell began making linseed oil in an old frame 
stable on the alley south of Maryland Street, within 
a half-square of the line of the canal which was dug 
some four years later. Scudder and Hannaman 
bought them out in 1835, and in 1839 moved the 
mill into their new woolen-mill building, near where 
the water-works building is now. Their machinery 
could not compete with Cincinnati hydraulic presses, 
and they quit. About 1842, Edwin Hedderly and 
the late Edwin J. Peck manufactured lard-oil here 
quite extensively, but it was a mushroom growth 
and never amounted to much. This is all there is 
of the early manufacture of oils and tobacco here. 
Daniel Yandes, with John Wilkins, had a tannery 
on South Alabama Street as early as 1823. About 
the year 1833 they formed a partnership with Mr. 
William M. Black, now of this city, to carry on the 
tanning business in Mooresville, in this State. 

Up to 1835 we have the seed planted and more or 
less production, in a small way, of grist- and lumber- 
mills, woolen-mills, distilleries, tanneries, oil- and to- 
bacco-factories. Ginseng was an accident. The first 
attempt at iron manufacture was made in 1832, con- 
temporaneously with the active existence of the old 
steam-mill, by R. A. McPherson & Co., on the west 
side of the river, near the end of the National road 
bridge, which was completed the year following. It 
was a losing affair, working for local service, and 
continued but a few years. About 1835 it went out. 

The year 1835 marks a sort of era in the history 
of Indianapolis industries. Then, or but a few months 
earlier, started the pioneer factories and mills which 



444 



HISTOKY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



have continued by active succession till now. Then 
was established the first tobacco-factory ; the first 
linseed-oil factory a little earlier ; the first stone-yard 
and stone-cutting machinery, by William Spears, west 
corner of Washington Street and Kentucky Avenue ; 
the first brewery, by John L. Young, on the south 
side of Maryland Street, half-way between the canal 
(1838 or 1839) and West Street ; the first mattress- 
factory, by Frank Devinney, near the canal crossing 
of Maryland Street ; the first plane-factory, by Young 
& Pottage, site of Hubbard's Block ; the first perma- 
nent and profitable iron-foundry, maintained for nearly 
twenty years, by Robert Underbill, for a time joined 
by John Wood, the first private banker here ; and 
last, but greatest in results, the first pork-packing was 
done, in 1835. 

1st. Food Products. — Pork Packing. In this 
year James Bradley, now of Johnson County, asso- 
ciated with one or two partners, bought hogs ready 
killed and cleaned of farmers, cut and cured them in 
a log house on the site of the Chamber of Commerce 
(first used as a pottery by a man named Myers), and 
lost money at it. The ill result of the speculation 
checked the embryotic industry for several years, but 
in 1840, John H. Wright, son-in-law of the late 
Jeremiah Mansur, father of Frank and Dr. Mansur 
Wright, came here from Richmond, and in 1841 
began, in connection with his father-in-law and his 
brother-in-law, William Mansur, to buy slaughtered 
hogs of farmers for goods from his store, and packed 
them in an old frame building, once a blacksmith- 
shop, on the northeast corner of Maryland and Me- 
ridian Streets. They also bought and packed a large 
amount of pork at Broad Ripple, and both from that 
point and this, shipped their produce south during 
the winter and spring freshets in the river. This 
mode of operation they kept up till the completion 
of the Madison Railroad, in September, 1847, gave 
them a speedier and handier mode of reaching a 
market, and from that time the flat-boat has been as 
wholly unknown here as the trireme of the old Ro- 
mans. The late Isaiah Mansur joined his brother, 
and the Mansurs and Mr. Wright killed their hogs 
in a building on the river-bank, at the west end of 
the old bridge, and cut and packed them in a building 



on the west side of what is now the depot of the 
Jeffersonville Railroad. 

About that time Benjamin I. Blythe and Edwin 
Hedderly began packing in a house where Frank 
Landers' establishment is now. The Mansurs got 
this in 1854. In 1852-53, Macy & McTaggart 
began killing and packing in a house near the east 
end of the Vandalia Railroad bridge. In 1855, Col. 
Allen May killed and packed on the west side of the 
river, near the Crawfordsville road bridge. He failed 
in two years, and his house burned down the third 
year, 1858. In 1863-64 the Kingans built their 
house, which was almost totally destroyed by fire in 
the spring of 1865. They rebuilt at once, and have 
since enlarged their establishment to treble its origi- 
nal capacity, and include extensions of the business 
never contemplated at the outset. 

This gigantic establishment is second to none in 
the world, except one in Chicago, in extent, and to 
none in completeness of arrangement and amplitude 
of accommodations and facilities for every process of 
the business. It is the matured product of twenty 
years of improvement, directed by experience and 
enterprise, employing ample means. The various 
buildings cover ten acres of the thirteen constituting 
the entire site of the establishment. Some years 
ago, finding their space inadequate, the company pur- 
chased the Ferguson Pork- House, directly south, on 
the other side of the tracks used by the St. Louis, 
the Bloomington and Western, and Decatur and 
Springfield Railroads, and connected the two by tun- 
nels under the tracks, making the cellars one vast ex- 
cavation, packed with meat and lighted with gas and 
electricity. In a large part of the old establishment 
there are two stories of cellars. In all these, where 
meat is stored preparatory to shipment, a steady tem- 
perature is maintained by artificial processes, so that 
the soundness of the product is assured. But to A 
make assurance doubly sure, every ham, and shoulder, ^ 
and piece of side-meat is probed through, and its con- 
dition perfectly ascertained before it is shipped. 

It may be as well to say here that the Kingan 
house kills and packs for the English market, and 
was the first house in the United States to prepare 
bog-meat in the style demanded by English consum- 





Morris Street Bridge. 
Indianapolis and Vincennes^R. R. i 
Vandalia E. E. Bridge. 
Indianapolis and St. Louis R, E, Bi 



Union Stock Yards. 
Hog Pens. 



Cold Stonigt! Housi 



South Warehouse. 
Furguson Hou 



Dining Room. 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OP THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



445 



ers. The details of the process would require too 
much time to describe here, and would be irrelevant 
to the purpose of this sketch. / It is enough to say 
that the meat, chiefly hams, is trimmed, salted, 
and laid away in perfect order in the huge dry cellars, 
and left lying a certain number of days, during which 
so much curing is done as is required for the special 
demand to be supplied. The product of each day's 
killing and packing is put by itself, with slats, and 
signs set through it marked with the date of the 
deposit. When the time comes this pile of hams of 
3000 to 5000 hogs is put on the cars, and sent across 
the Atlantic, without waiting orders or dependent on 
market quotations. The business goes right on like 
the sale of goods between a factory and its ware- 
house. Of course, a large business is done in the 
home market, with transient customers and orders, 
as they come, but the dependence of the house is its 
English business. The factory is in Indianapolis ; 
the warehouse and salesroom in Liverpool. 

The extent of the busineiss may be judged from a 
few facts. The number of hogs killed is about 
500,000 a year, or at the rate of about 5000 a day 
in winter and 2500 a day in summer. The estab- 
lishment has the capacity to do more than this if 
pushed, but so much it can do regularly and certainly. 
It employs 600 hands in summer, and 1250 in winter. 
It may be noted here that Kingan's was the first 
house in the country — certainly the first in Indiana 
— to kill in the summer, and cool the hogs by ice and 
an artificial process. In this it did the best thing 
that any manufacturer ever did for the agricultural 
interest of Indiana. It enabled a farmer to sell his 
hogs as well and readily in July as in January. He was 
not compelled to keep them on stock feed for six or 
eight months before he could begin fattening for the 
market, at a dead loss of every bushel of corn they 
ate and all the time consumed. The money invested 
was no longer compelled to lie idle while the hogs 
were worrying through hot weather to the following 
season. The farmer could begin feeding for the 
packer the day he bought his stock, and the sooner he 
got it up to the market standard the sooner he made 
his profit and the larger it was. It also employed 
600 or YOO men who would otherwise have been idle. 



In cooling hogs, to get rid of the animal heat, an 
apparatus and process invented by George Stockman 
of this city are used with entire success and greater 
cheapness than any hitherto devised. The occasional 
variableness of winter weather is equalized by the same 
means, so that the house is not forced to suspend 
work, as all pork-houses used to do, when a warm 
day comes. 

The average weight of the hogs killed at Kingan's 
is about 220 pounds, showing a net result of about 
175 of meat. The annual value is about $7,000,000. 
The shipments amount to 4000 cars a year, while 
there is sold at home, for shipment and in the 
market-rooms belonging to the establishment, about 
$45,000 worth of meat, fresh and cured, per week, or 
$2,300,000 a year. It takes 13,000,000 pounds of 
salt a year to cure the meat, 500,000 pounds of salt- 
petre, 1,000,000 pounds of sugar, and 20,000 tons of 
ice. To ship it requires 150,000 boxes and crates, 
and 75,000 tierces for lard and hams. For sale and 
immediate consumption there are made 6000 pounds 
of sausage daily. The hogs, when killed and scalded, 
are scraped by machinery invented in the house by 
some of the men engaged there. An unbroken 
stream of dead hogs, alive and squealing ten seconds 
before, pours along the tables from the sticking-pens 
to the scalding-troughs and scraping-machines inces- 
santly from daylight to dark, and often longer, and 
as rapidly they are hurried in to the " gutter," the 
original " Col. Gutrippah," who can dispose of half 
a dozen a minute, and from him are sent flying down 
a little elevated railroad track, from which they are 
suspended to the huge low room, where they hang by 
thousands literally, to cool ofi' sufficiently for the cut- 
ters and salters. Following up the carcass of any 
particular hog, we find it taken from the cooling- 
room, after the animal heat has been all removed, to 
a group of big blocks, set in a square form around, 
and in which a crowd of men swing up and down 
incessantly flashing cleavers, in a wild, stormy fashion, 
with no measure or rest, reminding one of the fierce, 
irregular motions of the claymores rising and falling 
in the fight of the clans at the " North Inch." Here 
the hog is divided, the pieces trimmed, and the fin- 
ished product dropped through a slide into the room 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



below, where the salters take it, and when they are 
through, send it down to the packers, who lay it away, 
marked and dated, till the shipping time comes. It 
is the full occupation of a busy day to go through 
this huge establishment, and merely note the processes 
and the crowds of busy men who carry them on. 

Electric lights are used all through the different 
departments, the machinery being worked by a su- 
perb Corliss engine, made at the Atlas Works here. 
Besides these, no less than f 6500 worth of gas and 
candles is used for lighting. It takes 750 cars of 
coal a year — 14 tons to a car — to supply the heat 
required, and 20 carpenters and 2 blacksmiths are con- 
stantly employed, consuming 50 car-loads of lumber 
in repairs of one kind or another, exclusive of the 
men employed in the coopering- and box-shops. 
The stables attached to the establishment contain 25 
horses, employed in market-wagons and otherwise. 
A large market-room for the supply of daily custom- 
ers in the city has been added within the last six or 
eight years, and here all the fresh meat is kept cold 
by artificial cold currents of air ; and neat, active 
young clerks in the traditional white aprons cut up 
the steaks and hams and roasts on marble counters, 
and conduct all the details of an ordinary meat-shop, 
as if it were not a mere attachment or little excres- 
cence of the huge slaughter- and packing-house back 
of it upon the rear. This establishment has a rail- 
road of its own turning out of the yard at a track at 
Missouri Street, and fills pretty much all of the space 
between Helen Street and the river, and Maryland 
Street and the Vandalia Railroad and freight-yard. 
The taxes are about $10,000 a year. Within the 
past four years Mr. Thomas Kingan, the original 
manager of the business, has retired permanently) 
and has been succeeded by Mr. Samuel Sinclair, by 
whom many extensive and valuable improvements 
have been made. 

The Landers establishment occupies the buildings, 
though with much improvement and a great exten- 
sion of business, of the Blythe & Hedderly and W. 
& I. Mansur house, the oldest now standing in the 
city. The amount of packing done by Mr. Landers 
in the last report was about §1,000,000 a year. A 
railroad-track from the Lafayette, or Cincinnati, In- 



dianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago, road passes along 
the mill-race from the canal, and over the low ground 
northwest to Blake Street, and there enters the pack- 
ing-house, about a square north of the National road 
and the old bridge. Directly south of Kingan's are 
the ruins of the second Ferguson pork-house, which 
was built south of the Vandalia Railroad and round- 
house, at the west end of Greenlawn Cemetery, soon 
after the first house, on the north side of the Vandalia 
and just south of the St. Louis road, was sold to 
Kingan. It did a large business both in summer and 
winter killing, but was entirely- burned in February, 
1881, and was never rebuilt, the proprietors removing 
to Chicago. At the south end of the old cemetery, 
opposite the foot of Merrill Street, is the pork-house 
of McMurtry & Co., built some ten or twelve years 
ago by Holmes, Pettit & Bradshaw. These latter 
gave it up about three years ago to the present pro- 
prietors, who have been doing a large and safe busi- 
ness. Cofiin, Greenstreet & Fletcher built their 
present house in 1873, on the east bluff of White 
River bottom, at the foot of Ray Street. Their busi- 
ness, by the last statement, was about like that of the 
other houses, except Kingan's, — a million a year. A 
railroad-track connects this house with the Vincennes 
road, along the river-bank, on what, in early times, 
were the " High Banks." A very short side-track 
from the same road connects with the McMurtry 
house. 

It would be interesting to know something about 
the extent of the pork business in early times, but 
no record has been made, and nothing can be learned 
but from the memories of the few connected with it 
who remain. It is probable that the total number of 
hogs killed during the season by the two houses of 
the Mansurs and Blythe & Hedderly did not exceed 
20,000. In 1873 the whole number of hogs killed 
and packed here was 295,766, value of $7,614,000. 
In 1878 the number was 776,000; in 1879, 667,- 
000; in 1880, 746,000 ; in 1881, 472,494; in 1882, 
306,000. In 1878 and m 1880 Indianapolis was 
the third pork-packing point in the world, being ex- 
ceeded only by Chicago and Cincinnati. The falling 
off since 1880 has been the effect of short crops and 
tight business. The value of the hog product of the 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



447 



city in 1880 was $10,516,000, the largest in any one 
year. 

General Butchering. — The earliest butcher of 
Indianapolis was Wilkes Reagan, who sold his meat 
in the grove in the Circle. There was not much for 
a butcher to do in those days, for the pioneer could 
get his meat for the powder and lead that would 
kill it by walking about through the woods that the 
town was lost in 1 Butchers came though, as usual, 
with the growth of the town, and killed in little 
houses located on the outskirts, and sold in the East 
Market, which was all there was. But even then no 
inconsiderable part of a family's meat- food was bought 
of farmers or raised and killed at home, poultry par- 
ticularly being almost always a home growth. Win- 
ter supplies were commonly a family job in the prep- 
aration, the whole hogs or quarters of beef being 
bought of farmers and out up and cured by the united 
labor of everybody about the house that was big 
enough to lift a ham or hand salt. The smoking 
was done in the family smoke-house, and to this day 
the out-house in which are stored the family provis- 
ions is called a smoke-house by old residents and 
their children, though never a pound of meat was 
smoked within a mile of it. Not unfrequently the 
town householder raised his own pigs, as well as 
chickens, killed them a little before Christmas time, 
and provided his own winter meat throughout, as 
well as a good part of his summer supply. Thus the 
butcher did not figure largely in the economy of In- 
dianapolis till after the growth impelled by the 
advance of the railroad system made country supplies 
inadequate and forced a greater dependence on the 
butcher. He was then, as now, usually a German. 
Gradually, with the increase of butchering, 'came a 
resort to private meat-markets in localities that were 
handier to consumers than the, public market. One 
of the earliest and largest of these was that of Tweed 
& Gulick, the latter of whom was candidate for sher- 
iff in 1858, but beaten by William J-. Wallace, whom 
the Supreme Court ruled out because he was holding 
the office of mayor of the city at the time of his elec- 
tion as sheriff. There were a dozen others at that 
time. Now there are 113 meat-shops, exclusive of 
Kingan's, which does as much business as the greater 



part of all the others together. The aggregate 
amount of the business it is impossible to say. 

Until within the period since the war the butchers 
of the city usually did their killing each for himself, 
and there were slaughter-houses scattered all about in 
the suburbs and sometimes in the more densely set- 
tled parts. The lower portion of the canal, below 
the present line of the street, was a favorite locality 
for them, and the block facing the swamp or glade in 
the east bottom of the river, along what is now South 
Meridian Street. In later years the tendency has 
been towards the Paris abattoir system of having 
all the slaughtering done in a few places or one. 
Within a year the Abattoir Company has given a 
strong impulse to this wholesome change by buying 
and greatly enlarging the beef slaughter-house at 
the west end of the Morris Street bridge, and mak- 
ing ample provision there for all the slaughtering 
required. There was some talk of the Stock- Yard 
Company establishing an abattoir, but nothing came 
of it. The Exchange Stock- Yard, at the south end 
of the Vinoennes Railroad bridge, had such a 
slaughter-house connected with it, but the yard went 
out of business when the larger yard farther south 
was completed ; and the slaughter-house has declined 
or gone out of business, too. 

Hides and Tanning. — There are several estab- 
lishments in the city that deal in the hides and pelts 
produced at the slaughter-houses, — the Abattoir 
Company, for one ; Messrs. Rauh, on the Belt road 
and South Pennsylvania Street; Allerdice, south- 
west corner of South and Meridian Streets ; Hide 
Leather Company, South Meridian ; Lewitt & Co., 
West Indianapolis, on Vincennes Railroad ; Mooney 
& Sons, South Street ; Lewark, West Pearl ; Stevens, 
South Meridian ; and Gallaway, South Meridian. 

The first tannery in the town was that of Daniel 
Yandes and John Wilkins, which occupied nearly 
all of the ground south of Washington Street, on 
the east side of Alabama to the creek. It was 
established about sixty years ago. Mr. William M. 
Black, a prominent member of the Masonic order in 
this city, learned the trade with this firm, and in 
1833 formed a partnership with them for four years 
in a tannery at Mooresville, Morgan Co. The con- 



riSTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



nection continued till 1858. About 1840 a second 
tannery was begun on South Pennsylvania Street, 
west side, just below Maryland. This filled tbe 
swampy street — Pennsylvania Street and all the re- 
gion of the creek-bottom east of Meridian to Ala- 
bama Street was either swamp or wet bottom — with 
great piles of tan-bark, on which it was the delight 
of school boys to repeat the jumps and tumbles of 
the last circus performers. As noted elsewhere in 
this chapter, this tannery gave way to a stage repair- 
shop in five or six years. These were the only tan- 
neries ever established in the city limits. Some years 
later, after the decadence of the West mills at Cot- 
tontown, a large and flourishing tannery was estab- 
lished there by Mr. John Pishback, but that has 
disappeared. There are three tanning establish- 
ments now in the city, Borst & Co., J. K. Sharpe, 
Jr., and Robert Schmidt. There are no statistics to 
show the amount of the leather trade now, but of 
hides, pelts, and tallow the total was over $1,500,000 
last year. 

Fertilizers are a direct result of the manufacture 
of animal food, and the establishments devoted to 
their manufacture may be briefly noticed here. 
They are a growth of the last decade, mainly, and 
are all on the west side of the river. The first was 
started by Mr. Lannay, at the foot of West Street, 
during the war, but was abandoned in three or four 
years, and changed to a soap-factory. The most ex- 
tensive fertilizer factory about the city, a " blood 
drying" house, built by Crocker & Becker some four 
years ago, at the crossing of the Belt and Vandalia 
and St. Louis roads, has been abandoned. Another 
extensive one is carried on upon the Sellers farm, 
three miles southwest, a site bought by the city pur- 
posely for important but unfragrant industries. A 
related business is " rendering," or tallow-making, 
carried on here chiefly by the Abattoir Company and 
Lewitt & Co., both in West Indianapolis. 

Mince-Meat. — The Adams Packing Company on 
South Alabama Street do a large business in the 
preparation and packing of mince-meat, which they 
ship to all parts of the country. The annual amount 
of this and the packing associated with it is about 
$150,000 a year. 



Grain-Grinding. — The early grist-mills alluded to 
above worked only for home consumption, on grain 
brought by farmers in wagons, or by farmers' boys 
on horseback. Usually the bag was unloaded di- 
rectly into the hopper, and the farmer or his boy 
waited about, fishing around the dam, or shopping in 
the town, till the grist was ground, and the meal — it 
was oftener meal than flour — went back in the same 
bag, and on the same day it came. There was no 
bolting apparatus in any mill of that time in the 
New Purchase till the steam-mill of 1832 put one in 
its machinery, and all grain went back home in the 
bran, for the housewife to sift out as well as she 
could, as related in the general history. The first mill 
of a more pretentious character was built in 1840, by 
John Carlisle, at the south end of the basin into which 
I ran the race from the canal at Market Street. It was 
1 the first merchant mill in the town, but its flour, like 
the pork of early packing, was harder to get to market 
than to make. It was wholly burned down in 1856, 
but immediately rebuilt and maintained till the still 
larger mills in the same vicinity succeeded it. Con- 
temporaneously with the Carlisle mill, or a year or 
two earlier, there was a mill at the crossing of the 
canal by the Michigan road, afterwards called 
" Cottontown," from a cotton-mill erected there a 
little later than the grist-mill. Both were built by 
Nathaniel West, who owned a large tract of land on 
Fall Creek at that point, which now constitutes a large 
part of the northwestern portion of the city. After 
the close of the war the Geisendorfi' brothers rebuilt 
or replaced the grist-mill and made it a much larger 
establishment than before, and a few years later built 
one of the finest mills in the State on the site of the 
old steatn-mill destroyed about twenty years before. 
Robert R. Underbill built a large four-story frame 
mill, — all mills were frame in those days, — a few 
years after the opening of the canal, on the bluff 
bank of the swamp just east of which the Bluff 
road, now South Meridian Street, ran. The bluff 
gave him a good head for his power, and the canal 
gave him water through a race starting from the east 
side at the head of the upper wooden lock. Some- 
i times struggling, sometimes prosperous, this mill was 
I run for thirty years, not unfrequently stopping alto- 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OP THE CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



449 



gether and becoming a haunt for tramps. But some 
six or eight years ago it was turned into a mattress- 
factory, and was in a fairly prosperous condition, when 
it took fire one morning the past winter and was 
utterly destroyed. 

In 1848, Gen. T. A. Morris built a flouring-mill 
on the northeast corner of Meridian Street and the 
Union tracks, at the east end of the Union Depot 
site, and carried on merchant milling there success- 
fully, but the mill burned in 1853. It was never re- 
built or replaced by another at another point. In this 
establishment was first used the automatic or machine- 
packing apparatus, which steadily and regularly kept 
the flour, as it entered the barrels from the bolting- 
cloths, pressed smoothly down. Some years after the 
destruction of this mill the changes began on the 
canal basin that have covered all the available ground 
there with flouring-mills, and recently with apparatus 
of the new kind, which substituted chilled iron 
rollers for stones, and saves all the flour that used to 
stick to the bran. The Gibson mills at least have 
made this substitution. The Skiller mill has been idle 
for several years. Some embai'rassment in the affairs 
of the Gibson mills caused their sale last summer, but 
not their suspension. There are now nine flouring- 
mills in the city and near it. The Arcade on West 
Maryland Street, at the crossing of Missouri, belong- 
ing to Blanton, Watson & Co. (steam), originally 
built by Mr. Carlisle and his son Harry D. in 1868 
as the Home Mill, and conducted by them till 1874; 
since 1879 the present proprietors have had it. The 
capacity is about 200 barrels a day. The rollers are 
used here. It was burned in May, 1881, but rebuilt 
and' reopened in December. The Hoosier State Mills, 
owned by Richardson & Evans, on the site of the old 
steam-mill, contains 30 sets of rolls, with a capacity 
of 350 barrels a day ; were burned in 1880, but got 
in running order in August. Jacob Ehrerman, on 
Clifford Avenue and Archer Street ; Monroe & Len- 
non, Shelby Street ; Schofield, on Fall Creek ; Har- 
vest Mill, on Eagle Creek near the Vandalia road ; 
Union Star Mill, formerly Buscher's brewery, changed 
to a mill in 1870, owned by Frederick Prange since 
1880, capacity 50 barrels a day ; City Mills, Holmes & 
Hartman, East Washington Street, No. 354 (rollers 



and stones), capacity about 50 barrels in 24 hours. 
The capacity of all the flouring-mills is slated by Mr. 
Blake, secretary of the Board of Trade, at 500,000 
barrels a year. 

Hominy, — Flour is not the only product of grain- 
grinding, though the largest. The Indianapolis 
Hominy-Mill uses about 2000 bushels of corn a day 
in making hominy, grits, and corn-flour. It was 
burned twice within a year, in June and October, 
1881, but has been rebuilt in better condition and 
larger than ever. It is situated at the crossing of 
Palmer Street and the Jeffersonville Railroad, and is 
now owned by M. A. Downing and E. F. Claypool, 
late of the Belt road management. Hall's Western 
Hominy-Mill, at the crossing of Kentucky Avenue 
and the Belt road, west side, uses about 1000 bushels 
of corn a day, and turns out about $150,000 worth of 
hominy, corn-flour, and feed a year. It began opera- 
tions in August, 1882, with a capital of $25,000. 
James Kelly's mill, 430 North Alabama Street, is a 
smaller establishment. The annual product of all 
is about $500,000. 

Brewing. — Without entering into the controversy 
concerning the nutritive character of malt liquors, 
the manufacture may be briefly treated in this con- 
nection as closely related to the topic of grain 
products. The first brewery was put in opera- 
tion here in 1834 or 1835, by John L. Young and 
William Wernweg, contractor for the National road 
bridges. It stood on the south side of Maryland 
Street, half-way between the line of the future Canal 
and West Street. It was not a very extensive or 
profitable establishment, and appears to have sunk 
almost entirely out of view as a source of business by 
1840. It was next known under the management of 
Mr. Faux, about 1841 or 1842. He was a French- 
man, who bought frog-legs of the boys for beer, and 
made a good deal of his profit by selling yeast to the 
housewives of the town to make light or raised bis- 
cuit at a time when baker's bread was not held in 
high esteem, and every respectable household ex- 
pected its bread hot at every meal. Not long after, 
Mr. Faux moved to Noble and Washington Streets 
and opened a brewery there, and some one else, Mr. 
John Philip Meikel probably, continued that at the 



450 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



old stand. He removed it in a few years to the old 
Carlisle House, a three-story frame palace, built west 
of West Street in 1848 for a fashionable hotel, but 
would not pass for it, and there it collapsed a few 
years ago. About the time the war broke out Frank 
Wright established an ale-brewery on Blake Street, a 
little north of the Landers pork-house, which con- 
tinued in successful operation about twelve years, but 
finally succumbed to the superior attractiveness of 
lager and suspended. The early . breweries made 
nothing but what was called strong beer. It was 
neither ale nor lager, and none of it is made now, so 
that it is hard to describe it to one who knows nothing 
of it experimentally. Mr. Wright's brewery was the 
first to make ale, and Mr. C. F. Schmidt's, since be- 
come famous under the management of his widow 
and sons as Schmidt's brewery, was the first to make 
lager, at least in any merchantable quantity or con- 
dition. 

Mr. Schmidt began brewing lager in 1858-59, ou 
the site where the present huge establishment stands, 
filling a whole block south of McCarty to Wyoming, 
at the head of Alabama Street. A recent statement 
says the original brewery building remains, two 
stories high, 93 by 40 feet, with a two-and-a-half 
story brick ice-house 60 by 80 feet, with cellars 94 
by 85 feet, and a new brick ice-house, directly on 
McCarty Street, able to hold 1800 tons of ice on the 
second story, with cellars two stories in depth, con- 
structed with stone and iron ; a stable one and a half 
stories in height and 50 by 120 feet in dimensions; 
a two-story bottling-house 60 by 130 feet in dimen- 
sions. An additional building 40 by 115 feet in size, 
is occupied as a malt-house ; and in the various depart- 
ments a force of 70 hands is employed and 50 horses 
with 30 wagons are required to deliver the beer to 
city customers. The bottling department was started 
as recently as 1881, yet about thirty barrels are bottled 
daily. The house owns extensive ice-ponds north- 
west of the city and large ice-houses erected there, 
not less than 10,000 tons of ice being annually re- 
quired in the business. The sales for the year 1882 
reached nearly 60,000 barrels. The cellars and 
vaults are among the finest in the West, and have an 
aggregate storage capacity for 25,000 barrels. 



Lieber's brewery, on Madison Avenue below Mor- 
ris Street, backing upon the Jeffersonville Railroad, 
is a considerably younger establishment than the pre- 
ceding, but is little inferior in the extent of its busi- 
ness, and notably in the character of its product. 
The present proprietor, Peter Lieber, is the founder of 
the business, and its success is the result of his energy, 
enterprise, and honorable dealing. The same may be 
said of Maus' brewery, on the Fall Creek race, near 
the intersection of New York and Agnes Streets. 
It was established by Mr. Caspar Maus, father of the 
present managers, and by him pushed to a point of 
marked success, when he died, leaving his sons to 
carry on the enterprise with the same energy and 
prudence that established it, and is now constantly 
enlarging it. The annual product is about $200,000. 
The secretary of the Board of Trade says of the 
brewing interest of the city, " that our breweries" — 
there are but three that amount to anything now — 
" buy enough malt, hops, barley, ice, and other arti- 
cles to form a good market." And adds, " However, 
two of them are substituting ' cold-air machines' in- 
stead of ice for cooling purposes, which is said to 
produce much better results in every way. In short, 
it is safe to say that the breweries of Indianapolis 
have no superiors in the completeness of their ap- 
pointments and the quality of their products ; and it 
is well known that they ' hold their own' in competi- 
tion with other cities." 

Total capital of breweries for 1882 8715,000 

Value of raw material used in 1882 469,500 

Wages paid during 1882 103,100 

Total value of manufactured product /33,000 

Several breweries in other cities have agencies 
here, and distribute their beer as the Indianapolis 
breweries do. 

Distilling. — Liquor-making, in spite of the abun- 
dance of corn, has never been an important or even 
considerable business in Indianapolis, and during a 
large part of the city's existence there has been no 
distillery at all in or near it. The reason of so ex- 
ceptional a lack of enterprise in a direction so likely 
to be profitable is probably to be found in the com- 
pletion of establishments with the great advantages 
of water transportation in their favor. There was a 



MANUFACTUKING INTERESTS OP THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



451 



distillery on or near the Bayou nearly as early as the 
Tandes mill, and its product was as famous in the 
neighborhood as any present brand of strangling 
liquor from " Jersey Lightning" to " Eobinson 
County." It seems to have disappeared, though, by 
the time the town organization was first formed. 
Somewhere about the time of the completion of 
the Madison Railroad Capt. Cain established a dis- 
tillery on the northeast border of the town, outside 
the " donation," and kept it in operation a few years, 
apparently with little advantage. About the same 
time, or rather earlier, the late Jacob Landis built a 
small distillery on Pleasant Run, in connection with 
a mill run by water from the creek, brought by a race 
along the south face of the bluff at the lower end of 
the Catholic cemetery. Some few years later the still- 
house passed to the hands of some of the farmers 
along Pleasant Run, Mr. DeMotte or Mr. Hoefgen, 
but it went to decay some years ago, and there is no 
trace of it or the mill-race discernible now. A few 
years after the close of the war the Mount Jackson 
distillery was built, close to Little Eagle Creek, and 
has been run fitfully, with long intervals of suspen- 
sion, ever since. It has been in court sometimes, too, 
and recently was sold on some judicial order. It is 
the only distillery about the city, or that has been for 
twenty-five years or more. It is a business that does 
not enter into any report or estimate of the city's 
condition or trade. 

Baking'. — One of the settlers of 1820 was Conrad 
Broussell or Brussell, a baker, who, from Mr. Now- 
land's account, began his professional work very soon 
after his arrival. But it was a whole generation 
after the settlement before the people became so far 
alienated from old home fashions as to substitute the 
baker's loaf for the home-made biscuit and " salt- 
rising" bread. Of course there were some who had 
been accustomed to "bought bread," and on these 
the early baker or two of the town depended for a 
living. Others learned the fashion later, but it is 
doubtful if the baker would ever have banished home- 
made bread as far as he has if he had not been aided 
by other agencies. As the town grew and immigra- 
tion increased, the domestics, vpho had been in the 
past, girls from the country, daughters of well-to-do 



farmers, who wanted to live awhile in town, or rela- 
tives of the family who were willing to help with the 
house-work for their board, gave place to foreigners, 
who, as capable and careful as they might be, could 
not replace the home-trained girl of the farm. The 
latter had been brought up to do the family cooking 
with her mother since she could handle a knife or a 
rolling-pin, and she could do home-baking as well as 
the mistress. The foreign substitute could not. Thus 
it came that the housewife had to go back to her 
" dough-board" and " tray," or buy her bread ready 
made. This was one contributing influence. An- 
other and more powerful, no doubt, was the tendency 
of all communities to substitute paid for personal labor 
as they grow older and richer. At all events, the 
first generation of Indianapolitans ate bread made at 
home, as a good many do yet, and it is mainly since 
the war that bakers' wagons and daily visits have 
become as much a part of the average household life 
as the morning wash or the evening meal. 

The chief product of the baker's art in old times 
was the " hoosier bait," as related in the general his- 
tory ; and " baker Brown," who kept a place on Fort 
Wayne Avenue, or near by, and sold gingerbread in 
" fip" squares, with spruce beer, — a sort of exagger- 
ated pop, very like " ginger ale," — made a little 
money and a good deal of business reputation that 
would have been a fortune to him now. In later 
days, when the professional bread-maker came more 
largely into the daily supply of the town's necessities, 
the business fell into the hands of Germans chiefly, 
as it is now and has been all the time. Most of them 
work for daily customers and household service, but 
a few do a larger business, and supply markets all 
through the West. The oldest of these is the present 
Taggart establishment, which was begun soon after 
the completion of the Madison Railroad, by Hugh 
Thompson, a Scotchman, whose first establishment 
was on the corner of Delaware and South Streets, but 
subsequently removed to East Street, when it passed 
into the hands of the Taggart Brothers. Recently 
one of them bought the old and extensive South-Side 
bakery of Anthony Ball, on Illinois Street below the 
Union depot. The brothers, singly or together, do a 
great deal of cracker-baking. The nest oldest large 



452 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



establishment is that of Parrott & Nickum, 190 
and 192 East Washington Street. They succeeded 
Alexander Metzgar in 1862, and now occupy three 
floors, each 40 by 195 feet, using 100 barrels of the 
best flour daily. Their business amounts to $150,000 
a year, and extends throughout all the adjacent 
States. Bryce's steam bakery, 14 and 16 East 
South Street, was established in 1870 by Peter F. 
Bryce, a level-headed, enterprising, big-hearted Scotch- 
man. He uses 7 wagons and 25 employes in his 
house, and supplies over 300 customers daily, besides 
selling a good deal at wholesale for shipment abroad. 
His consumption of flour is about two hundred bar- 
rels a week. Mr. Bryce represented his ward in the 
Council one term, and made a very eflBcient and pop- 
ular councilman.- There are altogether some 51 
bakeries in the city, but these are the chief estab- 
lishments in the wholesale trade. The Indianapolis 
Cracker Company may be noted as one of the leading 
city industries of this class. . 

Starch-Making. — W. F. Piel & Co.'s starch-fac- 
tory is located in the southwest part of Indianapolis, 
on grounds bounded east and north by Dakota and 
Morris Streets, and bordering White River on the 
west, and is the only establishment of the kind in the 
city. 

The business was established in the spring of 1867 
by W. F. Piel, Edward Mueller, Charles Wischmier, 
and Henry Burke, who formed a partnership for the 
purpose, and built the Union Starch-Factory, on East 
New York Street, just outside the corporation limits. 
It was a brick building one hundred feet square, in 
which were included the entire works, all under one 
roof. Their capacity was about two hundred bushels 
of corn per day, and they employed from thirty to 
thirty-five men. 

On the night of Oct. 8, 1868, the factory was 
totally destroyed by fire, supposed to have been the 
work of an incendiary. New buildings of about the 
same capacity were erected on the same site immedi- 
ately afterward, and the business was continued by 
the firm until October, 1872, when Messrs. Mueller, 
Wischmier, and Burke sold their interests to E. 
Birchard, who then became associated with Mr. Piel 
in the business, and it was carried on by them until 



April, 1873, when the partnership was dissolved, and 
the Union Starch-Factory ceased operations. 

In March, 1873, Mr. Piel formed a partnership 
with Mr. Andrew Erckenbrecker, of Cincinnati, under 
the firm-name of W. P. Piel & Co., which has since 
remained unchanged. The object of the partnership 
was to erect and operate extensive starch-works in 
Indianapolis, on a more eligible site than that of the 
old factory on New York Street. For this purpose 
they purchased about fifteen acres of land (a part of 
the property on which the works now stand), and in 
June of the same year commenced the erection of two 
brick buildings, each one hundred and thirty by one 
hundred feet in size and three stories high. Tracks 
were laid connecting the manufactory with the main 
line of the Vandalia Railroad, the grading being done 
at the expense of Piel & Co. The works were com- 
pleted and put in operation in March, 1874, employ- 
ing eighty hands, and using five hundred bushels of 
corn per day in the manufacture of starch. 

Since that time numerous additions have been 
made, and the business has been largely extended. 
The factory grounds — originally about fifteen acres — 
have been increased to about thirty-one acres by sub- 
sequent purchases of adjoining lands, — viz., ten acres 
purchased in the fall of 1 878, and a lot of about six 
acres in 1882. A brick building one hundred by 
twenty-eight feet and twenty-five feet high was 
erected in 1875 for storage of corn. On the ten- 
acre tract purchased in 1878 the firm erected, in the 
following spring, a brick building one hundred by 
one hundred and thirty feet and two stories high, 
to be used for packing and storage purposes. Sub- 
sequently (1882) this building was raised to three 
stories in height, and in the same year a brick " run- 
house" was built, eighty by two hundred feet in 
size. 

Originally the motive-power of the factory was 
furnished by a one hundred horse steam-engine. 
Two smaller engines (of twenty and twenty-five 
horse-power respectively) have since been added, 
and now (November, 1883) the firm has in process 
of construction by a noted builder of Milwaukee a 
" Corliss" engine of three hundred horse-power to 
replace the first one. When the factory is put in 




^ 



^;.... <$/ <^ 



MANUPACTUKING INTEKESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



453 



operation (about Jan. 1, 1884) with the new engine 
and some other contemplated improvements, its 
capacity will be two thousand five hundred bushels 
of corn per day, employing from one hundred and 
twenty-five to one hundred and fifty men. 

William F. Piel is of Prussian ancestry, and the 
son of Cort Henry Piel, who was born and lived in 
Dankarsen, near Minden, in Prussia, where he fol- 
lowed farming employments. He married Katarina 
Poppe, of Larbeck, in the same judicial district, and 
had children, — Mary, Henry, Frederick, Katarina, 
Charles, Christian, William F., and Ernst, of whom 
five are living. William P., who is the subject of 
this biographical sketch, was born at the home in 
Dankarsen, Prussia, on the 23d of April, 1823, and 
there remained during his early youth under the care 
of his brother Henry, who became owner of the prop- 
erty on the death of the mother. At the age of sev- 
enteen he chose the trade of a cooper, and followed it 
for seven years at the nominal sum of twenty-five dol- 
lars per year. On attaining his twenty-fourth year 
he decided to emigrate to America, and landing in 
Baltimore on the 8th of August, 1846, he came 
direct to Indianapolis. Here, from the time of his 
arrival until 1858, he followed his trade. Circum- 
stances influenced him at this juncture to change his 
business and embark in mercantile ventures. After 
keeping for some years a country store, with a stock 
adapted to general trade, he in 1867 sold out, and the 
same year began the erection of a starch-factory in 
the suburbs of the city, the firm by which the busi- 
ness was established embracing four partners. This 
was continued until 1872, when Mr. Piel purchased 
the entire interest and secured another partner, who 
continued for a brief period. In 1873 he formed a 
business connection with Andrew Erkenbrecher, of 
Cincinnati. Under this partnership the capacity of 
the factory has been greatly increased, two thousand 
bushels of corn being utilized in a single day. A 
large demand has been created for its products, one- 
third of the entire quantity produced being exported. 
Mr. Piel, by his energy, his indomitable persever- 
ance, and his business capacity, has placed himself 
in the foremost rank of manufacturers of the city of 
Indianapolis. In the midst of many discouragements, 



and with but few aids to success, he has brought the 
business of starch-manufacturing to a high degree of 
proficiency, and made it one of the most profitable 
industries of the West. Mr. Piel has been to some 
extent identified with the interests of the city, and 
was, as a Democrat, in 1879-80 elected one of 
its aldermen, the nomination for a second term hav- 
ing been declined by him. In his religious prefer- 
ences he is a member of Trinity G-erman Lutheran 
Church of Indianapolis, of which he is also a trustee. 
His wife and children are members of the same 
church. Mr. Piel was on the 29th of January, 
1849, married to Elonore Wishmeyr, of Frille, near 
Minden, Prussia. Their children are William F. 
(married to Miss Lizzie Meyer), Henry C. F. (mar- 
ried to Mary Ostermeyer), Charles F. W. (married 
to Lena Stroup), Amelia M. H. (who is Mrs. Henry 
Melcher, of Cleveland), Lena M. M., George H. W. 
(deceased), and Mary L. E. 

2d. Wood Products. — The next most important 
industry in the amount of annual product, the capital 
invested, and the population supported, is of lumber 
and wood in various forms. It would be impossible, 
even if it would be of interest, to indicate the origin 
and growth of each separate class of manufactures of 
wood, and a summary of leading points must serve. 
Lumber-yards, and machinery for the manufacture of 
lumber products, are of comparatively recent date. 
Pine lumber was but little used for fifteen years after 
the completion of the first railroad, and was not really 
in general use until the close of the civil war. Before 
that poplar was the wood for house-work, for doors, 
windows, weather-boarding, and shingles, and ash for 
floors. Both are still used, poplar chiefly for the 
best weather-boarding and house-finishing, and ash 
for finishing and flooring, but not so extensively. 
Within about twenty years the use of pine has become 
almost universal for frame-work. 

Saw-mills are frequent enough for a Michigan 
pinery, and have been gathering in and about the 
city since the completion of the first railroad, or near 
it, but their work is mainly on the hard wood of the 
forests, which are so rapidly and mischievously dis- 
appearing. Besides the first saw-mill on Fall Creek, 
above Indiana Avenue, and the saw-mill attachment 



454 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



to the old steam-mill, there was no sawing done in 
the town or its close vicinity till the Eaglesfield Mill 
was built, soon after the completion of the canal and 
the collection of an abundant water-power in the 
basin of one of the old ravines, where the water- 
works building is now. This mill continued in 
operation, more or less steadily, for ten or twelve 
years, and was succeeded by an oil-mill. . In 18<)1 
its place was taken by the paper-mill now belonging 
to Salisbury & "Vinton. In 1849, Mr. Kortepeter 
started a saw-mill on South Pennsylvania Street. In 
185*7, Fletcher & Wells had one on Massachusetts 
Avenue. Gay & Stevens had another near the Madi- 
son Railroad depot the same year. John F. Hill built 
one on East Street in 1858, which was burned the 
next year and rebuilt. In connection with this mill, 
for a time, was operated the first shingle-machine in 
the city. In 1858, Messrs. Ofi' & Wishmeier ran a 
saw-mill in the northeast part of the city, on Rail- 
road Street, and Helwig & Blake had one on the 
canal the same year. Marsey built one on New 
Jersey Street in 1859, and the late James H. Mc- 
Kercan ran one a few years on Kentucky Avenue, 
mainly to cut up the sycamore growth of the Mc- 
Carty farm, for which he had contracted, and the 
lumber of which he used in building a large number 
of cheap residences in the southwestern part of the 
city, between the creek and the river, for workmen, 
who were allowed to count their rent as purchase- 
money, if they chose, and in a short time become 
owners, instead of tenants. There are now 42 lum- 
ber-yards and dealers in the city, some with mills for 
sawing, some for sash, door, and blind work, some 
for hard wood, and some for all kinds. Besides 
these, certain classes of wood manufacturers keep 
large lumber-yards for their own use. Fourteen 
lumber-yards are reported by the secretary of the 
Board of Trade as doing a retail business to the 
amount of $1,500,000 of lumber, shingles, and laths 
the past year, while the whole lumber trade is esti- 
mated at $3,000,000. 

The trade in black walnut is kept up, but not so 
extensively as formerly. The walnut woods of In- 
diana are practically exhausted. Their lumber was 
ihe best in the market. Indiana walnut commands 



the best price and the greatest sale in Europe, as 
well as at home. And the demand for it, when it 
had been held of little value for a lifetime, cleared 
it oflF with a rapidity that would have delighted the 
pioneer, who looked upon it as a sort of natural 
enemy of the farmer and the corn crop. Its place is 
supplied now by the walnut picked up by agents in 
all parts of the Mississippi Valley. Col. A. D. 
Streight, the largest dealer in the country, whose 
business has averaged $500,000 a year for fifteen 
years, gets his walnut from Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, 
Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and West Virginia, 
but ships much of it East directly without bringing 
it to his yards and mills in the city. Still, there are 
a dozen or so other dealers that do a considerable 
business in this and other hard lumber. It ia 
worth noting in this connection that wild-cherry 
lumber is coming into demand again. For many 
years after the first settlement of the city cherry 
was the exclusive lumber of cabinet-work and orna- 
mental work generally, if aay of that era can be 
called ornamental. Bureaus, bedsteads, tables, wash- 
stands, and all sorts of furniture were made of 
cherry. And it was especially the wood of coffins 
till the costly burial-cases of later days superseded it. 
Of course the wealthier people used mahogany, 
sometimes rosewood, or other tropical growths, but 
cherry was the lumber of the American average citi- 
zen, and the farmer. For a generation, however, 
cherry has been put aside, till a recent freak of 
fashion has reached it. Now it is used largely for 
car-finishing, and is especially in demand for ebon- 
izing purposes, as the wood makes very fine imitation 
ebony. 

For ordinary domestic use pine is the lumber of 
this region, as of the whole country. Even houses 
that are weather-boarded with poplar are framed of 
pine and shingled with pine, and the trade in it has 
grown to be one of the leading items of the commerce 
of the capital. The earliest, or among the earliest 
dealers in lumber, exclusively, in the city is the firm 
of Coburn & Jones. It was at first Coburn & Lingen- 
felter, and had the yard on the corner of New York 
and Delaware Streets in 1860. In 1862, William H. 
Jones, one of the early settlers of the city, and for 



MANUFACTUEING INTEKESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



455 



some years proprietor of a blaekstiiilh-shop ou the 
corner of Tennessee Street and Kentucky Avenue, 
north of the Chamber of Commerce, bought Lingen- 
felter's interest, and the firm has been Coburn & 
Jones now about twenty-two years. In 1865 the 
yard was removed to the present location on the 
block once known as " Sheets' pasture," between 
Georgia Street and the Union tracks, and between 
Tennessee and Mississippi Streets, occupying the major 
part of the four acres, while on the north side of Georgia 
Street, occupying over 100 feet on that street and as 
much on Kentucky Avenue, they carry on a planing- 
niill, and make doors, sash, and all other work usually 
turned out by sash-factories. They employ 40 to 45 
hands, about equally divided between the lumber- 
yard and the mill, and sell now about $150,000 of 
lumber, lath, and shingles annually, but in good 
seasons increase this amount by $100,000. 

The yard and mill of the Dickson Brothers, at the 
crossing of Market Street and Pogue's Creek, is 
nearly as old as the preceding establishment, having 
been opened by the father of the brothers in 1865. 
It covers a whole square, employs some 30 hands, 
and ships about 4,000,000 feet of hard-wood lumber 
a year. The floods in the creek have caused the pro- 
prietors a great deal of loss and trouble, and the city 
stands in a good position to reimburse them, or to be 
compelled to protect them. Wright & Hopkins, in 
South Alabama Street, established here a branch of 
the large Bufi'alo house of Scatchard & Son, in 1866, 
dealing chiefly in hard-wood lumber. The Cutler & 
Savidge Company established a branch of their Mich- 
igan house here in 1876, and removed to their present 
site, 151 to 161 South East Street, in 1882. The yard 
covers an area of nearly 8 acres, and the business 
amounts to 10,000,000 feet a year. R. B. Emerson 
& Son, West Market Street, began as Emerson, Beam 
& Thompson in 1864. Mr. Thompson withdrew in 
1867, and Mr. J. B. Emerson came in, and after Mr. 
Beam withdrew, in 1874, the firm became Emerson 
& Son. A planing-mill is connected with the yard. 
Murry & Co., Eussell & Co., Rapert, Poster & Co., 
Paul, Eldridge & Co., Gladden, Cope & Hunt, Carter 
& Lee (Indianola), Lyons, Huey & Son, King, Long, 
Carmichael & Bingham, are also largely engaged in 



lumber, besides several establishments of later date or 
lighter business. 

Furniture. — The first cabinet-maker of the set- 
tlement was Caleb Scudder, a pioneer of 1821. But 
very close after him, not later than 1823, came Sam- 
uel Duke, with whom James Grier, still living, learned 
his trade. Among those who followed were Fleming 
T. Luse, who in 1835 had a shop on Pennsylvania 
Street, about where the Bank of Commerce now is. 
Later Mr. Donnelan worked there, or in that neigh- 
borhood. The late John F. Ramsey and James 
Grier, about 1845, carried on the same business, but 
mixed up with their own work an extensive trade in 
articles bougbt of wholesale manufacturers, in a large 
house on South Illinois Street, about half-way between 
Washington and Maryland. Mordecai Cropper made 
furniture a little earlier than Mr. Ramsey's arrival, 
leaving here for the far West in 1838, and, returning 
two or three years ago, after an absence of more than 
forty years, finding a city of 90,001) people where he 
left a village of 3000. Joseph I. Stretcher, about 
the time Mr. Cropper left, established the largest 
cabinet manufactory of the time on West Washing- 
ton Street, about where the Iron Block stands. A 
fire came near destroying the whole establishment 
here about the time of the Polk and Clay campaign. 
Contemporary with Mr. Stretcher, and working upon 
a scale of equal magnitude and enterprise, was the 
establishment of Espy & Sloan, on West Washington 
Street, and later Sloan & Ingersoll. 

About the time that old-fashioned cabinet-work and 
cabinet-makers, with their old-fashioned cherry lum- 
ber for everything that was needed in household fur- 
niture, from a cradle to a sideboard, were passing 
away, and new fashions of more variety, beauty, and 
expense were coming in, about the year 1855, Messrs. 
Spiegel & Thoms began the first manufacture of fur- 
niture on a different line, and with a closer regard to 
the improved taste of the time. Their beginning 
was humble enough, in a little shop on East Wash- 
ington Street, but by 1863 they were doing so well 
that they had to seek better accommodations, and 
moved to East Street, near the creek, and in three 
years built there the first five-story house in the town 
to make room for their work and workmen. Ten 



456 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



years or so ago they again doubled their capacity by 
erecting a fine five-story block on West Washington 
Street, a little east of Masonic Hall, with an equal 
front on Kentucky Avenue. This is the oldest ex- 
tensive furniture-factory in the city, and if not the 
largest, is certainly unsurpassed by any. 

Augustus Spiegel. — Mr. Spiegel, who is of 
German ancestry, is the son of Jacob and Elizabeth 
Brown Spiegel, who resided in the town of Michel- 
stadt, in Hesse-Darmstadt. They had among their 
children Augustus, the subject of this biographical 
sketch, whose birth occurred on the 1st of May, 
1825, in the above town. Here his childhood was 
passed until seven years of age, when his parents, 
with their children, in 1832 emigrated to America 
and settled in Baltimore, Md., where the father died 
three years after. The family, two years later, re- 
moved to Cincinnati, where Augustus became a pupil 
at a German and English school, and there acquired 
the rudiments of an education. At the age of four- 
teen he entered the office of the Christian Advocate, 
published in Cincinnati, as press-boy, and acted in 
that capacity for two years. At the age of seven- 
teen he decided upon the trade of cabinet-maker as 
that most fitted to his peculiar abilities, and served 
an apprenticeship of four years, after which his craft 
was followed for the same length of time in Cincin- 
nati. He was in 1848 united in marriage to Miss 
Anne Eliza, daughter of Thomas and Hester Lackey, 
of Philadelphia. Their children are Louisa (married 
to William C. Nichols), William C, Henry L., Mollie 
M. (married to Edward Noland), and two who are 
deceased. The sons are associated with their father 
in the business of furniture manufacturing. Mr. 
Spiegel, after his marriage, removed to Lawrence- 
burg, Ind., and continued his trade. In 1858 he 
repaired to Indianapolis, then a rapidly-growing city, 
and became a member of the firm of Spiegel, Thorns 
& Co., manufacturers of furniture. He has since 
that time continued his connection with the busi- 
ness, which has greatly increased in proportions, 
and now ranks among the leading industries of the 
city. Mr. Spiegel devotes his attention exclusively 
to the business in which he is engaged, and has 
little leisure for matters of a public character. He 



participates but rarely in the excitement of political 
life, and casts his vote for the most deserving candi- 
date irrespective of party ties. He is a member of 
Centre Lodge of Independent Order of Odd-Fellows 
of Indianapolis. 

Two years later than Spiegel & Thorns, Mr. John 
Vetter began an extensive furniture business at the 
Madison depot, and conducted it successfully for 
eight or nine years, when the establishment was 
burned, in 1866. Helwig & Roberts began the same 
year with Mr. Vetter (1857) on the canal, in a factory 
that was burned and I'ebuilt in 1860. M. S. Huey, 
on West Washington Street, with a large workshop 
on the alley south, between Mississippi Street and 
the canal, began about the time that Spiegel & Thorns 
did. John Ott, who excelled in carved work, was 
contemporary with both the last-named houses, and 
built an extensive shop on West Washington Street, 
a little east of Mississippi, which was taken for the 
State arsenal when Governor Morton concluded to 
make the ammunition for the war instead of waiting 
for the inferior stufi' of the government. Field & 
Day did cabinet-work on Vermont Street contempo- 
raneously with Espy & Sloan ; Wilkins & Hall worked 
on West Washington Street in 1864; Philip Dolin, 
on South Meridian Street, in 1865 ; burned and re- 
commenced in 1867 ; C. J. Myer, on East Washing- 
ton Street, about the outbreak of the war ; the Cabi- 
net-Makers' Union, East Market Street, at the creek, 
in 1859. This last is one of the largest establish- 
ments in the city, as also one of the oldest. Its 
buildings and yards cover the larger part of a block 
on the east bank of the creek. The Indianapolis 
Cabinet Company and the Indianapolis Veneer Com- 
pany occupy the extensive series of buildings at the 
extremity of Massachusetts Avenue, on Malott Ave- 
nue, where the Wheeler & Wilson Sewing-Machine 
Company established a cabinet-making branch as 
early as 1862. The works employ altogether about 
300 hands. The president of the company was Mr. 
Helwig's partner in the furniture-factory just referred 
to. The annual business is an excess of $300,000. 
The Wooten Desk Company, who make a specialty of 
fine writing and business desks, formerly had a factory 
on the Bee Line road, near the city. Emerich, Pau- 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



457 



lini & Co., on Morris Street, east of the creek, began 
work in 1881, making a specialty of tables, but are 
now extending their business and greatly enlarging 
their capacity. On South Tennessee Street Henry 
Hermann has a very extensive furnitiire-factory and 
lumber-yard on the site of the old Grreenleaf Machine- 
Works, and with it has another on South Pennsyl- 
vania Street just below South Street. 

A. D. Streight & Co. began business with a lum- 
ber-yard, in 1865, on the ground south of the Van- 
dalia depot, mostly occupied at that time by the 
Indianapolis Wagon-Works, since removed to North 
Indianapolis and out of existence. In 1866 they 
removed to a site south of the Vandalia road on 
West Street, and then moved north and to their 
present site. They dealt in pine somewhat at first, 
but soon passed entirely into the walnut and hard- 
wood trade. Some three years ago they added a 
chair-factory to their mills, and now turn out about 
$50,000 worth of that class of work a year. The 
Indianapolis Chair Manufacturing Company on West 
New York Street, at the canal, do an extensive 
business in the same way, the largest, probably, of 
the kind in the city. The Western Furniture Com- 
pany have a large establishment on Madison Avenue 
north of Morris Street. King & Elder, South 
Meridian Street; Lauter & Prese, Massachusetts 
Avenue ; Ralston & Co., East Washington Street ; 
Sander & Recker, East Washington ; Miller, Indiana 
Avenue ; Morton, West Washington ; Smith, West 
Washington ; H. Frank & Co., East Washington ; 
Born & Co., and Benson, East Washington, are all 
engaged in general furniture-making. 

Lounges are a specialty largely manufactured by 
several houses here, and sold wholesale to the large 
dealers in the cities around us, — St. Louis, Chicago, 
Louisville, and others. Michael Clurie was engaged 
in this work and mattress-making in the old Under- 
bill mill when that relic of old times was recently 
destroyed by fire. Ott & Madden carried on a very 
large business, amounting to $150,000 a year, when 
their establishment on Morris Street was nearly de- 
stroyed by fire in December, 1883. Since then the 
firm has dissolved, Mr. Ott continuing at the old place 
and Capt. Madden opening soon in a large establish- 



ment on Merrill Street. Otto Stechan also does an 
extensive business in lounges on Fort Wayne Ave- 
nue. He began in 1875, employs now sixty work- 
men, and does a business of about $150,000 a year. 
Vance & Zehringer, on Massachusetts Avenue, Hoff- 
man, on North East Street, Ferriter, on East South, 
and Krause, on East Washington, are engaged in 
the same specialty. 

Agricultural Implements. — Although largely 
sold here by the agents of manufacturers at other points 
in the State and in other States, there is very little 
manufacture of agricultural implements in Indianapo- 
lis. Agricultural machinery is made here by several 
houses, and has been for thirty years and more. 
The Eagle Machine- Works made threshers or sepa- 
rators as early as 1851, and competed with the older 
houses of Richmond and the White Water Valley at 
the first State Fair, in 1852, and portable engines 
and other machinery for farm-work are made here as 
largely as any class of machinery, but agricultural 
implements, plows, axes, spades, and the like are un- 
known to the manufacturing skill and enterprise of 
this city. Eight or ten years ago, or about the time 
the panic of 1873 fairly closed in on business here, 
a large establishment was planned and partly built, a 
few miles up Fall Creek, for the manufacture on a 
large scale of the Simmons axe, but the hard times 
killed the project, and the succeeding better times 
have not revived it. Two years ago the secretary of 
the Board of Trade, Mr. H. C. Wilson, noticing the 
deficiency of the city's enterprise in this direction, 
said that the agricultural area of the State, exclu- 
sive of surfaces covered by water, was 21,637,760 
acres, of which 90 per cent, is capable of cultivation 
with the plow, and yet nearly one-half is untilled. 
The sales of agricultural machinery and implements, 
he says, in Indianapolis, in 1881, "amounted to 
$1,250,000, a very small per cent, of which, except 
engines and threshers, was made here, or within sixty 
miles of the city, while some of the standard articles 
of large sale were manufactured a thousand miles 
away. This should not be." 

The very best and most suitable timber is abundant 
here, and the coal-fields embrace an area of 6500 
square miles, offering seven workable seams, at a 



458 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



depth ranging from 50 to 220 feet, and averaging 
four and a half feet in thickness. There are prob- 
ably 175,000 farms in the State of Indiana, more 
than 2400 miles of gravel and turnpike road, and 
54,000 miles of common road. There are 5000 
miles of railroad, traversing every part of the State, 
brinsing it into close communication with this city, 
through the medium of twelve railroads, radiating 
from here in every direction, to which two new roads 
will be added within a few months, and a third prob- 
ably before the close of the year. Upon these roads 
citizens of eighty-two counties out of the ninety-two 
that compose the State can come to Indianapolis and 
return the same day. 

Yet there is manufactured in Indianapolis but an 
insignificant per cent, of the machinery and imple- 
ments used upon the roadways or farms of Indiana. 
There are more plows used on farms abutting this 
city than are made in the entire county, yet the 
timber is near and abundant. From the tower of the 
court-house one may see the forest where men are 
now cutting timber, which is sent away one hundred 
and fifty miles, to be made into plow-frames, and the 
plows brought here and sold by thousands, and used 
in fields no farther away than the woods where the 
timber grew. Every year there are about 2500 two- 
horse sulky-plows sent here and sold, also 25,000 
breaking-plows, 2500 one-horse steel-tooth hay-rakes, 
10,000 cultivators, 2000 two-horse wheat-drills, and 
car-loads of one-horse wood-rakes, corn-shellers, and 
cutting-boxes, and many other farm implements 
which are not made here to any appreciable extent. 
Mowers and reapers are also brought here and sold 
to the number of 1000 annually, and to the amount 
of $1,500,000 in the State every year, and there are 
none made in Indiana. If these facts do not demon- 
strate that here is an unoccupied field for profitable 
industries, then is this statement shorn of a degree 
of humiliation which seems to attach to it. 

The deficiency thus deplored is in a fair way to be 
filled. The city papers announced very recently that 
an establishment for the manufacture of one class of 
agricultural implements was projected by men amply 
able to accomplish it. The statement is that a 
partnership has been formed for building a manufac- 



tory in this city which will employ several hundred 
men. The establishment will probably be located on 
the site of the old rolling-mill, in the southwestern 
part of the city, and the construction of the buildings, 
it is said, will begin early in the spring of 1884. 
The company will manufacture an improved grain- 
reaper which was recently patented by Dr. Allen, and 
in the operation of the business a very large number 
of men will be employed. 

Carriages and Wagons. — Wagons for road and 
farm use were made here as in all frontier towns, 
among the earliest products of mechanical skill, for 
they were among the earliest necessities of pioneer 
life. George Norwood, as before noted, was the first 
wagon-maker. His shop was on the east side of 
Illinois Street, about where the building of the Young 
Men's Christian Association stands, and here it re- 
mained till about 1845, though Mr. Norwood gave 
up the business before that, and occupied himself 
with his buildings and property on Illinois and Wash- 
ington Streets. Thomas Anderson also was a wagon- 
maker on Bast Washington Street, and Richard 
Anderson (no relation) was a wagon-maker by trade, 
but had no shop of his own for any considerable 
time. 

About the year 1832 a Mr. Johnson, who had a 
contract for carrying the mail by stage on some of the 
routes into the town, established a carriage-factory on 
the present site of the post-office, or a little south of 
it, but his main object was the making and repairing 
of his own coaches. His successor, Lashley, com- 
mitted here the second murder in the history of the 
place, in 1836. About the year 1840, Hiram and 
his surviving brother, Edward, — the latter had worked 
for Johnson in the Pennsylvania Street shop, — began 
carriage-work on an alley south of Maryland Street, 
at the Illinois Street corner. A little later, about 
1842, they built a large establishment where the 
Bates House stands, and carried on an extensive 
business there till 1850, or near that time. Then 
Edward opened a shop on Kentucky Avenue, — pos- 
sibly he did so before the time suggested, — and not 
long afterwards Hiram died. This was the earliest 
large carriage-factory in the city. It has been suc- 
ceeded at one time or another since by Drew, George 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OP THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



459 



Lowe, Heifer & Co., the Indianapolis Wagon-Works, 
before alluded to, Shaw & Lippincott, Helfrich, Hart- 
man, Guedelhoeffer, Bernd Brothers, on Morris 
Street, Bobbins & Garrad, O'Brien & Lewis, Miller 
& Co., Furst & Bradley Manufacturing Company, 
Burnworth & Kohnle, Kramer, La Rue & Hill, 
Kayser, Schweikel & Prange, James Nunn Kierolf, 
Job Alzire, V. M. Backus, Circle Street, G. H. 
Shover, C. R. Albright, Indiana Avenue. The Shaw & 
Lippincott firm was changed to a company, and built 
a very large and admirably-arranged factory on the 
east bank of Pleasant Run, where the Belt road sub- 
sequently crossed it, and did some work there, but 
the times would not support so extensive an enter- 
prise, and there has been little done there, or by that 
company anywhere, since 1876 or '77. A few months 
ago Mr. Lowe sold his establishment on West Market 
Street, and it has been converted into the Sentinel 
oflBce. 

For a period of eight or ten years prior to the general 
use of railroads by passengers and mails, the Vorhees 
Stage Company, or firm, had a large repairing estab- 
lishment and stables for their own business exclusively 
on the quarter of a square at the southwest corner of 
Maryland and Pennsylvania Streets. Somewhere 
about 1855 or '56, the stage lines having been discon- 
tinued, these shops were abandoned, and replaced by 
Alvord's block of tenement-houses. This corner has 
had a strange experience. It was a swamp at first. 
Then the second tan-yard of the town was put there. 
The stage repair-shops displaced that, and a row of 
tenement-houses removed the shops, and a business 
block displaced the tenement-houses a dozen years 
ago. 

Musical Instruments. — Though not relevant 
to the subject of carriage-making, it is proper to 
note here that Edward Gaston, since his retirement 
from the active pursuit of his trade of carriage- 
maker, has given much of his time to making musical 
instruments, especially violins, and has made some 
thirty or more, all of a superior tone, and readily 
salable, when he chooses to sell them, at good prices. 
His latest efibrt was a bass viol of remarkably fine 
quality. Piano-makers we had here as early as 1843, 
when Mr. Robert Parmlee worked on West Wash- 



ington Street, about where the Hubbard block stands, 
but did not hold out long. Twenty years ago Mr. 
Trayser made pianos opposite the court-house, and 
J. H. Kappes & Co. and Messrs. Garred & Co. tried it, 
but with no success ; and last the Indianapolis Piano 
Manufacturing Company tried it on a very large scale, 
with an extensive building on Merrill Street, but that 
failed too. So the only successful manufacture of 
musical instruments we have ever had here is the 
modest little business of Mr. Gaston's. 

The Woodburn Sarven Wheel Manufac- 
tory. — This is the largest establishment of the kind 
in the United States or the world, probably. Its 
buildings and lumber-sheds, dry-houses and storage- 
rooms, cover seven acres on both sides of Illinois 
Street, between South and the creek, extending back 
to Tennessee Street on the west, and eastward to the 
creek north of the " elbow." It employs some 500 
workmen, pays out over $200,000 a year in wages, 
and turns out for sale in all parts of the world wheels 
of all kinds to the amount of $700,000 a year or 
more. It was started in 1847 by C. H. Crawford 
and J. R. Osgood for making lasts and other shoe- 
makers' implements, and was then located near the 
site of the Union depot. Six years later Mr. Craw- 
ford retired from the establishment, leaving Mr. Os- 
good as the only proprietor. The latter shortly 
afterwards added the manufacture of staves and flour- 
barrels to his other business. Finding his building 
too small, he erected on the present site of his estab- 
lishment a three-story brick building, twenty-five by 
one hundred feet. This location, now in the heart of 
the city, was then in the open country, and it was 
deemed a hazardous investment in that day to locate 
so considerable an establishment so far from the busi- 
ness portion of the city. The manufacture of wooden 
hubs was added in 1866, when Mr. L. M. Bugby 
was admitted into the firm. Mr. S. H. Smith was 
admitted as an equal partner in 1866, and the manu- 
facture of wagon and carriage materials was added. 
Thus began what has grown to be a very extensive 
business, not only in this city but in the State at 
large, employing more than $1,000,000 capital. In 
February, 1864, their establishment was destroyed by 
fire, involving a loss of $20,000. Within ninety days 



460 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the manufactory had been rebuilt on a larger scale 
than before. In the year 1865, Messrs. Woodburn 
& Scott, of St. Louis, who had been doing a large 
business in the manufacture of wheels of various 
kinds, and who, in connection with a New Haven 
firm, had the exclusive right to manufacture the cele- 
brated " Sarven patent wheel,'' and had expended 
large sums in its introduction, disposed of all their 
patents and business to Messrs. Osgood & Smith. 

In order to obtain the requisite capital to conduct 
this extension of their business Messrs. Osgood & 
Smith disposed of a one-third interest to Messrs. 
Nelson & Haynes, a wealthy house in Alton, 111., 
who opened an establishment in St. Louis for the 
manufacture of wagon materials. The St. Louis 
house was known as Haynes, Smith & Co., the In- 
dianapolis firm as Osgood, Smith & Co. Subse- 
quently Mr. Woodburn purchased the interest of 
Messrs. Nelson & Haynes, and the St. Louis house 
then took the firm-name of Woodburn, Smith & Co. 
In 1869 the establishment obtained a controlling in- 
terest in the manufactory at Massac, 111., for making 
carriage materials, a step that was taken for the pur- 
pose of supplying the St. Louis house with materials. 
In the same year they bought a large tract of timbered 
land in Orange County, Ind., and erected a saw-mill 
there to supply the Indianapolis manufactory with 
lumber. In 1870 the concern was changed into a 
joint-stock company, under the name of the Woodburn 
Sarven Wheel Company, with a capital of $250,000, 
making no change in the proprietorship except as 
before stated. Mr. Osgood died in June, 1871. A 
few years later Mr. Smith died, shortly after return- 
ing from a European tour. A very destructive 
fire occurred in the works in June, 1873, in which 
the chief fire engineer of the city was killed by the 
falling of a wall. In a few months the damage was 
repaired, though the amount of it was said at the 
time to be nearly 8100,000. 

Boxes. — The manufacture of boxes on a large 
scale was partly, if not mainly, the effect of the' Eu- 
ropean pork trade of Kingan & Co., which was 
largely carried on in boxes instead of barrels, and 
required the active work of a considerable establish- 
ment, both in men and machinery, to keep it sup- 



plied. This house, however, does a good deal of its 
own box-making and cooperage now. Mr. Frederick 
Balweg was the first manufacturer of boxes exclu- 
sively in a factory on the southwest corner of the 
block of Coburn & Jones' lumber-yard. He subse- 
quently removed to a much larger house on Madison 
Avenue, a little north of Morris Street, which has 
since passed into the hands of Mr. Frederick Dietz. 
Mr. Jason S. Carey also makes boxes in connection 
with his extensive stave-factory on West Street. 
Brunson & McKee on the canal and St. Clair Street, 
and Murray & Co. on Alvord Street, in the northeast 
part of the city, are engaged more or less in the 
same work. 

Butter-dishes, made of thin slices of poplur, 
sweet gum, or linnwood, cut out by machinery and 
lopped and fissured at the ends by a machine, have 
become the favorite deposit of the family purchase of 
butter at the grocery or creamery, and the demand 
for them has started three establishments in and near 
the city, two of which, in the city, were burned 
within a year, and have not been replaced. The 
other, at North Indianapolis, is still in operation. 

Stave-Making. — This has become a very impor- 
tant industry of the city, and is one of the earliest of 
the second stage of industrial growth. The first 
machinery for making and dressing staves and barrel- 
heads was brought here and put in a shed structure 
near the river, south of Maryland Street and west of 
West Street, by the late John D. Defrees and his 
brother Anthony, in 1856 or '57. The enterprise 
was premature, however, and failed. Some years 
afterward it was resumed and pushed more success- 
fully, and one or two other establishments began the 
manufacture of staves and barrel-heads by machinery 
in other parts of the city. Mr. Jason S. Carey suc- 
ceeded the Defrees' management in the original estab- 
lishment, and has made a very large and lucrative 
business there, covering nearly all the space north of 
the St. Louis Railway, along Georgia Street north to 
the alley and back to California Street. A neighbor 
to him is Mr. M inter, at the foot of California Street, 
in the same business, while Mr. Coleman makes barrel- 
heads extensively on the Belt road east of the Jefi'er- 
sonville crossing ; George W. Hill is at the corner of 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



461 



East and Georgia; Mr. May on East Street south, 
and Mr. Walter & Son on the canal at Pratt 
Street. 

Jason S. Caret is of English extraction, and the 
son of Cephas Carey and his wife, Rhoda Jerard, who 
resided in Shelby County, Ohio, where their son, the 
subject of this biographical sketch, was born Nov. 28, 
1828. At the age of twelve years he removed with 
his parents to Sidney, the county-seat, where modest 
advantages of education were attainable. Previous to 
that time the log school-house in the vicinity of his 
former home had enabled him to obtain the rudi- 
ments of learning. He was early apprenticed to 
the saddler's trade, and at the expiration of a service 
of two years accompanied his brothers, Simeon B. 
and Thomas, on a journey across the plains with 
mules and horses to California in pursuit of gold. 
The ill health of one of the number influenced their 
return before any practical results followed their 
labor, when Jason S. engaged with his brother 
Jeremiah in the boot and shoe business at Sidney, 
Ohio, and remained thus occupied until 1861, when 
he embarked in the produce business. Mr. Carey 
removed the same year to Dayton, Ohio, and super- 
intended the construction of the Richmond and Cov- 
ington Railroad, and continued thus engaged until 
February, 1863, when Indianapolis became his place 
of residence. Here he embarked in the pioneer 
enterprise of stave manufacturing, and was the first 
manufacturer who introduced machinery for the 
dressing of staves. He still conducts his business, 
which has assumed large proportions, and has also 
engaged in farming pursuits, though not to the ex- 
clusion of more important business interests. Mr. 
Carey was formerly a Whig in his political asso- 
ciations, and later became a Republican, but has 
not been during his active career diverted from the 
busy arena of commercial life to the more exciting, 
but less profitable, field of politics. He is actively 
engaged in religious work, and a member of the 
Meridian Street Methodist Episcopal Church, in 
which he is a steward. Mr. Carey was married in 
1855 to Miss Ada M., daughter of Rev. James 
Smith, of Sidney, Ohio, one of the pioneer Meth- 
odist preachers of Ohio. T^o children were born to 



this marriage, a son, Harvey, deceased, and a daughter, 
Margaret. 

The latest and largest addition to the stave-manu- 
factories is that of the Standard Oil Company's factory 
in 1879 in West Indianapolis, at the crossing of the 
Belt road and Morris Street. It occupies a dozen 
acres with its yard and machine-shops and drying- 
houses. No returns are made of the amount of busi- 
ness done by any of these factories in late years, 
but the total was nearly $1,200,000 in the census 
report, and the new factory has added probably a half- 
million to that, which, with the increase of the other 
establishments, would make the aggregate of stave- 
dressing and cooperage here not much less than 
$2,000,000 a year. The stave-dressing establish- 
ments have created a considerable trade and a very 
great convenience to householders in the shavings 
they make, which are the best sort of material for 
kindling fires, and can be bought by the wagon-load 
as cheap as common fuel. 

Cooperage. — There are eight coopering establish- 
ments in the city besides those maintained in connec- 
tion with Kingan's and other establishments for 
special manufactures. William Baird, on Blackford 
and Pearl Streets ; Daniel Burton, near Maus' 
brewery, on New York Street ; Sanuel B. Gardner, 
Bright Street ; John W. Humphrey, Indiana Ave- 
nue ; R. Seiter, East MoCarty Street ; Cornelius 
Funkhouser, Smith Street ; George H. Burton, North 
Mississippi. 

Picture-Frames. — One of the minor manufac- 
tures of wood, but by no means a trifling one, is that 
of picture-frames, which has been carried to a con- 
siderable extent for a dozen years or more, chiefly by 
Hermann Lieber, of the Art Emporium, on East 
Washington Street; Ralston & Co., East Washing- 
ton Street ; Scheirick, on Massachusetts Avenue ; 
John Keen, on South Illinois ; James Hoffman, 
Virginia Avenue ; Hudson, Massachusetts Avenue ; 
Hubbell, North Illinois Street. The Indianapolis 
Picture-Frame and Moulding Company have a large 
manufactory on Madison Avenue, and Wenzel Kautsky 
has another on the same street, where the material 
for frames is dressed and finished for the frame- 
makers, who fit it to such sizes and combinations as 



462 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAEION COUNTY. 



they wish. The aggregate of the products of this 
class per year is probably in excess of $100,000, 
as it was nearly that amount three years ago. There 
are no late reports from which to learn the present 
condition of business. 

Car- Works. — This is the latest development of 
wood manufacture in or near the city, and by far the 
largest and most important. The company is com- 
posed mainly of a few large "railroad capitalists and 
managers, and aim to embody in the establishment 
here all the improvements that have been devised in 
the business in any part of the country. There are 
five large iron-roofed and weather-boarded shops side 
by side, one hundred and twenty by fifty feet, fronting 
north, in which the car-wheels are cast and cooled, 
and all the castings are made required in the works. 
Next to this is the machine-shop and blacksmith-shop. 
The wood-work in its various stages is done in the 
other shops. Through each a railway runs its full 
length, on which the material completed in separate 
parts is carried to two large shops, where they are put 
together, one over five hundred feet long by about 
sixty wide, the other over four hundred long, and of 
the same width as the first. A very wide railway 
track, ten or fifteen feet wide, extends between these 
finishing-shops, and a side-track of the Belt road at 
the east side of the car-works, and on this the 
finished cars are mounted and run out sideways to 
the track where they belong, landing them lengthwise 
with the track, which saves the trouble of turning 
them round. On the east of these large shops, which 
stand east and west, at right angles to the direction 
of the other shops, is a long, narrow building, three 
or four hundred feet long, for housing and painting 
the cars. There is also a boiler- and engine-house, 
and two or three minor buildings south of the main 
line of workshops, and south of these still is ' the 
lumber-yard, through which runs a track from one 
of the West stock-yard tracks. The whole estab- 
lishment covers about a dozen acres of ground. The 
shops are strongly framed, and, as already suggested, 
are covered with sheet-iron. They employ now 
about 560 hands, and turn out about $2,500,000 
worth of cars a year. They do not make any but 
freight-cars. The shops were begun upon the re- 



mains of a last year's corn crop, and in two months 
were ready for occupancy. The contractors were 
Shover & Christian, the builders of the huge stables 
and stock-sheds of the stock-yard. 

Coffin- Works. — A company for the manufacture 
of coffins and burial-cases carried on a considerable 
business for some years at the old Cottontown site, 
near the crossing of the canal and the Michigan 
road. Its location is now on North Illinois Street. 
Two years ago, in the spring of 1882, the platform 
along the cofiin warehouse, on the south bank of the 
creek, a little east of the Union Depot, was the 
gathering-place of hundreds of spectators of an un- 
usual flood in the creek, when it gave way and 
dropped them into the furious, turbulent current, 
and seven were drowned, some of whose bodies were 
not recovered for a week afterwards. 

This establishment might be quoted in corrob- 
oration of the old adage, " the third time is the 
charm." This is the third attempt at car-making 
here, and the first that has succeeded. In 1852 or 
1853 the Bellefontaine Railroad built a freight depot 
in what was then the far northeastern corner of the 
town, now densely built up, and covering the area 
west of Massachusetts Avenue to Fort Wayne 
Avenue, north of North or St. Clair Street, and 
finding it a poor investment, the company leased it 
for a car-manufactory to Mr. Farnsworth, of Mad- 
ison, and his son-in-law, Jehiel Bernard, late secre- 
tary of the Board of Trade. They made no profit of 
it, and soon gave it up. Some time after the war, 
Mr. Frederick Ruschaupt and some associates formed 
a company to make cars, in the present far north- 
eastern corner of the city, east of the Peru Railroad, 
and north of Seventh Street, nearly east of the Ex- 
position building. This enterprise failed too, and 
the very extensive buildings are now occupied by the 
very successful and extensive Atlas Machine- Works. 

Step- Ladders and wooden-ware have been made a 
specialty by the Adell Company, of North Indian- 
apolis, and a very large business is done in these 
articles. The manufactory was established in North 
Indianapolis about the time the wagon-works on 
South Tennessee Street were removed to that suburb. 
Wooden butter-dishes are also made there. 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



463 



Carpenters and Builders.— There are over 
100 carpenters and builders in the city, who may be 
classed among manufacturers as the makers of houses. 
Among those longest and best known for energy and 
enterprise are Shover & Christian, Peter Routier, 
John A. Buchanan, William Saltmarsh, Daniel 
Berghmer, John Hyland, 0. B. Gllkey, John Mar- 
tin, C. F. Rafert, Thomas J. Hart. It is worth 
noting in this connection that a great and grateful 
change has come upon the character of the houses, 
the residences especially, since the close of the war. 
There were earlier signs of it, but its presence has 
not been fully recognized till within the last twenty 
years, and mainly within the last ten. That is the 
breaking up of the old rectangular plans into some 
variety of outline, with occasional curves and pleasing 
projections and recesses. A generation ago a resi- 
dence was built upon a plan as invariable, except in 
dimensions, as the laws of the Medes and Persians. 
It might be set with the gable to the street, but it 
savored of heresy, and had better not. It must be 
right-angled at every corner, with no change of the 
plain square front but a portico just as plain and 
square, all painted a glaring white, from the fence 
pickets to the cornice ; the window-blinds green ; the 
bricks below the line of the door-sills red, unless the 
house were brick, and then it was painted white from 
chimney-top to cellar-window. An " L" was permis- 
sible, and a recess turned into a porch was not for- 
bidden ; but no other liberties with the orthodox rec- 
tangle and barn plan were tolerated. Now we have 
the fence of one color, the weather-boarding of an- 
other, the window-frame of a third, the sash differ- 
ent from all. Little porticoes in corners, broad, project- 
ing eaves, with brackets, quaintly-moulded porch-posts, 
ornamented cornices, mouldings, and door-frames, 
have come to please the eye and lighten the sombre- 
ness of life, no more costly than the old-time ugliness 
and uniformity, and far more conducive to a Christian 
spirit of cheerfulness and kindliness. One can hardly 
conceive it possible that the dwellers in the dreary 
old houses could have been adequately generous to 
the sufferers by the great Ohio floods of 1883 and 
1884. 

Iron Products. — The first attempt at the manu- 



facture of iron here was made about three years earlier 
than the first attempt at pork-packing. It resulted 
in much the same way. R. A. McPherson & Co. 
put up a building at the west end of the National 
road bridge for an iron foundry in 1832, and kept 
up a spasmodic business until 1835 and quit. In 
that year Robert Underbill established a foundry on 
North Pennsylvania Street, east side, just above Ver- 
mont, where the Second Presbyterian Church now 
stands, and here for twenty years he maintained the 
first " paying" iron manufacture of the city. It was 
a small business, and did only such casting as was re- 
quired by country customers, millers, and farmers. 
The amount of it, of course, is purely conjectural, 
but no reasonable conjecture can make it more than a 
few thousands of dollars a year. 

The " boom" in this, as in several other industries, 
as already noticed, came with the completion of the 
first railway, in 1847. At that time Watson & Voor- 
hees established the Eagle Machine-Works, in which 
they were succeeded, in 1850, by Hasselman & Vin- 
ton. Two destructive fires in close succession in 
1852-53 obstructed their progress, but in spite of 
their losses they added the manufacture of threshing- 
machines and agricultural implements to their busi- 
iness in time to make a most creditable exhibition in 
1853 at the first State Fair. In May, 1851, the 
manufacturing enterprise of the awakened town was 
developing some very encouraging results. The pa- 
pers of May of that year say that there were then 
two foundries in operation here, three machine-shops, 
and a boiler-factory; fifty steam-engines had been 
built, and, as just stated, the manufacture of thresh- 
ers commenced at the Washington Foundry, as it was 
then called. 

Not long after this Mr. Underbill abandoned his 
Pennsylvania Street foundry and established a ma- 
chine-shop on the north bank of the creek, at the 
crossing of the same street, where he remained a few 
years, till the hard times following the Free Bank 
panic of 1855 caused his failure and the abandon- 
ment of the house to other uses, mainly hominy- 
grinding. It was burned in 1858. In March, 1854, 
Wright, Barnes & Co. began the machine business 
at the crossing of Pogue's Creek and Dela- 



464 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



ware Street, which was burned and abandoned 
in 1857. About the time Underbill began his 
foundry and machine-shop on South Pennsylvania 
Street, Carter & Dumont began boiler-making just 
north, and Kelshaw & Sinker just south, on the north 
bank of the creek. The latter were burnt out in 
1853, but rebuilt in 1854, and then Dumont & 
Sinker joined business, adding foundry-work to 
boiler-making. Here Dr. R. J. Gatling planned and 
made the first gun of the kind that bears his name 
and has now become famous all over the world. The 
first public trial of it was on the river-bank at the 
old " Grrave-yard Pond," now a little east of the 
pile-work of the Vinoennes Railroad, at the foot of 
Kentucky Avenue. In 1863, Mr. Dumont left the 
business, and Mr. Allen and Mr. Yandes entered it, 
greatly enlarging it, and occupying with it the old 
site of the Underbill shops. Later the firm became 
Sinker, Davis & Co., and thus it remains a company 
instead of a firm. 

Edward T. Sinker was born at Ranavon, Wales, 
on the 22d of December, 1820. He was the only 
son, and on embarking for America left his aged 
parents and seven sisters in his native land. When 
a boy but eleven years of age he entered a large shop 
at Hawarden-on-the-Dee, Wales, and there learned 
the trade of a machinist. He continued thus em- 
ployed for several years, acquiring the skill and 
practical knowledge that prepared him for the large 
operations which he conducted in this country. Mr. 
Sinker on learning his trade labored at difi'erent 
points in Wales and England, always holding posi- 
Uons of trust. At Liverpool he superintended the 
iron work in the construction of steamers. His skill 
and integrity were such that the government desired 
him to go to Portugal and take charge of the repairs 
of government vessels in the ports of that country. 
He labored two years on that wonder of engineering 
skill and mechanics, the tubular iron bridge over the 
Straits of Menai, and while on this work, finding the 
necessity for a reduction in the force of laborers, with 
characteristic generosity left his place for those who 
had greater needs than himself. In 1849, with his 
young wife and one child, he landed as a stranger in 
New Orleans, and thence journeyed to Madison, Ind. 



They reached Indianapolis in November of the same 
year, the scene of his future labors, where from small 
beginnings he rose to become at last the chief of one 
of the largest manufacturing establishments in the 
West. His history is a noble example of what 
industry and integrity will acccomplish. Mr. Sinker 
also filled a large place in all the public enterprises, 
benevolent and religious institutions of the city of 
his residence. Every movement for the relief of 
the poor, the reformation of the vicious, the edu- 
cation of the young, or the salvation of his fellow- 
men found him a warm sympathizer and helper. 
He was a marked example of industry, and a man 
who loved to work. " Not slothful in business, 
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord," was one of his 
favorite maxims. He was a man whose earnest pur- 
pose pushed him on and through his work despite 
all obstacles. He possessed a resolution and courage 
that led him to take hold of the heaviest end in a lift 
and strike at the hardest part of the task. This 
made him a leader among workingmen, and his 
contagious spirit inspired others to follow after him. 
Mr. Sinker was a generous man, — generous to a 
fault. His generosity was only limited by his abil- 
ity to give. It was more than meat and drink to 
him to bestow blessings on the needy. No cause of 
benevolence appealed to him in vain while he had the 
means to help. He was a man of the purest integ- 
rity, and no chance of gain could tempt him to dis- 
honesty. As a business man he meant to do right, 
and believed his religion should be carried into daily 
life. Mr. Sinker was in his religious belief a devout 
and sincere Presbyterian. For some years after his 
arrival in Indianapolis he was connected with the 
Fourth Presbyterian Church. In 1857 he united 
with others in forming the Plymouth Congregational 
Church, and remained until his death, which oc- 
curred April 5, 1871, one of its honored and useful 
members, where he held the responsible offices of 
trustee, deacon, and much of the time superinten- 
dent of the Sunday-school. Mr. Sinker was married, 
June 22, 1844, to Miss Sarah Jones, daughter of 
Robert and Sarah Jones, of Hawarden, Flintshire, 
North Wales. Their children are Edwin, Alfred 
T., who was married Sept. 2, 1867, to Miss Rebecca 




g-O la C^E E]o 



MANUFACTUKING INTERESTS OP THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



465 



Coates, of Mansfield, Ohio, and has three children ; 
Sarah J., Frederick, Walter, Frederick (2d), and 
Clara Belle. Of this number Clara Belle (Mrs. 
Rudolph Rossum, of St. Paul, Minn.), and Alfred 
T., of Boston, Mass., are the only survivors. The 
widow of Mr. Sinker still occupies the homestead, 
and sacredly cherishes the name of him who was a 
faithful and devoted husband and father. 

In 1851, Delos Root & Co. established the first 
stove-foundry in the city in a small frame building 
near the corner of South and Pennsylvania Streets. 
Business improved here, so that when the frame 
house was burned in 1860 the firm rebuilt more 
extensively and with brick, enlarged their business, 
and added heavy castings of all kinds and boiler- 
work. Some sis or eight years ago they moved to 
the buildings left by the dissolved Glass- Works Com- 
pany between Sharpe and Merrill Streets, on Ken- 
tucky Avenue, and here they continued as energetic- 
ally as ever till the spring of 1883, when a destructive 
fire swept over a considerable section of that part of 
the city, and destroyed all the buildings and a good 
deal of the work of the company. The loss was about 
§20,000. The rubbish was cleared away at once, 
however, and work begun on the restoration of the 
establishment, which was soon as busily employed as 
ever. The concern is now the Indianapolis Stove 
Company, and Mr. Root is president. 

Deloss Root. — -The name of Root was originally 
spelled Rutetee, and first known in England in the 
eleventh century. Two brothers emigrated to Amer- 
ica at an early day and settled at or near Stock- 
bridge, Mass. From one of these brothers was de- 
scended Moses Root, who resided in Stockbridge and 
was married to a Miss Taller. Their children were 
Daniel (a soldier of the war of 1812, who was taken 
prisoner with Gen. Scott, and led the command 
which proved fatal to Gen. Brock), Silas, Blias, 
Aaron, James, Aseneth, and Sally. 

Aaron, the father of Deloss, was born in 1781, at 
Stockbridge, Mass., and removed with his family to 
the West in 1837, locating at Hartford, Trumbull 
Co., Ohio, from whence he, in 1852, came to Indian- 
apolis and resided until his death, Aug. 30, 1854. 
Mr. Root followed farming occupations during his 



lifetime. He married Miss Harriet Kingman, who 
was born in the village of Vergennes, Vt., in 1794. 
The birth of their son Deloss occurred on the 3d of 
February, 1819, in the town of Cincinnatus, Cortland 
Co., N. Y. He was educated at the town of Linck- 
laen, Chenango Co., N. Y., after which his early life 
was spent upon the farm. In 1844 he was in the 
iron trade at New Lisbon, Ohio, and in 1850 became 
a resident of Indianapolis. Here he engaged in the 
manufacture of stoves, being the first man in the 
State to embark in that industry, in which his busi- 
ness grew to large proportions. He was connected 
with the first rolling-mill in the city of Indianapolis, 
and also a large stockholder in the first mill for the 
manufacture of merchant iron, which he assisted in 
organizing. He was also interested in the " Archi- 
tectural Works." In 1867 he was one of the mov- 
ing spirits in the erection of a blast-furnace in Brazil 
City, Clay Co., Ind., the first in the State, and the 
largest in the West, and in 1870, assisted by one 
other gentleman, he built a similar furnace in Hardin 
County, 111. In 1854 he was appointed by the State 
a director of the Bank of the State of Indiana, and 
continued as such until it became a national bank, 
after which he assisted in organizing the First Na- 
tional Bank of the city, in which he was a large 
stockholder and a director for ten years. He was 
also for years largely interested in the street railways 
of the city. The enterprise, however, in which Mr. 
Root especially advanced the interests of Indianapolis 
was that of the establishment of the present system 
of water-works. All previous efibrts in that direc- 
tion having failed, a gentleman largely interested in 
the matter conferred with him, and with his aid and 
that of other influential citizens carried the enterprise 
to a successful completion. Three thousand tons of 
pipe were purchased and the bonds of the company 
given at par in payment. This sale of bonds gave 
the movement an impetus and secured to Indianapolis 
the best system of water-works in the United States. 
Mr. Root himself laid eighteen miles of the pipe, 
and did much by his energy and business tact to fur- 
ther the work. He was a director in the old Indian- 
apolis Insurance Company (now the Franklin Fire 
Insurance Company), assisted in organizing and was 



466 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



a director in a bridge-building company, and one of 
the first stockholders in the Cincinnati Railroad. 
He was also connected with the Evansville and Indi- 
ana Railroad, which was never completed, and inter- 
ested in the North and South Railroad, in the In- 
dianapolis, Delphi and Chicago Railroad, and in the 
Hamilton and Dayton Railroad. He was also an 
extensive dealer in real estate, laying out Allen & 
Root's Addition, and Allen, Root & English's Wood- 
lawn Addition, together with several smaller ones. 
He also found time to engage in building, and has 
erected no less than one hundred buildings within 
the city limits. Mr. Root is at present connected, 
as president, with the Indianapolis Stove Company, 
which was organized in 1850 and incorporated in 
1857. This foundry is one of the most complete in 
the West. It has two moulding-rooms, and is sup- 
plied with all the latest improved machinery and 
other appliances to facilitate the business and econo- 
mize labor. The great amount of work done and the 
general prosperity of the business give evidence of 
the solidity, tact, and indomitable energy which 
characterize its management. Mr. Root is a member 
of St. Paul's Protestant Episcopal Cathedral, of 
which he has for many years been a vestryman. 
He was married, Aug. 15, 1861, to Miss Kate H. 
Howard, daughter of the late Maj. Robert Howard, 
of the British army, whose military career was an 
eventful and honorable one. Their children are 
Robert Howard, born Sept. 12, 1862 ; Edward 
Deloss, whose birth occurred Jan. 7, 1866 ; Devol- 
son, born Aug. 5, 1867; Allen, born Aug. 15, 1871 ; 
and Harry B., born March 31, 1873. The last 
named is the only survivor of this number. 

In 1858 the Redstone Brothers began the foundry 
and machine business on Delaware Street, between 
Louisiana and South, and soon after Spotts & Thomp- 
son began a foundry beside them, but both were 
burned in 1860 and abandoned. Cox, Lord & Peck 
established a stove-foundry at the crossing of Dela- 
ware Street and the creek in 1861, and kept it in 
operation for a few years, when they gave it up, and 
soon afterwards A. D. Wood & Co. took it and 
carried it on a few years. The Indiana Foundry 
Company at Brightwood, organized about three years 



ago, also makes stoves. The Cash Stove Company, 
of South Pennsylvania Street, are the only other 
stove manufacturers in the city. The Ruschaupt 
foundry and machine-shop, on South Meridian Street, 
was absorbed into the Eagle Machine- Works. 

In 1859, Chandler & Wiggins established the 
Phoenix Foundry and Machine-shop in a small way, at 
the crossing of Washington Street and the mill-race, 
on the east side. It was burned in a few years, and 
rebuilt and enlarged by Chandler & Taylor, who have 
since gone on with a steadily increasing business, and 
now have one of the most extensive establishments 
in the city. The Novelty Works were begun in 
1862 by Frink & Moore, and changed to the Novelty 
Works Company in 1868, with Dr. Frink as presi- 
dent, and H. A. Moore, superintendent, and manu- 
factured a number of small articles, as hinges, latches, 
gas- and water-boxes, bed-irons, and the like. Some 
years ago the company built a large shop at Haughs- 
ville, but never did much there, and never recovered 
from the change. 

In 1866, Mr. B. F. Hetherington began foundry- 
and machine-work in a modest way on South Dela- 
ware Street, and continued there till eight or ten 
years ago. Then he and Mr. Berner moved to a 
frame shop on the south side of South Street, at the 
alley along the east bank of Pogue's Creek. Hard 
and honest work gradually enlarged the business, 
and additions were made down the creek at the end 
of the old shop and westward into the creek. A 
serious loss by fire occurred shortly after this exten- 
sion, but was at once repaired, and work went on more 
energetically than ever. Again came a destructive 
fire, but the damage was immediately repaired. Then 
an extension was made clear across the creek about 
two years ago, and a large brick addition made on the 
west bank, so that now this really large establish- 
ment covers the whole width of the creek to the 
alleys on each side, and extends almost 200 feet 
down. 

Benjamin Hetherington. — John Hethering- 
ton was the son of a member of the English Parlia- 
ment, and resided in Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Eng- 
land, where he was engaged as a warper in a cotton- 
factory. He married, in Carlisle, Miss Ann Wilson, 




@ 



r ® 
® 

s a ^ 

S3 a i 



M 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



467 



born in London, and had twelve children, the 
youngest of whom was Benjamin P., the subject of 
this biography, whose birth occurred Oct. 30, 1828, 
in Carlisle. His early boyhood was spent at school. 
At the age of twelve his father died, and a year later 
the mother, with her family, emigrated to America, 
his brother Christopher having already preceded 
them to the United States. Soon after their arrival 
they proceeded to Webster, Mass., where Benjamin 
obtained employment in a cotton-factory, but pre- 
ferring to encourage his mechanical genius, he at the 
age of nineteen became apprentice to the trade of a 
machinist, and continued thus engaged for two years. 
He then became a resident of Cincinnati, and an 
employe of the firm of Reynolds, Kite & Tatum. 

At the expiration of two years — a strike having 
occurred in which he did not wish to participate — • 
he removed (in 1852) to Indianapolis. Here he was 
first employed in the foundry of R. R. Underbill, 
and later became foreman in the shop of A. Gt. Searl, 
with whom he afterwards formed a copartnership. 
The panic of 1857 having caused a general stag- 
nation of business, affected values, and reduced the 
wages for skilled labor, Mr. Hetherington engaged for 
one year in the foundry of Mr. Delos Root at a 
nominal sum, and was later employed by the Wash- 
ington foundry, owned by Hassellman & Vinton. 
The ten consecutive years following were spent in 
the employ of the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Louis- 
ville Railroad, after which he erected a small machine- 
shop and began a career of independence. His ven- 
ture was successful ; business increased and encouraged 
him to purchase a lot and erect a foundry in com- 
pany with Frederick Berner and Joseph Kindel. 
This business association was continued for six years, 
when he disposed of his interest, and entering the 
firm of Sinker, Davis & Co., remained in this con- 
nection for three years. He then, with his former 
partner, Mr. Berner, built another foundry, and still 
continues his business interest with him. The de- 
mand for the work from their shops has greatly 
increased and rendered an increase in the dimensions 
and capacity of the foundry necessary. The princi- 
pals in the business have also associated with them 
their sons in special departments of the business. 



Mr. Hetherington, in view of his success, may refer 
with pardonable pride to his industry, ambition, and 
integrity as the powerful levers that have brought 
him to a position of independence. In politics he is 
a Republican and actively interested in the politics 
of the ward in which he resides. He has been for 
years inspector of election for this ward. He is a 
member of the Indianapolis Board of Trade and of 
Marion Lodge, No. 601, Knights of Honor. He 
was reared in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and still inclines to that belief. 

Mr. Hetherington was married in Webster, Mass., 
on the 21st of April, 1821, to Miss Jane Stephen, 
daughter of William Stephen, a printer, of Penrith, 
England, and his wife Diana. Their children were 
William, Frank, Mary W., Charles A., Benjamin, 
and Frederick A., all of whom, with the exception 
of Frederick A., are deceased. 

Mothershead & Co., in 1864, established a hollow- 
ware and stove-foundry, and after conducting it some 
years with fair success, changed it to the Indianapolis 
Foundry Company, and now do a very large business 
in light malleable castings, making most of those for 
the great Beatty organ -factory, as well as for several 
other special demands. The Greenleaf foundry was 
begun in 1865, on South Tennessee Street, near the 
rolling-mill, increased largely, and in 1870 became 
the Greenleaf Machine- Works, making engines, 
shafting, railroad turn-tables, and other heavy work. 
Some ten or twelve years ago it suspended, and the 
building, after a short occupancy by another machine- 
factory, passed into the hands of Henry Hermann, of 
New York, who now carries on a large furniture-fac- 
tory there. The Dean Brothers built their first house 
on Madison Avenue, at the crossing of Ray Street, in 
1870, and began business the first of the year 1871, 
doing a sort of general foundry and machine work, 
but within the last half-dozen years they have made 
a specialty of pumps, and particularly of one of their 
own invention. Two or three years ago the estab- 
lishment was enlarged by a handsome building on the 
avenue. The Victor Machine- Works have been es- 
tablished within the last four or five years by Ewald 
Over. 

The Atlas Works. — This is the largest estab- 



468 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



lishment of the kind in the city or the State. The 
buildings it occupies in the extreme northeast corner 
of the city were originally intended for the manu- 
facture of cars, and were for a time used for that 
purpose, but proving unremunerative, the business 
was abandoned and the buildings left unoccupied till 
the organization of the Atlas Machine Company, the 
president and chief stockholder of which is Stoughton 
A. Fletcher, nephew and long associated in the bank 
with the late Stoughton A. Fletcher. It has been in 
operation about ten years, for a time having an office 
and wareroom on South Pennsylvania Street, oppo- 
site the gas-works, but for the last five or six years 
keeping all its business at the main establishment. 
The Corliss engine is a specialty of this company, 
though it makes anything in its line, and the excel- 
lence of the work and the thorough satisfaction it 
gives have created a demand for it all over the West, 
and also in foreign countries. It is the most complete 
" express and admirable" piece of machinery that is 
now made of iron, and the Atlas gets little time to 
make anything else. The company employs about 
500 hands, and turns out about $1,000,000 of work 
annually. The works have a railway connection. 

Stotighton a. Fletcher, Jr., the fifth son of 
the late Calvin Fletcher, was born on the 25th day of 
October, 1831. His father was well known as an 
early pioneer in Indianapolis ; as the first lawyer who 
came to this city ; as a man who took a deep interest 
in the material, intellectual, and moral Welfare of 
society in Central Indiana, and, for that matter, in 
the whole State. He believed in land, believed in 
labor, believed in schools, and believed that industry, 
guided by true Christian principles, made the noblest 
community on earth. Calvin Fletcher had eleven 
children, nine of them boys, and all of whom lived 
to adult years. Every child learned something useful, 
and learned to depend upon himself or herself One 
son he placed with a carpenter ; another with a mer- 
chant ; a third drove a team for an English company 
over the plains into Mexico, and rose to be secretary 
of the company ; six were early put upon farms and 
learned to plow and do all other kinds of husbandry ; 
and one in his teens was at the head of his father's 
farm. All of them had the best education the schools 



of Indiana ofi'ered, while six of them either had a 
complete or partial collegiate education at the East. 
Thus, while the sons of Calvin Fletcher had the ad- 
vantage of intellectual training, they had the higher 
advantage of having learned from their father the 
dignity of labor and the nobility of a Christian life. 

The subject of this sketch went through the same 
ordeal with his brothers, but united perhaps more 
than any other the qualities of his father and mother. 
He was early trained on the farm, and showed great 
aptitude in whatever pertained to agriculture or agri- 
cultural machinery. In 1850 he learned practical 
telegraphy, and many a message was sent by him that 
year in the old office on Washington Street. On 
attaining his majority he passed some time in a par- 
tial course at Brown University, Providence, R. I. 
In 1853 he became conductor on the Bellefontaine 
Railroad. In June, 1853, he ran the first train that 
started out of the Union Depot, and after two years 
as conductor he rose to be superintendent of the same 
road. He not only understood cars, but locomotives 
and railroad machinery. He could drive a locomo- 
tive like an old hand, and on the occasion that his 
brothers and sisters met (the first and only time 
together in Indianapolis), ran the engine out of the 
Union Depot with all the family on the tender, and 
carried them to his father's farm. 

After some years in railroad enterprises he became, 
in 1858, the clerk and teller in S. A. Fletcher's bank, 
and applied the same practical energy to this as to 
the farm and railroad. He afterwards became partner 
in the same bank with F. M. Churchman, Here he 
remained until 1868, when his business duties led 
him into the gas company, of which he was president 
for more than ten years. As he studied farming, 
railroading, and banking, so he studied gas-making. 
In 18*78 he, through various circumstances, became 
the head of the Atlas Engine- Works, where portable 
and Atlas- Corliss engines are turned out by nearly 
six hundred hands. As in other pursuits, " the eye 
of the master" is perceptible here, and a now energy 
was infused into the whole establishment when Stough- 
ton A. Fletcher, Jr., took hold of the Atlas Engine- 
Works. Its business extends over the whole Union 
and to distant foreign lands, and it is said to be the 




@ @ a 



[= © f 
^ =jr § 

® S I 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



469 



largest and best equipped concern of its kind west of 
the Alleghanies. He has his father's practical ideas 
with regard to the education of his sons. His eldest 
son, Charles, after studying at the East, took a regu- 
lar course in the Atlas Engine-Works, beginning at 
the lowest point and " graduating with honors." He 
is now secretary of the company, and traveling in 
South America in its interest. His second son is at 
Harvard University. He has also other business 
relations, — as partner in the large banking-house of 
Fletcher & Sharpe, and as director in the Indianapolis 
National Bank. 

He is a quiet man, and not a speech-maker ; but 
no man more steadily attends to business or cares 
more for his fellow-man than he. He is public- 
spirited. He, with James M. Ray, Calvin Fletcher, 
James Blake, and others, was among the first who 
initiated the idea of a new cemetery, which resulted 
in Crown Hill, and was made president of the 
Crown Hill Cemetery Association in 1874, which 
office he still holds. 

Mr. Fletcher has traveled much in our own country 
— north, south, east, and west, — -from the Atlantic to 
the Pacific, from the Lakes to the Gulf. In 1874-75 
he made the tour of Europe, Egypt, and the Holy 
Land. In 1856 he married Miss Elizabeth Barrows, 
of Augusta, Me. The children of this marriage are 
two sons and two daughters. 

The Nordtke and Marmon Works. — These 
were originally the Quaker City Machine- Works, es- 
tablished here in 1873 by A. N. Hadley & Co., of 
Richmond (the Quaker city), from which they took 
their name. They have a frontage to the west along 
the east side of the Vinoennes Railway of about 600 
feet, mostly one story in height, abundantly lighted 
from both sides and roofed with slate, with an L ex- 
tending eastward to Kentucky Avenue, and with a 
whole settlement of shops in the rear along the avenue 
extending from near Morris Street to the lumber-yard 
along the Belt road, with which, as well as with the 
Vincennes road, the works have a connection by side 
tracks. The Belt road was not built when the works 
were, as they were occupied in 1873-74, and given 
up by Mr. Hadley in 1876, the year before the com- 
pletion of the Belt. The Nordyke and Marmon 



Company took it then, and have since created a very 
extensive business, making a specialty of grist-mill 
machinery and stones. A large portion of the rear 
buildings are occupied by the millstone-works, and 
a monthly publication called the Millstone is pub- 
lished here, the work being done in the building. 
The company employs about 300 hands now, and 
turns about from $600,000 to $700,000 worth of 
work annually. 

Atkins' Saw- Works.— Mr. Atkins began his 
business single-handed in the old Hill Planing-Mill 
on East Street in 1856. In a year or so he removed 
to Pennsylvania Street, in the old City Foundry, 
where he had the misfortune to be burned out once or 
twice. He removed to his present location on South 
Illinois Street, next to the Woodburn Sarven Wheel- 
Works, in 1860-61, and has gradually enlarged his 
business and premises till he now employs about 140 
hands, with a pay-roll of $75,000 a year, and pro- 
duces an annual value of work of about $300,000. 

Elias C. Atkins. — The earliest representative 
of the Atkins family in America emigrated from 
England in the sixteenth century, and settled in 
New England. From his son Benoni was de- 
scended Rollin Atkins, father of the subject of this 
biographical sketch, whose birth occurred in Bristol, 
Conn. He was united in marriage to Miss Harriet 
Bishop, of the same city, and had children, — George 
R., Ellen (Mrs. Volney Barber), Harriet (Mrs. 
Lyman Smith), Mary Ann (deceased). Marietta (Mrs. 
Henry Stevens), and Elias C. The last named, the 
youngest of the number, was born June 28, 1833, 
in Bristol, Conn. His early education was confined 
to a period of three years at the grammar-school, 
after which, at the age of twelve, he was apprenticed 
to the trade of saw manufacturing, and continued 
thus employed until his seventeenth year. His 
thorough knowledge of the business and mechanical 
genius immediately caused his promotion to the po- 
sition of superintendent of the establishment. His 
evenings were devoted to study and reading, the lack 
of earlier opportunities having inspired a desire to 
improve such advantages as later and more favorable 
circumstances offered. He was, at the age of 
twenty-two, married to Miss Sarah J. Wells, of 



470 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Newington, Conn., whose family were of English 
extraction. One daughter, Hattie J., was born to 
this marriage. Mrs. Atkins' death occurred April 
11, 1863, and Mr. Atkins was a second time mar- 
ried, to Miss Mary Dolbeare, of Colchester, Conn., 
who died March 11, 1865. Their only child was 
Willie D., whose death occurred Aug. 30, 1865. 

Mr. Atkins, desiring a wider field of usefulness 
than was opened in New England, removed in 1855 
to Cleveland, Ohio, and established the first saw- 
manufactory in that city. One year's experience 
convinced him that the saw industry could be de- 
veloped under more favorable conditions in Indian- 
apolis, and, disposing of his interest, he removed to 
the latter city in 1856, and developed the first and 
largest manufactory of saws in the State. Beginning 
with limited capital and the employment of but a 
single hand, the enterprise has increased to such 
proportions as to utilize the labor of one hundred 
and twenty men and furnish its products to a large 
area of territory in the Northwest and other points. 
Much of the machinery used in the various depart- 
ments of the mill is the invention of Mr. Atkins, 
and protected by patents. He has also engaged ex- 
tensively in mining operations, having organized the 
Hecla Consolidated Mining Company of Indianapolis, 
with mines situated in Montana, of which he was for 
seven years general agent and for two years superin- 
tendent, with his residence at the mines. During 
this time all purchases and sales of products was 
made by him, and the profitable development of the 
property the result of his personal attention and 
financial ability. He also purchased seven addi- 
tional mines, which are at present the most produc- 
tive interests of the company. Other mining enter- 
prises in which he is interested have proved equally 
successful. 

Mr. Atkins is in politics a Republican, but without 
ambition for office, his time being exclusively devoted 
to his various business pursuits. Both he and his 
wife are members of the First Baptist Church of 
Indianapolis. Mr. Atkins was a third time married, 
to Miss Sarah Frances Parker, daughter of Rev. 
Addison Parker, of Newton Centre, Mass. The 
children born to this marriage are Mary Dolbeare, 



Henry Cornelius, Sarah Frances, Emma Louisa, 
and Carra Isabel. These children, with Miss Hattie 
J., constitute the present family of Mr. and Mrs. 
Atkins. 

In 1867, Farley & Sinker, son of E. T. Sinker, 
began making saws on the corner of Pennsylvania 
and Georgia Streets, and carried it on successfully 
till Mr. Sinker went back to the machine-works on 
the death of his father. Mr. Farley then, or soon 
after, opened up the same business on the east side 
of South Meridian Street, just below the Eagle 
Machine- Works. Henry Westphal & Co. are in the 
same business on the same street, farther south, and 
Barry & Co. occupy the old establishment on Penn- 
sylvania and Georgia Streets. 

Files were made for a number of years by Stein- 
bauer & Drotz on Pennsylvania Street, near the 
Union Railway tracks, but recently the proprietors 
seem to have gone into the coal business and aban- 
doned file-making. 

The Malleable Ikon- Works ab Haughsville oc- 
cupies the building originally erected by the Novelty 
Company, and has added to it till the capacity has 
been enlarged tenfold, and one of the most extensive 
establishments of the kind in the country has been 
completed. The death of the manager in the summer 
of 1882, while the buildings were in progress, caused 
a good deal of delay, but seems to have proved a less 
serious obstruction than was feared. No report of 
the amount or condition of business, however, has 
appeared, and nothing can be said definitely about 
an establishment which promised at one time to be 
one of the most important of the industries of the 
city and the State. 

Architectural Iron-Works. — This establish- 
ment is well known all over the country for its 
superior iron house-work, especially for large and 
costly public buildings. It began in the manufac- 
ture of iron railings by Williamson & Haugh on Dela- 
ware Street, opposite the old court-house, in 1856. 
Some years later, Mr. Haugh's brother, Benjamin 
F., took the business and removed to South Pennsyl- 
vania Street, where his rails and iron columns, 
and other house-work, very greatly enlarged his 
business, and finding his quarters inadequate and 



I 




^^ 




^^^y. 




,tf^ 



■9 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



471 



DOt oversaf'e, the establishment was removed to the 
high level plateau west of the river and north of the 
National road, a half-mile east of the Insane Asylum. 
Here a series of large connected buildings, with a 
railway track into the main line of the Indianapolis, 
Bloomington and Western road was erected, and the 
company has gone on in a larger business than ever. 
Some three years ago Mr. John L. Ketcham entered 
the concern, and the name is now Haugh, Ketcham 
& Co. The establishment has done work for public 
buildings, State and national, court-houses and custom- 
houses, from Boston to Iowa City, and to States 
farther west. It employs over 100 hands all the 
time, and turns out about $200,000 of work a year. 

Hadley, Weight & Co. — After leaving the 
Quaker City Machine-AVorks in 1876, Mr. Hadley, 
the founder, opened a machine repair-shop in the old 
Byrkit Planing-mill, on the northwest corner of 
Georgia and Tennessee Streets, in 1878. His busi- 
ness increased here to such an extent that, in 1881, 
he had to find new quarters, and he bought the whole 
of the quarter of a square on the southeast corner 
of Georgia and Tennessee Streets, except the resi- 
dence on the corner and some feet fronting Georgia 
Street. Here he erected an unusually solid three- 
story brick building, 102 feet on Tennessee Street, 
with a depth of 170 feet, and a front on Georgia 
Street which gives a length in that direction of 200. 
Besides, all the open ground in the rear of the build- 
ings is full of machinery, boilers, and other apparatus, 
while the north end of the opposite square is also 
filled with boilers. The business of the firm is to 
purchase second-hand engines and boilers, and put 
them in good condition, and sell or trade them to any 
who want that sort of work. They employ thirty 
hands, and do a business of $150,000 a year. 

The Rolling-Mill was an enterprise like the old 
steam-mill, a little too early for the time and the de- 
velopment of the city, but it grew to fit its situation 
finally, and has become the leading metallic industry 
of the State. The projector was Mr. R. A. Douglass, 
who, with a Mr. Schofield, came here in 1857, and 
formed a company to carry on the enterprise. A 
railway track was made down Tennessee Street that 
same summer, and work begun on the building on the ' 



29th of October. Two old citizens went into the 
scheme heartily, and sunk the gains of their lives 
largely in it, — James Blake and James Van Blaricum. 
The latter owned the ground, — then Van Blaricum's 
pasture, — one of the original outlets of the donation 
on which the establishment was to be located. Mr. 
Douglass does not seem to have been a very prudent 
manager, and by the following spring, before the mill 
was ready for work, the embarrassments he had in- 
curred checked the enterprise, and he abandoned it. 
A new company, or the old one reorganized, bought 
the unfinished affair, and put it in working order, and 
soon made it pay, under the skillful management of 
Mr. John Thomas, the superintendent, whose inven- 
tion of the " pile," or bundle of old rails cut up, to 
be re-rolled and ingeniously compacted and held 
together, was one of the sources of the company's 
success. War times made prosperity for this busi- 
ness, as it did for all railroad work, and the company's 
stock was soon above par. Success led Mr. John M. 
Lord, the president, to make some hazardous experi- 
ments, especially with the Dank puddling apparatus, 
and the final result was some trouble and embarrass- 
ments, and Mr. Lord went out, and Mr. Aquilla 
Jones, State treasurer in 1857-59, came in. The 
mill has since done well all the time, rarely having to 
suspend for more than a few days for repairs, or 
sometimes on account of delayed material. 

John Thomas. — Thomas Thomas, the father of 
the subject of this biographical sketch, married 
Keturah Hughes, both natives of Pembrokeshire, 
South Wales. Their children were William, Eliza- 
beth (Mrs. Tenbrook), Ellen (Mrs. Cotrell), Richard, 
Thomas H, Hannah, Nancy (Mrs. Chase), and 
John, all of whom, with the exception of the latter, 
are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas emigrated to 
America during the present century and settled in 
Bound Brook, N. J., where the former engaged in 
building. Later he removed to Utica, where he was 
an early settler, and continued actively employed 
until a few years before his death. He served in 
the war of 1812, and, while acting as lieutenant of 
his company, was severely wounded at the battle of 
Sacket's Harbor. His son John was born July 5, 
1816, in Utica, N. Y., and at an early age left 



472 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



fatherless. In his eighth year he became a member 
of the family of a farmer in Trenton, Oneida Co., 
N. Y., and later found a home in Herkimer County. 
From thence he removed for one year to Johnstown, 
N. Y., after which seven years were spent with a 
brother-in-law in Delaware County, N. Y. He then 
determined upon acquiring an independent trade, 
and, having entered a machine-shop in New York 
City, served an apprenticeship as a general machinist. 
During his residence of twelve years in New York 
and the immediate vicinity, a portion of the time was 
spent in the pursuit of his trade and the remainder 
in active business as a dealer in produce. His vo- 
cation of machinist, however, having proved more 
attractive and profitable, he became an employe of 
Peter Cooper's rolling-mills in New York and Tren- 
ton, N. J. Mr. Thomas, on leaving the latter place, 
purchased a farm in Delaware County, N. Y., upon 
which his family were placed, and engaged for other 
parties in the construction and management of mills 
in Utica, N. Y., and Wyandotte, Mich. He was 
induced in July, 1857, to remove to Indianapolis 
with a view to erecting and operating the property 
of the Indianapolis RoUing-Mill Company. His con- 
nection with this mill has been continued, first as a 
salaried officer, later as a stockholder and director, 
and as the present treasurer and largest shareholder. 
After a brief connection with the manufacturing in- 
terests of the city, Mr. Thomas realized the impor- 
tance of a cheaper and better quality of coal than 
was in general use, and securing the services of Dr. 
Brown, the State geologist, made a prospecting tour 
through the coal-fields of the State. In Brazil, Clay 
County, a shaft had been sunk and a small quantity 
of the now popular block-coal was being mined. 
This Mr. Thomas converted to practical use in his 
mill, and was instrumental in securing its general 
use for manufacturing purposes. It is now in great 
demand in various parts of the State. The subject 
of this sketch has been since largely identified with 
the business interests of the city. He has aided in 
the establishment of three machine-shops and foun- 
dries, is president and treasurer of the Indianapolis 
Cotton Manufacturing Company, president of the 
Hecla Consolidated Gold and Silver Mining Com- 



pany of Montana, which has proved a profitable en- 
terprise, and interested, as projector or otherwise, in 
various minor business schemes. He is also a di- 
rector of the Citizens' National Bank of Indianapolis. 
In his political associations he is a prominent Re- 
publican, and, although not ambitious for office, has 
served two years in the City Council. Mr. Thomas 
was in 1840 married to Miss Ann Barber, a native 
of Manchester, England, who, having lost both 
parents, came to America with a relative when 
eight years of age. Their children are Richard Z. 
(of Montana), William H. (of Indianapolis), Learned 
J. (deceased), Martha A. (deceased), Charles J. (de- 
ceased), Edward L. (of Arkansas), and Julia A. 
The death of Mrs. Thomas occurred March 5, 1879. 

One of the stockholders of the second company, 
who was always active and interested in its work, and 
who contributed largely to its success in obtaining its 
own coal mines, was William 0. Rockwood, one of 
the leading citizens and among those most respected. 

William 0. Rookwood. — The ancestry of Mr. 
Rockwood in both lines of descent was English. 
His father, the Rev. Dr. Elisha Rockwood, a grad- 
uate of Dartmouth College in 1802, was for twenty- 
seven years minister of the Westboro' parish. His 
mother, Susannah Brigham Parkman, was the daugh- 
ter of Breck Parkman, Esq., and granddaughter of 
Rev. Ebenezer Parkman, the first minister of West- 
boro', and a clergyman of wide influence. The child- 
hood of Mr. Rockwood was passed in his native 
town. He later studied at Leicester and Amherst 
Academies, and finally entered Yale College to com- 
plete a classical course. Having a passion for the 
sea, after two years at Yale an opportunity was ob- 
tained for him as a common sailor on a cotton vessel 
bound for Savannah, and from thence to Liverpool. 
This voyage satisfied him, and returning home he 
engaged in teaching. In August following the death 
of his mother, which occurred June 4, 1836, he 
came to Warsaw, 111., and later resided at Quincy 
and St. Louis. In the latter city he was largely 
engaged in the business of wholesale groceries, with 
a partner who desired to enlarge their mercantile 
ventures by embarking in the liquor traffic and slave 
trade. This being repugnant to Mr. Lockwood, the 



I 




lA\ A^, 




6niy/T/rr // i^ ^^ 





^my/i 



'//^6 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



473 



partnership was dissolved, aad Madison, Ind., became 
his home, where he was for seven years connected 
with the firm of Polleys & Butler, after which he 
removed to Shelbyville. 

There he engaged in milling enterprises and as 
superintendent of the new Shelbyville Lateral Branch 
Railroad. Ultimately came to Indianapolis, where 
he continued to reside until his death on the 13th of 
November, 1879. The enterprise in which he was 
first engaged at Indianapolis, the manufacture of 
railroad cars, was too extensive for the place and 
time, and met with but partial success. Soon, how- 
ever, he received the appointment of treasurer of the 
Indianapolis and Cincinnati Railroad, and found at last 
a pursuit congenial to his talents and tastes. For 
seven years he discharged the onerous and difficult 
duties of the railway treasurership, resigning the 
place in 1868 that he might bestow needed attention 
upon his own accumulated afiairs. He was promi- 
nent in the inception of various iron industries, par- 
ticularly the Indianapolis Rolling-Mill and the Roane 
Iron Company at Rockwood and Chattanooga, Tenn. 
Of the former he became treasurer in 1872, having 
previously been an influential director. The growth 
of the latter organization, originating largely in his 
sagacity and perseverance, was to the last a source of 
pleasure and an occasion of reasonable pride. Mr. 
Rockwood possessed unusual capacity for the dispatch 
of business. Beside his duties at the rolling-mill, quite 
sufficient to occupy the attention of one man, he was 
a director of the Roane Iron Company, Tennessee, 
of the First National Bank and Bank of Commerce, 
of Indianapolis, of the Franklin Fire Insurance Com- 
pany and the Bedford Railroad Company, president 
of the Industrial Life Association, and treasurer of 
the Indianapolis Telephone Company and the Hecla 
Mining Company. He was also associated with 
several other complicated business concerns in differ- 
ent States, each of which required a considerable 
correspondence. In the direction of his latest and 
largest employments his facility was greatly enhanced 
by his mechanical insight. Few men without formal 
training in such matters looked farther or more 
quickly than he into cranks and wheels. He also 
had a useful faculty of resting. This came partly 



from the composure of his nerves, and partly from 
his enjoyment of humor. He rarely failed to be 
diverted by a gleam of wit, — a backgammon-board 
untangled thought. He enjoyed good talkers, and 
his frequent journeys were occasions of amusement 
and rest. 

Doubtless the quality and quantity of his work 
was affected by a certain calmness of judgment, a 
judicial temper of mind. He was not easily jostled 
by excitements around him. While feeling the deep- 
est interest in questions of public policy, he evinced 
both calmness and judgment in the regular exercise 
of his franchise. More important is it, however, 
to observe Mr. Rockwood's moral traits. He was 
marked by a conspicuous integrity. Nothing was so 
sure to stir the last drop of blood in him as the 
raising of a question regarding his probity. His 
capacity for friendship was also remarkable. In the 
midst of the most urgent engagements he was capable 
of writing every day to a man he loved, and for 
months and years each day looking for the reply. 
For humanity in general he had a kindly side, trust- 
ing men too readily for safety out of mere good 
nature or genuine pity. It was seldom that in ordi- 
nary conversation he could be betrayed into saying a 
word in disparagement of any one. Mr. Rockwood 
was republican in the simplicity of all his tastes ; and 
class distinctions he thoroughly disliked. An intelli- 
gent and firm believer in Christianity, he was at the 
time of his death a member of Memorial Presbyterian 
Church of Indianapolis. Beside his widow, who was 
Miss Helen Mar Moore, of Auburn, N. Y., three 
children survive him, — Helen Mar (wife of Rev. 
Hanford A. Edson, D.D.), William E., and Charles B. 
In 1881 the Rolling-Mill Company concluded that 
a steel-rail mill here could be made to pay, and they 
erected one of the largest and finest mills in the 
United States for that work. It has a front to the 
south of over 200 feet, and over 300 to the west, 
with an arrangement to extend it 200 feet more 
to the east if necessary. The main divisions are 
120 feet wide, and each over 200 long. All the 
ap|)aratus for heating, rolling, sawing, cooling, and 
straightening is of the latest improved style, and a 
large part of it is the invention of Mr. Lentz, the 



474 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



superintendent of machinery. The roll trams are 
"three high," the "hookers and catchers" are re- 
placed by adjustable tables moved by a lever in one 
man's hands ; the off-bearing to the saws and the 
action of the saws is automatic nearly, only requiring 
one hand at the lever, and the moving off on the 
" hot bed" is automatic. Machinery is made to do 
the work of 40 or 50 men. Machinery also hauls 
the blooms from the furnace when ready for the rolls. 
The boilers and furnaces are so constructed as to save 
30 per cent, of the fuel required by ordinary furnaces. 
The whole establishment is complete, and has been 
pronounced by experienced mill men who have ex- 
amined it unequaled anywhere. North of it are the 
machine-shops and foundry connected with it. The 
capacity of the mill when running full-handed, with 
about 350 hands, is said to be equal to the production 
of $3,000,000 worth of rails a year or more. The 
machinery, boilers, and furnaces have all been thor- 
oughly tested by the actual performance of all the 
work required of them, and found to operate more 
smoothly and readily than was expected. The two 
mills stand within about two hundred feet of each 
other in the 13 acres of ground south of Pogue's 
Creek and west of Tennessee, which the company 
has long owned. 

Hon. Aqdilla Jones, the son of Benjamin and 
Mary Jones, who were of Welsh extraction, was born 
in Stokes (now Forsyth) County, N. C, on the 8th 
of July, 1811. His father, being a farmer in limited 
circumstances, could afford his son but few advantages 
of education, and early required his assistance in the 
cultivation of the farm. In 1831 the family emi- 
grated to Columbus, Bartholomew Co., Ind., to which 
point Elisha P. Jones, brother of the subject of this 
biographical sketch, had preceded them and engaged 
in mercantile pursuits. He also held the commission 
of postmaster of the place. Aquilla entered the store 
as clerk, and remained until August, 1836, when he 
removed to Missouri. The following year found him 
again a resident of Columbus, and engaged in the busi- 
ness of hotel-keeping. This venture was, however, 
of short duration, and his brother, Elisha P., having 
died, he succeeded him by purchase of the stock, and 
was by common consent made postmaster of the village. 



He continued the business of a country merchant until 
1856, first with his brother, Charles Jones, and later 
with B. F. Jones, another brother, and during much 
of this period held the office of postmaster. He was, 
in 1849, made president of the Columbus Bridge 
Company, which erected a bridge across the east 
branch of the White River at Columbus, and super- 
intended its construction. He owned a controlling 
interest in the stock, which was later sold on his 
removal to Indianapolis. He was appointed by Presi- 
dent Martin Van Buren to take the census, and again 
to the same office by President Millard Fillmore in 
1850 ; was tendered the position of clerk of the court 
of Bartholomew County, and elected to the State 
Legislature for the sessions of 18i2-43. Mr. Jones 
was honored with the appointment of Indian agent 
for Washington Territory by President Franklin 
Pierce, but declined, after which he was offered the 
same position in connection with New Mexico, and 
was constrained to decline this also. He received in 
1856 the Democratic nomination for State treasurer, 
was elected, and renominated in 1858, which honor 
he declined. Having removed to Indianapolis, he 
was, in 1861, made treasurer of the Indianapolis 
RoUing-Mill, and continued thus officially connected 
with the enterprise until 1873, when he was made its 
president. He was also chosen president of the water- 
works in 1873, but was influenced by circumstances 
to resign at the expiration of four months, his numer- 
ous business connections requiring all his time and 
attention. Mr. Jones for a period of half a century 
has been engaged in the active duties of life, and in 
his various enterprises has invariably been successful. 
This is largely due to his indefatigable industry, his 
keen intuitions, and his enterprise. He has ever 
manifested public spirit and a lively interest in mat- 
ters pertaining to the State, county, and city of his 
residence. Mr. Jones has been twice married, — in 
1836 to Miss Sarah Ann, daughter of Evan Arnold, 
who died soon after; he was again married, in 1840, 
to Miss Harriet, daughter of Hon. John W. and 
Nancy Cox, of Morgan County, Ind. To this mar- 
riage were born children^ — Elisha P., John W., Emma 
(Mrs. Harry C. HoUoway), Benjamin F., Charles, 
Aquilla Q., Edwin S., William M., Frederick, Har- 




Lj^0u 6f^ ^ 



^f^^v 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



475 



riet (deceased), and Mary (also deceased). Mr. and 
Mrs. Jones are members of St. Paul's Cathedral, 
Indianapolis, in which the former is a vestryman. 

In 1867 a rolling-mill company was formed by 
Valentine Butsch, James Dickson, Fred. P. Rusch, 
J. C. Brinkmener, and William Sims, to roll bar and 
rod and other ordinary merchantable iron, and in 1868 
the building, with twelve puddling and two smelting 
furnaces, was erected on the north bank of the river, 
at the end of the Vincennes Railroad bridge. Here 
it worked 75 to 100 hands and produced about 20 
tons of iron a day. The capital was about §150,000, 
afd the product $300,000 to $400,000. After the 
panic of 1873, when times began to grow hard, the 
mill, called the " Capital City Iron-Works," began to 
grow heavy on its owner's hands, and was finally 
abandoned six or eight years ago and has fallen to 
pieces; the walls have been blown down, the roof 
tumbled in, the smoke-stacks broken down, and the 
furnaces wrecked. This is said to be the probable 
location of the new agricultural machine-works. 
Connected with this mill was a nut and bolt factory 
that did a good business, and there is now one in the 
city on South Pennsylvania Street that seems to be 
well situated. 

Brass-Foundries. — The first brass-foundry in 
the city was established by Joseph W. Davis, in 
1855, on South Delaware Street. G-arrett & Com- 
pany began the same business with a bell-foundry 
attachment, in 1858, on the Union tracks, between 
Meridian and Pennsylvania Streets, but in a couple 
of years or less it collapsed. The brass-foundries 
now in the city are those of William Langenskamp, 
South Delaware ; Louis Neubacher, Georgia Street ; 
the Pioneer Brass- Works, South Pennsylvania Street, 
and Russell & Son, Biddle Street. 

Tin-ware is made by some fourteen manufacturers 
in the city, and copper-ware by two or three. Yost 
& Koyter on East Washington Street are the only 
manufacturers of cutlery. Cunningham Brothers on 
South Meridian Street, and Hollenbeck & Miller on 
South Illinois, manufacture wire screens, signs, and 
other articles of that material. Galvanized iron is 
manufactured into cornices and other building-work 
by four establishments. Of blacksmiths there are 



forty-eight in the city, though they make no such 
impressive show of importance as an old village 
blacksmith, whose shop was a sort of gossip resort, 
as the saloon is now, though hardly so innocently. 
Too much of the old-time blacksmith's work has been 
drawn by specialties and by machinery to leave a very 
impressive or important remainder. 

No complete statistics of this important industry, 
prior to 1873, are attainable, but for that year 
the secretary of the Board of Trade makes a full 
and accurate report, which shows that the foundries 
and machine-shops turned out for 1872 $1,375,000 
of work, and for 1873 $1,421,000 worth, used $878,- 
000 of capital, and employed 633 hands. The roll- 
ing-mill turned out $1,400,000 worth of rails in 

1872, and $1,580,000 in 1873, employed $900,000 
capital and 475 hands. Malleable iron-works turned 
out $175,000 of work in 1873, with a capital of 
$115,000, and the employment of 70 hands. File- 
factory turned out $47,000 of product, with $21,000 
of capital and 46 hands. Edge-tools, $15,000 of 
product, $5000 capital, 9 hands. The aggregate of 
all forms of industry dealing with iron or steel, ex- 
cept agricultural implements, was, in 1873, in prod- 
uct, $3,238,000 ; capital, $1,919,000; hands, 1233. 
In 1880 the aggregate product of foundries, ma- 
chine-shops, rolling-mills, and saw-works was, by the 
census, $3,869,000, and the number of hands em- 
ployed, 2241, an increase of 20 per cent, in product, 
and nearly 100 per cent, in the number of hands 
employed. These returns are but vague indioations. 
They do not present the same class of details with 
the same particularity, and consequently do not allow 
comparisons except at one or two points. The prod- 
uct of the rolling-mill, for instance, was larger, 
according to the estimate of the secretary, in 1880 
and 1881 — 24,000 tons — than in any years previ- 
ously, but the value of the product has declined since 

1873, and the total value returned in 1881 is less 
than in 1873. No return later than the census that 
is complete enough to permit a comparison to be 
made, but an increase to over $4,000,000 of aggre- 
gate iron products is the usual estimate. 

Miscellaneous. — -There are more manufactures 
lying outside of the three general divisions than in 



476 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



any one of them, and some are hardly inferior iu ex- 
tent and importance to any, either iron, wood, or food. 
A glass-factory was started here in February, 1870, 
by Messrs. Bulsitz, Dickson, Pitzinger, Brinkman, 
and Deschler, and two large furnace-houses, with the 
necessary adjuncts, were built. For a year or two some 
profitable work was done, about 80 hands employed, 
and about §135,000 of work turned out, chiefly 
fruit-jars and bottles, but there was not business 
enough to keep it employed, and it was gradually 
reduced in operation till it was abandoned, about 
1873, and turned into a fertilizer-factory. Then, as 
already mentioned, the Root Stove Foundry took it. 

Encaustic Tiles. — The United States Encaustic 
Tile-Works, on Seventh Street, are said to be the 
largest in the world, yet they were begun in 1877, — ■ 
a striking proof of enterprise and business sagacity is 
the magnificent success they have achieved so soon. 
A recent account in the News of the city gives a 
very clear idea of the extent and character of the 
work : " Its goods are sought for in all quarters. Only 
the other day a large order came from South Africa. 
Starting with the idea that tile could be made profit- 
ably in this country, and being here within easy 
access of fine clays adapted to the purpose, the com- 
pany erected substantial buildings with the proper 
machinery, and procured a number of skilled work- 
men from England. The first eighteen months were 
devoted chiefly to experiments. It is easy to start a 
manufactory of any kind, but it requires time to 
produce the right article and obtain a market for it. 
The company was just beginning to emerge from the 
diflBculties incident to a new enterprise when fire 
swept the factory away, involving great loss. But 
American pluck was behind the enterprise, and the 
buildings rose again and work was resumed. Success 
was attained, for the best work was done, and the 
demand for the article grew so that great enlarge- 
ments were necessary. Recently, improvements to 
the value of §50,000 have been made, including 
four new kilns, of greatly increased capacity, and 
eight mufl3e-kilns, two more than any factory in 
England, not excepting Minton's, has. 

" The works now have a capacity of 2,000,000 
square feet a year, and employ 300 persons, about 



100 of whom are women. Among these are a num- 
ber of English operatives ; nearly all those who came 
originally, remain, and Superintendent Harrison in 
his recent visit to England engaged and brought over 
a number of additional families. The product of the 
factory is found in every State and in hundreds of 
public buildings. Special orders are constantly exe- 
cuted for palatial dwellings in the great cities, and 
there is an increasing demand from churches, hotels, 
depots, stores, and banks. Among other large con- 
tracts are the great Produce Exchange of New York, 
the Custom House and the Post-Ofiice at St. Louis, 
and the Iowa State-House at Des Moines. 

" An encaustic tile, properly speaking, is one that 
is made of two kinds of clay, — a red base, with a 
face of finer clay, which bears the ornamental pattern, 
and strengthened at the base with a thin layer of 
diiferent clay to prevent warping. It is made both 
by the dry and plastic processes. In the latter 
the clay is damp. The workman, taking what he 
needs, cuts oflF a square slab, upon which the facing 
of finer clay is slapped down ; a backing is put on 
the other side to make the requisite thickness. It is 
then put in a press, and the pattern in relief, usually 
made of plaster of Paris, is brought down upon the 
face of the tile, and the design is impressed into the 
soft-tinted clay. The hollows thus formed are filled 
with a semifluid clay of a rich or deep color, poured 
into them and over the whole surface of the tile. In 
twenty-four hours this has become sufficiently hard 
to admit of the surplus clay being removed, which is 
skillfully done by the operator, and the whole pattern 
and ground are exposed. The surface is perfectly 
smooth, but the baking brings out the indentations or 
ridges of the patterns. 

" The artistic perfection reached in this work is re- 
markable. All colors and tints are produced at will ; 
forms of beauty of all shapes, — fruits, vines, flowers, 
birds, insects, portraits, lettering in any style of text. 
In short, there is no shape or likeness that cannot be 
reproduced with the exactness of engraving, though, 
of course, not in such delicate lines. The demand 
for variety necessitates the use of many designs, the 
production of which is a field of itself Then, when 
the tile is finished for use, several designers are kept 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OP THE CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



477 



busy in arranging the forms and combinations for 
mosaic floors, vestibules, chimney-pieces, walls, and 
other uses, and drawing working plans for the 
layers." 

Leather Products. — Mention has already been 
made of the tanneries of the city, early and late, but 
the products of leather in their different forms re- 
main to be noticed briefly. First of these is boot- 
and shoe-making. 

Boots and Shoes. — The first shoemaker in In- 
dianapolis was Isaac Lynch, who came in the fall of 
1821. He was soon followed by others, but their 
work was all for customers and immediate use. None 
was made for stock or general sale. There has never 
been any extensive manufacture of foot-gear in the 
city that continued long. About ten years ago a 
company built a large three-story brick on Brookside 
AvenuQ, near its crossing of Pogue's Creek, northeast 
of the city, and shoes and boots were made there by 
machinery for a short time, but the enterprise was 
not profitable and was soon abandoned. Then John 
Fishbaek made it a tannery. There are three manufac- 
turers of boot and shoe " uppers" in the city, Thomas 
D. Chautter, corner of Meridian and Washington 
Streets ; Jacob Pox, West Maryland ; Vincent 
Straub, South Illinois. There are 170 boot- and 
shoe-makers and dealers in the city, but the makers 
all work for customers directly. Besides these are 
9 wholeseale dealers. There is no practicable way of 
arriving at the aggregate value of all the work and 
sales of these 182 establishments, but it runs well up 
in the millions, no doubt. 

Harness and Saddles. — The first saddler in 
the city, so far as any mention or memory can de- 
termine, was Christopher Kellum, who came in 
1822 or 1823. The late James Sulgrove learned 
the trade with him, and when Mr. Kellum left the 
town, Mr. Sulgrove, then just out of his time, in 
1826 took the business and carried it on, first 
with his brother and later with William S. Witbank, 
and in the days since the advent of railroads with 
Silas Shoemaker and Augustus Smith, and finally 
with some of his sons, till his death in November, 
1875. At that time and for several years before 
his was the oldest business house in Indianapolis. 



He was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, and 
came here with his father in 1823. He had never 
any regular schooling but for a few months, and 
taught himself about all he ever learned. He 
married in 1826 and raised a family of ten children, 
all of whom survived him, and but one has died since. 
His wife died in 1865, more than ten years before 
him. He afterwards married a Mrs. Johnson, and 
for a few years left the city and lived on a farm on 
the Bluff road about a mile below the farm of his 
younger brother, Joseph, his former business partner, 
who died the year before him. He returned to the 
city a few years before his death, but never discon- 
tinued his attention to his business till forced to do 
so by ill health. He had been continuously in the 
saddle and harness business there forty-nine years, 
and was a few days over seventy at his death. He at- 
tached himself to the Christian Church in 1836, the 
year after its organization, and remained a member and 
an officer all his life. He was for many years one of 
the directors of the branch here of the old State Bank, 
with the late Calvin Fletcher, with whom he was 
always on terms of warm friendship, and with Mr. 
Thomas H. Sharpe and others. He served one term 
in the city council, and was also the last trustee of the 
old County Seminary except Mr. Simon Yandes, and 
was one of the trustees of the city schools. He was 
a prominent Republican and a member of the county 
and State central committees, but was never a poli- 
tician, and never held or sought any office of emolu- 
ment. He was noted among his business associates 
for his integrity and faithful adhesion to every 
promise, and his punctual fulfillment of all engage- 
ments. He was buried at Crown Hill by the 
Masons, of whom he was a member for thirty years. 
The harness house of the Sulgrove Brothers, on 
West Washington Street, was the first in the city to 
manufacture harness for general sale and for whole 
sale. This business they have maintained now nearly 
ten years. Besides this house there is that of Ad. 
Hereth, on Court Street (one of the oldest of the 
later establishments) ; P. M. Bottler, North Dela- 
ware ; Paul Sherman, South Delaware; C. J. Shan- 
ver, Indiana Avenue ; Fechentin & Co., South Me- 
ridian ; R P. Thiecke, East Washington ; William 



478 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



S. Marsh, Fort Wayne Avenue ; John Foltz, West 
Washington; I. H. Herrington, North Delaware; J. 
M. HufFer, West Washington ; M. E. King & Co., 
Massachusetts Avenue. These generally make both 
saddles and harness. 

Belting is manufactured by the Hide, Leather and 
Belting Company, South Meridian Street. 

Textile Products, — Wool. The earliest mill for 
the manufacture of woolen goods was that of Na- 
thaniel West, on the canal at the Michigan road 
crossing, or Cottontown, but nearly contemporane- 
ously with him Souder & Hannaman made woolen 
cloth and fulled it on the site of the water-works. 
This establishment came to the hands of Merritt & 
Coughlin in 1849, or thereabouts, and it was burned 
the following year, or about 1851. They rebuilt at 
once, and have continued the business ever since. 
In 1856 they built their present extensive woolen- 
mill on West Washington Street (a little off the site 
of the old building), and within two or three years 
have built a large addition on the east, next to the 
mill-race. 

George Merritt. — The Merritt family came to 
America about two hundred years ago, landing at 
Quebec. One of its earliest members settled at the 
head of Lake Champlain, and had among his chil- 
dren Nehemiah, whose relationship to the subject of 
this biographical sketch was that of grea't-great- 
grandfather. His son Ichabod married Sarah Wing 
and had children, among whom was Joseph Merritt, 
born in 1776, and married to Cynthia Howland. The 
children of this marriage are Austis, Abraham, Jo- 
seph, Richard, Sarah, Isaac, Cynthia, Mary L., and 
Mahala. Joseph, of this number, was born June 19, 
1792, in Saratoga County, N. Y., and married Phebe 
Hart, to whom were born children, — Jane, William, 
Jonathan, Daniel, Charles, Richard, George, Phebe, 
and Joseph. The birth of their son George oc- 
curred Nov. 22, 1824, in Saratoga County, N. Y., 
where his youth until his twelfth year was passed. 
The family then emigrated to Michigan, and his 
growing years were spent in the general labor inci 
dent to clearing and cultivating a farm. On attain- 
ing the age of twenty-one he removed to Ohio, and 
under the direction of an uncle learned the trade of 



woolen manufacturing. On becoming proficient in 
this branch of industry, he, with his brother Charles, 
in 1850, leased a mill at Beaver Creek, Ohio, and 
began the manufacture of woolen goods, which was 
continued for six years. Mr. Merritt, in 1856, re- 
moved to Indianapolis and formed a copartnership 
with William Coughlen, for the purpose of woolen 
manufacturing, which was continued uninterruptedly 
for a period of twenty-five years, when the latter re- 
tired from business, and a son. Worth Merritt, be- 
came interested, under the firm-name of George Mer- 
ritt & Co. 

Mr. Merritt has been actively identified with other 
enterprises in the city of his residence. He is a di- 
rector of the Indiana National Bank and one of its 
incorporators. He was elected to the board of school 
commissioners of Indianapolis in 1874 and is still a 
member, during all of which time he has been chair- 
man of the finance committee. All measures for the 
conduct of the late war received his earnest support, 
especially those having in view the labors of the San- 
itary Commission. During this period he was one 
of the trusted advisers of Governor Morton, and fre- 
quently consulted with reference to the many ques- 
tions arising during that critical period. Mr. Mer- 
ritt's sympathies having been enlisted in behalf of 
the orphans of soldiers, he, in connection with Miss 
Susan Fussell, established a home for a limited num- 
ber of these children at Knightstown, where liberal 
provision was made for their training and comfort 
until able to help themselves, Mr. Merritt bearing the 
necessary expense involved. Through his exertions 
a bill passed the Legislature, by which orphan chil- 
dren in poor-houses were established in families 
under the supervision and care of matrons. He was 
reared in the Quaker faith, but is a supporter and 
one of the congregation of Plymouth Church of 
this city. 

Mr. Merritt was married on the 30th of March, 
1852, to Miss Paulina T. McClung, whose birth oc- 
curred in Rockbridge County, Va. She is the daugh- 
ter of John S. McClung and Hannah Eliza Kinear, 
of Xenia, Ohio, and granddaughter of Joseph and 
Elizabeth Wilson McClung. The children of Mr. 
and Mrs. Merritt are Jeannette G., Worth J., who is 




^/y(eyzyL^^^&^ 



MANUFACTUEING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



479 



associated with his father in business, and Ernest G., 
now in college. 

In 1847, C. E. and G. W. Geisendorff began the 
manufacture of woolen goods in the old steam-mill, 
but not very successfully, and they left it in 1852 
and built a frame mill, still standing and in use, on 
the west bank of the mill-race, on the National road 
a little west of the point where that road separates 
from Washington Street. Here they have carried on 
a large and successful business, which has compelled 
them to more than double their original capacity by 
the addition of a large brick mill in the rear of the old 
one. Mr. Yount succeeded Mr. West on the canal 
in 1849, but did not continue long. 

Cotton. — He, or Mr. West before him, attempted 
the cotton manufacture for a short time, but aban- 
doned it as not worth the trouble. The only cotton- 
mill that has approached a successful business here is 
that of the Indianapolis Cotton Manufacturing Com- 
pany, which was built ten or twelve years ago just 
west of Fall Creek race, and three or four hundred 
feet north of the river-bank. This has been kept in 
pretty fair operation since then, but recently it has 
been proposed to abandon it. 

Hemp. — The only hemp manufacture of any con- 
sequence, and that of very little, was rope-making. 
There have been several " rope-walks" here at one 
time or another. That which continued longest was 
on the lane which now forms South West Street, a 
little below the other lane which is now South Street. 
About 1840, as related in the general history, Mr. 
McCarty began the manufacture of hemp, not of 
hemp products, on the east bank of Pogue's Run 
Bottom, near the present line of Ray Street, taking 
the water to rot the hemp and run his brakes and 
other apparatus from the canal. He raised the hemp 
himself, or most of it, on his " Bayou Farm," now 
the site of so many and so large industrial establish- 
ments in West Indianapolis. The times were hard 
though, and all the circumstances unpropitious, and 
even his iron energy and resolution could not endure 
carrying an extensive factory and a large farm at a 
dead loss. The business was abandoned about 1843. 

Dressmaking belongs to this division of manu- 
factures, and as there are 91 dressmaking establish- 



ments in the city, it may be supposed to be a pretty 
large division. The census of 1880 reports 31 milli- 
nery and dressmaking establishments here, with 306 
hands and an annual product of $324,000. As the 
directory shows 91 dressmaking establishments and 
35 milllinery establishments, or a total of 126, four 
times as many as the census found, either the census 
was incorrect, — a not very improbable suggestion, — or 
this class of manufactures has increased enormously 
in four years. What the real value of products or 
force of hands employed may be it is impossible to 
conjecture with any reasonable measure of accuracy. 
The census statement might fairly be doubled, how- 
ever. 

Tailoring. — Tailoring, like shoe-making, was an 
aiFair of direct work, on orders, for customers in all 
the first thirty years of the city's existence, and most 
of it both in town and country was done at home. 
Working-clothes, " every-day" clothes, as they were 
called, were oftener than not the product of the 
mother's scissors and needle, cut by patterns, and 
made up in the intervals of cooking, washing, and 
house-cleaning. If the fits were not close or neat, 
the wear was unequaled in these degenerate days of 
" slop-shop" work and sewing-machine evasions. The 
first man to sell ready-made clothes was Benjamin 
Orr, in 1838, but tailors had grown plenty and quite 
busy by that time. The first was Andrew Byrne, 
uncle of Mr. Nowland, who came here in 1820, and 
presumably plied his trade then and always after- 
wards when he had anything to do. Among the 
late arrivals of tailors were Capt. Alexander Wiley, 
James Smith, Samuel P. Daniels, afterwards State 
Librarian, John Montgomery, D. B. Ward, who be- 
long to the first two decades. 

Merchant Tailoring came after the opening 
of our railroad system, though no doubt some little 
was done before. Mr. Ward was probably among the 
earliest merchant tailors. There are now 23 mer- 
chant tailors in the city, and 34 tailors of ordinary 
custom-work. The census reports 28 merchant tai- 
lors four years ago, employing 453 hands, and pro- 
ducing annually $777,960 worth of clothing. Not- 
withstanding the reduction of 5 establishments, the 
probability is that more work is done now than then, 



480 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTy. 



and the value of the work done by other tailors is 
probably enough to make the aggregate of both 
$1,000,000. 

Printing, aside from newspapers, employs 26 estab- 
lishments in the city, and 5 publishing-houses. In 
1880 the aggregate of both was 25, with 707 hands, 
and an annual product of $726,857. It is probably 
twice that now, though the force of hands may not 
be doubled. The census returns are of little value 
four years away, and they are not strikingly accurate 
indications of the condition of industries even when 
nearer to the time they are supposed to belong to. 

Chemicals. — The manufactures of this class have 
until within the last decade been carried on by drug- 
houses, when anything of that kind was attempted at 
all. In this class the oldest in the city, and probably 
in the State, is that of Browning & Sloan, East 
Washington Street, near Meridian. It was estab- 
lished by Dr. John L. Mothershead about the year 
1840, on the north side of Washington Street, mid- 
way between Meridian and the alley. Some years 
later David Craighead, who, with Mr. Brandon, 
carried a like establishment nearly opposite, went 
into this, and Mr. Browning, now senior proprietor, 
was for a number of years a clerk in it. He ac- 
quired so thorough a knowledge of the business and 
such skill in all its processes that he became indis- 
pensable, and was made a partner in 1850, when only 
twenty-three years old. Mr. Sloan, who was a clerk 
with Craighead & Browning, became a partner in 
1862. During all the time after Mr. Craighead's 
death, Mr. Browning conducted the business alone 
from 1854 to 1862, the estate still retaining its in- 
terest. It is the best-known and most extensive 
house of its class in the State. It manufactures its 
fluid extracts and pharmaceutical preparations gen- 
erally, and all the latest remedies. 

A large factory on McCarty Street, between Dela- 
ware and Alabama, is used wholly for the manufac- 
ture of chemicals and pharmaceutical preparations. 
It was established by Eli Lilly & Co. some ten 
years ago on Maryland Street, and was then removed 
to South Meridian, and thence to its present location. 
For a time Dr. John F. Johnston was associated with 
Mr. Lilly, but for a few years past they have been 



separated, and Dr. Johnston has an establishment on 
South Pennsylvania Street. 

Varnish is a manufacture belonging to this class, 
and there is one long-established and extensive factory 
of that kind here. It was begun by Henry B. 
Mears eighteen years ago, on the point between 
Kentucky Avenue and Mississippi Street. Here in 
a very short time J. 0. D. Lilly entered the estab- 
lishment, and in a few years bought out Mr. Mears, 
and associated his sons in the business. About ten 
years ago he built a much larger house, and espe- 
cially arranged for his work, on the river-bank at the 
foot of Rose and Grant Streets, a block west of West 
Street, and here he produces an article that com- 
mands a sale all over the United States, even in cities 
that have varnish-factories of their own. In 1871, 
Messrs. Ebner, Kramer & Aldag established a varnish- 
factory on the corner of Pine and Ohio Streets. No 
report appears of the amount of business done by 
either, but Mr. Lilly probably produces near $100,000 
a year. 

John 0. D. Lilly is of English parentage, his 
grandfather William Lilly, an Episcopal clergyman, 
having come to America about the year 1794 and 
settled at Albany, N. Y., from whence he removed to 
Elizabeth, N. J., and, in connection with his sacred 
calling, taught a female seminary. His children were 
Catherine (Mrs. Francis Lathrop), John, a physician 
who resided for half a century in Lambertville, N. 
J., and William, who was born about the year 1789 
in England, and came when a lad of six years to 
America with his father. The latter served in the 
war of 1812, and participated in the battle of Platts- 
burg. He was united in marriage to Miss Catherine 
Dey, of Geneva, N. Y., and had children fourteen in 
number, of whom Samuel, Benjamin, Phoebe Ann, 
Jane, Charlotte, William, John 0. D., and James 
reached mature years. Four of this number are still 
living. John O. D. was born Sept. 17, 1822, in 
Penn Yann, Yates Co., N. Y., which place he left 
with his parents for New York City when six years 
of age. After a brief residence in the metropolis, 
the family removed to Steuben County, in the same 
State, where he remained seven years. The common 
school, and later the academy of the town in which 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OP INDIANAPOLIS. 



481 



his parents resided, afforded advantages of education, 
after which he removed to Carbon County, Pa., and 
acquiring the business of a machinist, before the age 
of twenty-one years became foreman of a machine- 
shop. At twenty-two he removed to Philadelphia, 
and from that city to Reading, where his mechanical 
insight and thorough knowledge of machinery made 
him invaluable as foreman of the shops of the Read- 
ing Railroad. Mr. Lilly was in 1848 married to 
Miss Catherine, daughter of Col. John Miller, a 
prominent citizen and legislator of Berks County, 
Pa. Their children are Emma, Ida, Charles, and 
John M. Charles, of this number, is married to Miss 
Jessie Hall, of Indianapolis. Mr. Jjilly determined 
in 1849 to seek the West as a more promising field 
for the artisan, and located in Madison, Ind., 
where he became master machinist of the Madison 
and Indianapolis Railroad, and ultimately superin- 
tendent of the same road. He afterward was offered 
and accepted the superintendency of the Lafayette 
and Indianapolis Railroad. In 1862 he became an 
employe of the government as master machinist of 
United States Military Railroads, with the rank of 
colonel, and Washington as headquarters. Mr. Lilly 
in his various railroad schemes brought to bear not 
only superior knowledge, but his accustomed energy 
and judgment, which placed the seal of success on 
all his efforts, and rendered his services alike valu- 
able to the government or private corporations. Hav- 
ing previous to the war resided in Indianapolis, he 
made that city again his home on retiring from the 
service, and began the manufacture of varnish with- 
Henry B. Mears, whose interest he subsequently 
purchased and made his sons partners in the estab- 
lishment. Their products are of superior quality 
and find a ready market. Mr. Lilly was president of 
the Brown Rotary Shuttle Sewing-Machine Com- 
pany, located in Indianapolis, which succumbed to 
the financial disasters of 1873. He is also engaged 
in other active enterprises. He has been identified 
in various ways with the city and its improvements, 
and is especially interested in its school system. In 
politics he is a Republican, though not a participant 
in the active work of the party. 

Tobacco.— Leaf. There are three dealers in leaf- 



tobacco who do some little manufacturing, but there is 
little done now compared to what there was up to 1878. 
At that time, or shortly before, Mr. Ferdinand Christ- 
man manufactured " fine-cut" very largely, and sold 
it all over the West. The business has declined since, 
till it is prosecuted only in a small way, except in the 
manufacture of cigars. This branch of the business 
is still carried on as extensively as ever. The census 
reported but 42 manufacturers of cigars and tobacco 
of all kinds, with 192 hands, and a yearly product of 
$287,900. There are now 87 cigar-making houses 
in the city, double the number four years ago, and 
they have probably doubled the product, though there 
are no authoritative statements to prove it. Among 
the largest of the present establishments is that of 
C. H. O'Brien, corner of Maryland and South Illi- 
nois Streets ; John A. McGaw, North Illinois Street ; 
John Ranch, West Washington Street. 

Confectionery. — The oldest confectionery house 
in the city is that of Daggett & Co., northwest corner 
of Meridian and Georgia Streets. It carries on the 
manufacture in all three of the upper stories, and 
does a larger business probably than similar factories. 
Becker, on West Washington Street, also does a large 
business ; also Angelo Rosasco, on South Illinois 
Street ; Irmer & Moench, North Pennsylvania Street ; 
John Dixon, Massachusetts Avenue ; Harriet E. 
Hall, East Washington Street. There are of manu- 
facturers and dealers together 34 in the city, 5 being 
women: Mary Watson, West Washington Street; 
Caroline B. Martin, Indiana Avenue; Harriet Love- 
•joy. East Washington Street ; Lola Harris, Virginia 
Avenue. There were 9 in 1880, producing 6260,000 
worth of goods. 

Stone-Cutting. — The first stone-cutter who had a 
yard here and sawed stone was Mr. Spears, on the 
corner of Washington Street and Kentucky Avenue, 
in 1833 or 1834. He was followed a few years later 
by Peter Francis, who had his place on the corner of 
Kentucky Avenue and Maryland Street. These were 
the pioneers. Scott & Nicholson, who had the con- 
tract for the stone-work of the court-house, began 
business here in 1854, and soon established the most 
extensive yard in the city on Kentucky Avenue, at 
a point just below the Vandalia Railroad. After com- 



482 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



pleting the court-house they retired from business, 
and their yard is partly occupied by Mr. Greenrod. 
Mr. Goddard also has a yard on the same avenue a 
square farther north, and G. Ittenbach & Co. have 
one on Harrison Street. 

Marble-Work. — This is a comparatively recent 
industry here, and is largely confined to memorial 
work of one kind or another. The houses are 
only seven : T. J. Clark & Co., West Washington ; 
J. R. Cowie, North Delaware ; August Diener, East 
Washington ; J. P. LePage, opposite west entrance 
of Crown Hill; A. A. McKain, East Market; J. M. 
Sullivan, West Ohio ; W. C. Whitehead, Massachu- 
setts Avenue. The value of the marble- and stone- 
cutting of 1880, — no report is later except those that 
are partial or defective, — with 11 establishments and 
11-1 hands, was $237,000. 

Brick. — Yards for making and burning brick in 
the last generation gathered along Virginia Avenue, 
outside of the town proper, though an occasional one 
was maintained nearer the centre of settlement. Now 
they are all clear out of the city, or only in the re- 
motest outskirts, though they have offices in the 
usual business-places. There are 13 of them now. 
There were 1 in 1880, producing $53,000 of brick. 
The secretary of the Board of Trade reports them 
thus for 1882 (the report for 1883 not being yet 
completed), showing a loss of 3 yards in the year, but 
a large gain otherwise : 

Number of yards in city and vicinity IS 

Capital invested $130,000 

Numberof men employed 280 

Number of brick manufactured during year 20,000,000 

Total value of brick made .^165,000 

Oil. — The early manufacture of linseed oil has 
been described in the general history. There is little 
to add now, except that after the business had disap- 
peared or diminished greatly for a score of years, it 
was revived in 1864 by I. P. Evans & Co., who also 
established a large manufactory on South Delaware 
Street, at the crossing of the Union Railway tracks. 
Here the business increased to such an extent that 
about three years ago it was deemed necessary or 
advisable to establish a second manufactory, on a still 
larger scale, on the west side of the river, near the 



Michigan Street bridge, on the Belt Railroad. The 
product of oil annually is about $200,000. 

Ice. — Ice was packed for domestic use and confec- 
tionery manufacture as early as 1840, by John Hodg- 
kins, on the sites of the present Catholic school, St. 
John's Cathedral, and the bishop's residence. It 
was not for several years, however, that it was 
packed in quantities to supply a general demand. 
About the year 1847, Mr. George Pitts began this 
business, and it has extended till now several large 
dealers maintain ice-ponds on the low ground between 
the canal and Fall Creek, while others cut from the 
canal and Fall Creek, and occasionally from the 
river. There are some half-dozen packers and dealers 
in the city now, who supply customers every day by 
wagons, as bakers and butchers do. They employ 
about 200 hands altogether in the packing season, 
which is very variable in this climate, and in 1880 
sold a total value of $67,000 of ice. The business 
now is much larger, and there are some dealers who 
supply only ice cut on the lakes in the northern part 
of the State, cutting none here. 

Photography. — The first of the business of sun- 
painting was done here in 1842 by T. W. Whitridge, 
as related in another chapter. Improvement was 
slow, but in the last ten years photography has made 
as striking advances as any industry in the city. 
There were 20 establishments here in 1880, pro- 
ducing about $50,000 worth of work. There are 23 
here now, doing probably double that amount of 
work. 

■ Electric Lights. — The Brush Electric Light Com- 
pany was organized here June 17, 1881, with John 
Caven, so long mayor of the city, as president. The 
capital is $150,000. A large establishment was built 
by them on South Pennsylvania Street, below Geor- 
gia, and powerful machinery put in, and operations 
begun within a year after the organization. About 
120 lights, each of 2000 candle-power, are main- 
tained, but for private use. The city has not yet 
seen fit to use the light, though advantageous ofi"ers 
have been made it by the company. 

The Telephone. — -Two telephone companies were 
organized here in 1878, — one under the control of 
the Western Union Telegraph Company, using the 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



483 



Edison invention, and one managed by Mr. E. T. 
Gilliland, of the Electrical Manufactory, who used 
the Bell invention. The former had the exchange in 
the Western Union telegraph-office, the other was lo- 
cated in the Vance Block. The two were consoli- 
dated into the Western Telephone Company in 1879, 
and the consolidated exchange kept in the Western 
Union location. In 1882 the Central Union Com- 
pany was formed, absorbing the others. Very re- 
cently the exchange was removed to the building on 
the southwest corner of Illinois and Ohio Streets, 
the removal causing a good deal of embarrassment to 
the citizens as well as the company. There are now 
about 1000 "renters," as they are called, requiring 
the services of about 50 persons, though 100 were 
needed during the removal. 

Sewing-Machines. — In 1870 the Wheeler & 
Wilson Sewing-Maohine Company established a fac- 
tory at the upper end of Massachusetts Avenue, to 
make the cabinet-work of their machines, and it was 
carried on extensively for several years. But for 
some half-dozen years past it seems to have declined, 
and suspend finally, as no return is made of any of 
that class of work. Agencies for the sale of machines 
are numerous. 

Indianapolis as a Manufacturing Centre. — The 
variety, extent, and value of the manufactures, of 
which the foregoing summary may give the reader 
an idea, are an assurance that the position as a manu- 
facturing centre which the city has attained is very 
unlikely to be lost or seriously weakened. The influ- 
ences that combined to create this impulse continue 
in their original force, or rather, are stronger than 
ever. The central position of the city, its central 
position in the State, or rather in the Northwest, has 
brought to it from all directions the new lines of com- 
munication opened by the locomotive, and in these it 
has found the advantages by the energetic and saga- 
cious improvement of which it has attained its posi- 
tion. These are the work of man's intelligence and 
energy, and are, therefore, in no way dependent on 
the accidents or changes of nature. They are as 
easily kept as got, and more, for as population' attracts 
population and business attracts business, the concen- 
tration of railways attracts or compels the addition of 



railways, when new outlets to markets are needed. 
The city will therefore, in all probability, continue to 
grow from the roots already sent out, as it has grown 
in sending them out. But to this probability must 
be added others of even greater promise. No city in 
the West, or even in the world, offers such opportu- 
nities for illimitable and easy expansion. There is not 
a foot of ground within ten miles in any direction 
that cannot easily be built upon and added to her 
area. Cheap lots are therefore possible for more years 
and growth than would suffice to make it as large as 
London. There is no cramping of hills, or streams, 
or unhealthy localities, to huddle up settlements in 
any quarter and raise real estate to figures inaccessi- 
ble to poor men. The health is not surpassed by that 
of any city in the country or any country. There is 
nothing in that direction to offset the advantages 
offered by a flourishing town, with an inexhaustible 
area of cheap building-lots. The schools are equal to 
any in the country. East or West, and have been sup- 
ported with unfailing liberality and unanimity. The 
public improvements are in good part completed, or 
advancing to completion, so that the heaviest expenses 
of preparing for comfortable and profitable residence 
have been incurred, and will not need to be renewed. 
Thus it offers the four best inducements to the emi- 
grant, — cheap residence, ample means of education, 
light taxes, and assured health. Without these the 
unequaled railroad advantages might have left, and 
might still leave, it merely a flourishing town, but not 
a large commercial and manufacturing centre. 

But to all the advantages enumerated there must 
be added another equal to either, if not to all to- 
gether. This is the city's vicinity to the best coal- 
field in the world for all classes of manufactures. 
Fuel is the prime necessity of manufacturing in these 
days, and is likely to remain so until electricity or 
Ericsson's concentrated sunlight replaces it. Raw 
material goes to power to be worked up. The phi- 
losophy of this movement need not be considered 
here. It is enough, in this connection, to state the 
fact. Power exists here in such abundance as all the 
developments of England cannot equal. Within two 
or three hours' run of us lies a coal-field of nearly 
eight thousand square miles. We enter it by five. 



484 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and soon may by six, different lines of railway, 
making a monopoly, and consequently a heavy cost of 
transportation, impossible. The dip of the strata is 
to the west, thus turning up the outcrop in the 
direction nearest to us, and making that part which 
is most easily mined also the most easily reached. 
The seams, in many cases, are mined by drifting in 
from hill-sides, sometimes by shallow shafts, some- 
times by merely stripping off a few feet of the sur- 
face soil. The ground above is all capable of culti- 
vation and can support all the men, and more, 
necessary to work them. Mining, therefore, can be 
carried on at the lowest possible cost. But more 
than this, the character of the coal itself increases 
the facility and consequent cheapness of mining. It 
is soft and easily broken ; its laminations are easily 
separated ; it breaks easily across the line of stratifi- 
cation ; in fact, is seamed with lines of breakage 
crossing those of cleavage. It can be thus knocked 
out of the seam in large, square masses, or chunks, 
as one might knock bricks out of a dry-piled wall. 
This, again, assures easy mining. It is almost en- 
tirely free from the dangerous gases that produce 
such fearful calamities in deeper mines of different 
coal. It is not saying too much to say that no coal 
has yet been found anywhere in the world so easily 
accessible, so cheaply mined, or so free from danger 
to the miner. These facts alone are enough to assure 
to the city all the advantages that belong to the pos- 
session of inexhaustible fuel and illimitable mechanical 
power. 

But there are other facts besides these that " make 
assurance double sure." This coal, called block coal, 
— from the peculiarity above alluded to of breaking 
into blocks, — is really a sort of mineral charcoal. 
It contains no sulphur, or so little that no analysis 
has been able to detect more than a trace of it. It 
contains enough naphtha to kindle almost instantane- 
ously, and it burns without caking, or melting and 
running together, as most bituminous coals do. 
These two qualities — freedom from sulphur and 
burning without caking — every man accustomed to 
using coal for steam, or for smelting or working iron, 
will understand at once to make the Indiana block 
coal unequaled for all manufacturing purposes. For 



iron it is unapproachable, being but little different 
from charcoal. In fact, much of it is charcoal, as 
any one can see by breaking a lump. The whole 
surface will be found mottled by alternate lines of 
bright and dull black, and the latter are laminations 
of mere mineral charcoal. It will rub off on the 
fingers or clothes like charcoal, and it can be scraped 
up in little heaps of charcoal-dust. The brighter 
laminations are a sort of cannel coal. The whole 
mass, instead of the glossy, polished look of Pitts- 
burgh coal, is dull and dark, rather than black, with 
frequent splotches of grayish hue, like an under- 
ground rust, upon it. It is, in all respects, different 
from the ordinary bituminous coal, which has to be 
coked before it can be used to smelt or work iron. 
To its singular adaptation to iron manufacture is due 
the enormous development of that interest in the 
city within the past ten years. 

The field is calculated, from the facts so far ascer- 
tained, to contain over twenty thousand millions of 
tons of this block coal. This is more than will be 
worked up by all the population that can be collected 
on the vast plain about Indianapolis in five hundred 
years. 

Besides the block, the field contains many seams 
of the ordinary coal, though varying less from the 
other than does the Eastern kind. There is every 
variety for all kinds of work, and all can be obtained 
with equal ease and cheapness. The whole field is 
calculated to contain sixty-five thousand millions of 
tons, much of it close to the surface, none of it so 
deep as to need the costly shafting and machinery of 
the English or Eastern mines. 

In the possession of this amount of fuel, Indian- 
apolis offers to the manufacturer, and especially to the 
iron manufacturer, these advantages : 

1st. The best coal that has yet been found in the 
world to make or work iron, and as good as any — 
better than most — for making steam. 

2d. Cheap coal, made cheap by ease of mining, 
freedom from danger, facilities for approach in mining, 
and by the capability of the covering country to sup- 
port the miners. 

3d. Cheap transportation of coal from the mines to 
the city, assured by the actual operation of four lines 



MANUFACTURING INTERESTS OF THE CITY OF INDIANAPOLIS. 



of railway penetrating the field in four directions, 
with the certain addition of a fifth, already on the 
way to completion. Added to these is the probability 
of a cheap narrow-gauge line, which the recent de- 
velopments as to the value of that mode of transpor- 
tation have suggested to men not likely to abandon it. 
The competition of these lines makes high prices 
impossible. 

4th. Choice of coal. Standing at the junction of 
five or six lines of coal transportation, each bringing 
a diflFerent variety or different grade, the manufacturer 
at Indianapolis can choose that which suits him best, 
at a price regulated by strong and steady competition. 
Eight in the coal-field, he would have to take what 
was near him, or obtain better at a cost that would 
make profit impossible. Iron men know well the 
necessity of adapting coal to ore, and the uncertainty 
there is of finding one kind yielding an equal product 
with another. The city is, therefore, a better point 
for smelting, as well as puddling, rolling, casting, or 
any other process of iron manufacture, than any other 
point in the State. 

5th. The numerous railway lines centring here 
afford all possible facilities for obtaining necessary 
raw material or shipping completed products. We 
have thirteen lines entering the city, and, counting 
the old Madison road, fourteen. There are only 
three counties in the State that are not in direct rail- 
way connection with us, that is, that cannot send 
a passenger from there here all the way by rail. 
This can hardly be said of another State in the 
Union, except some of the New England States. 
There are only these three or four from which a mer- 
chant may not come here, do business, and return in 
the same day, with suitable arrangement of connec- 
tions and trains. This places every dealer in the 
State at the doors of our manufacturers virtually. 

6th. Besides these advantages, offered to the iron 
manufacturer especially, the advantages of cheap fuel 
and unequaled transportation are offered to every 
class of manufacture. To wood-workers we can 
show hardly less capabilities of profitable labor than 
to iron men. 

Yth. We offer plenty and cheap building stone, 
brick, and other building materials. 



The Coal Trade. — The completion of the Van- 
dalia (then Terre Haute and Indianapolis) Railroad 
in 1852 was the signal for active operations in the 
Indiana coal-field, which was cut across the middle by 
the new line, and opened up to the readiest possible 
means of transportation. But enterprise proceeded 
rather slowly at the outset. The value of the new 
fuel, for new it was to most of the settlers of White 
Eiver Valley, was not appreciated. It was not better 
than wood, it was a great deal dirtier, and it did not 
then appear likely to be cheaper. So the country 
viewed the opening of its new and great resource with 
a very indifferent eye. The late generous and philan- 
thropic Chauucey Rose, president of the railroad, 
fumed and swore because some of his old ties and 
spikes had been used by a firm from this city in lay- 
ing a little side track to connect their mine with his 
line and make business for him. He did not want 
that sort of business. The first mining attempted by 
any one in Indianapolis was by John Caven, mayor 
during the war, and now president of the Brush 
Electric Light Company, and a partner by the name 
of Robert Griffith. They opened a surface mine, 
merely skinning off a few feet of alluvial soil, near 
the little town of Brazil in the fall of 1852, and 
prosecuted the enterprise under very great disadvan- 
tages all that winter. Then the trouble and expense 
became too weighty, and they quit and sold out. 
Some little of this coal was burned in the city, but 
not much, and what was used was not greatly liked. 
Gradually, however, as forests were swept away and 
cultivation extended, wood became dear, and the war- 
times and prices made it dearer, and then coal began 
to find a readier sale. For twenty years the business 
has steadily increased by the increasing consumption 
for domestic purposes, and by the increasing number 
and use of locomotives and stationary engines. In 
1880 the consumption of all kinds of coal here" was 
252,357 tons, of which 25,000 was Pittsburgh coal. 
In 1882 it was about 350,000 tons. For the past 
year no returns have been completed, but it is esti- 
mated that the increase has been about ten per cent., 
which would raise the total well up towards 400,000 
tons. There are 31 coal and coke dealers in the 
city. 



486 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



CHAPTER XIX. 

CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 

Following is a complete list of the town and city 
officers of Indianapolis from 1832 to the present 
time, kindly furnished for this work by Mr. George 
H. Fleming, who was appointed by the Council to 
revise the city ordinances, viz. : 

PRESIDENTS OF BOARDS OP TRUSTEES. 

Samuel Henderson Oct. 12, 1832, to Sept. 30, 1833 

James Edgar (resigned as trustee) Sept. 30 to Deo. 9, 1833 

Benjamin I. Blythe March 7, 1834, to Feb. 14, 1835 

Ale.xander F. Morrison Feb. 14 to Oct. 2, 1835 

Nathan B. Palmer ; ...Oct. 2, 1835, to April 13, 1836 

George Lockerbie April 1.3, 1836, to April 4, 1837 

Joshua Soule, Jr April 4, 1837, to April 2, 1838 

PRESIDENTS OF COMMON COUNCIL. 

James Morrison 1S3S-39 

Nathan B. Palmer 1839-40 

Henry P. Coburn 1840-41 

William Sullivan (resigned Nov. 12, 1841) 1841 

David V.CuUey 1841-44, 1850-63 

Lazarus B.Wilson 1844-45 

Joseph A. Levy 1845-47 

Samuel S. Rocker (resigned Nov. 1, 1847) 1847 

Charles W. Cady 1847-48 

George A. Chapman 1848-49 

William Eckert 1849-50 

Andrew A. Louden (resigned June 3, 1850) 1850 

MAYORS. 

Samuel Henderson 1847-49 

Horatio C. Newcomb (resigned Nov. 7, 1851) 1849-51 

Caleb Scudder 1851-54 

James McCready 1854-56 

Henry F. West (died Nov. 8, 1856) 1S56 

Charles Coulon (to fill vacancy until Nov. 22, 1856) 1856 

William John Wallace (resigned May 3, 1858) 1856-58 

Samuel D. Maxwell 1858-63 

John Caven 1863-67, 1875-81 

Daniel Macauley 1867-73 

James L. Mitchell 1873-75 

Daniel W. Grubbs 1881-84 

John L. MoMaster 1884-86 

PRESIDENTS OF BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 

Horatio C. Newcomb 1877-78 

William D. Wiles 1878-79 

Jonathan M. Ridenour 1879-80 

Henry Coburn 1880-81 

James T. Layman 1881-84 

TOWN CLERKS. 

Samuel Merrill (trustee) Oct. 12 to Nov. 27, 1832 

Isaac N. Heylin (resigned March 22, 1833) 1832-33 

Israel P. Griffith (resigned Dee. 6, 1833) 1833 

Hugh 0'Ne.al 1833-34, 1836-38 

James Morrison (resigned Oct. 2, 1835) 1834-35 

Joshua Soule, Jr Oct. 17, 1835, to April 4, 1830 



SECRETARIES OF COMMON COUNCIL. 

Joshua Soule, Jr 1838-39 

Hervey Brown 1839-43 

William L. Wingate 1843-45 

James G. Jordan (resigned Dec. 10, 1849) 1845-49 

Joseph T. Roberts 1849-51 

Daniel B. Culley 1851-53 

CITY CLERKS. 

Daniel B. Culley 1853-54 

James N. Sweetser 1854-55 

Alfred Stephens (died Oct. 14, 1856) 1855-56 

Frederick Stein (to fill vacancy) 1856-57 

George H. West 1857-58 

John G. Waters 1858-63 

Cyrus S. Butterfield 1863-67 

Daniel M. Ransdell 1867-71 

John R. Clinton 1871-75 

Benjamin C. Wright 1875-79 

Joseph T. Magner 1879-84 

George T. Breunig 1884-86 

CLERK OF BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 
George T. Breunig 1877-84 

CITY AUDITOR. 
John G. Waters 1866-67 

TOWN TREASURERS. 

John Wilkens (trustee) Oct. 12 to Nov. 27, 1832 

Obed Foote (died) 1832 

Hervey Bates 1S3.3-35 

Thomas H. Sharpe 1835-39 

Charles B. Davis 1839-40, 1841-44 

Humphrey Griffith 1840-41 

John L. Welshans 1844-46 

George Norwood 1846-47 

CITY TREASURERS. 

Nathan Lister (resigned April 22, 1848) 1847-48 

Heory Ohr (to fill vacancy) 1848 

James Greer (resigned Aug. 9, 1848) 1848 

James H. Kennedy 1848-50, 1851 

John S. Spann (resigned Jan. 6, 1851) 1850-51 

Ambrose F. Sbortridge 1851-55 

Harry Vandegrift 1855-56 

Francis King 1856-58 

James M. Jameson 1858-61 

Joseph K. English , 1861-65 

William H. Craft 1865-67 

Robert S. Foster 1867-71 

John W. Coons 1871-73 

Henry W. Tutewiler 1873-77 

William M. Wiles 1877-79 

William G. Wasson 1879-81 

Isaac Newton Pattison „ 1881-86 

TOWN ASSESSORS. 

Josiah W. Davis (resigned) Nov. 27, 1832- 

Eutler K. Smith 183.3-34 

George Lockerbie 1834-36 

John Elder 1836-37 

Thomas McOuat 1837-38 

Albert G. Willard 1838-40 

Henry Bradley 1840-41 

Thomas Donnellan 1841-42, 1843-46 

James H. Kennedy 1842-43 

John Coen - 1846-47 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



487 



CITY ASSESSORS. 

Joshua Black 1847-48 

Charles I. Hand 1848-49 

Henry Ohr 1849-50 

Samuel P. Daniels 1850-51 

Lemuel Vanlandingham 1851-52 

John S. Allen 1852-53 

Matthew Little 1853-54 

John 6. Waters 1854-55 

James H. Kennedy 1855-56 

John B. Stumph 1856-58 (resigned July 6, 1864), 1860-64 

David L. Merryman , 1858-59 

Robert W. Robinson 1859-60 

William Hadley 1864-79 

Milton E. Connett 1879-84 

Eugene Sauloy 1884-86 

TOWN ATTORNEYS. 

James Morrison 1837-38 

Hugh O'Neal 1838-40 

Hiram and Hervey Brown 1840-46 

Alanson J. Stevens and John L. Ketcham 1846-47 



CITY ATTORNEYS. 

Andrew M. Carnahan (resigned April 3, 184S) 

Napoleon B. Taylor 1848, 

William B. Greer 

Edwin Coburn 

William Wallace (resigned Oct. 28, 1850) , 

Abram A. Hammond 

Alberts. Porter ■ 

John T. Morrison 

Benjamin Harrison 

Samuel V. Morris 

Byron K. Elliott 1859-61 (resigned Oct. 31, 1870), 



James N. Sweetser 

Richard J. Ryan 

Jonathan S. Harvey 

Casablanca Byfield (deposed May 8, 1876). 

Roscoe 0. Hawkins 

John A. Henry 

Caleb S. Denny , 



1847-48 
1853-56 
1848^9 
1849-50 

1850 

1850-51 
1851-53 
1856-57 
1857-58 
1858-69 
1865-70, 

[1873-76 
1861-63 
1863-65 
1870-73 
1875-76 
1876-79 
1879-82 
1882- 



CITY SOLICITOR. 
Byron K. Elliott Nov. 11, 1872, to May 12, 1873 

TOWN MARSHALS. 

Glidden True Nov. 27, 1832, to Feb. 8, 1833 

Edward MoGuire (resigned May 10, 1833) 1833 

Samuel Jenison (resigned 1834) 1833-34 

Dennis I. White 1834-35 

John C. Busic (resigned Oct. 7,1835) 1835 

John A. Boyer (resigned Dec. 19, 1835) 1835 

Richard D. Mattingly 1836-36 

William Campbell 1836-39 

James Vanblarioum 1839-42, 1844-43 

Roberto. Allison 1842-45 

Benjamin Ream 1843-44 

Newton N. Norwood 1845-46 

Jacob B. Filler 1846-47 

CITY MARSHALS. 

William Campbell 1847-48 

John L. Bishop 1848-49 

Sims A. CoUey 1849-50, 1861-52 

Benjamin Pilbean 1850-51, 1853-55 



Elisha McNeely 1852-53 

George W. Pitts 1855-56 

Jefferson Springsteen 1856-58, 1859-61 

Augustine D. Rose 1858-59 

David W. Loucks (died April 24, 1862) 1861-62 

John Unversaw 1862-69 

George Taffe 1869-71 

Thomas D. Amos 1871-73 

W. Clinton West 1873-75 

Eli Thompson 1875-77 

Alonzo D.Harvey 1877-79 

Richard S. Colter (legislated out of office)....1879 to Apr. 16, '83 

CAPTAINS OP THE WATCH. 

Jefferson Springsteen 1854-55 

Jesse M. Vanhlaricum 1855-56, 1862 

Charles G. Warner 1856-57 

Augustine D. Rose (resigned Sept. 14, 1861)...1857-58, 1869-61 

Samuel Lefever 1858-59 

Thomas A. Ramsey 1861-62 

John R. Cotton 1862 

CHIEFS OP POLICE. 

David Powell 1864-65 

Samuel A. Cramer 1865 

Jesse M. Vanblaricum 1865-66 

Thomas S. Wilson 1866-69 

Henry Paul 1870-71 

Eli Thompson 1871-74 

Frank Wilson 1874-76 

Austin C. Dewey 1876-77 

Albert Travis 1877-80 

Robt. C. Williamson (legislated out of office). ..1880 to April 16, 

[1883 
TOWN SURVEYORS. 

William Sullivan Sept. 27, 1832, to June 18, 1838 

Luke Munsell 1838-39, 1839-41, 1843-44 

Robert B. Hanna (resigned Aug. 17, 1839) 1839 

James Wood, Sr 1841-43, 1844-47 

CITY CIVIL ENGINEERS. 

James Wood, Sr. (died Nov. 15, 1862) 1847-55, 1858-62 

Amzi B. Condit 1855-56 

Daniel B. Hosbrook 1856-58 

James Wood, Jr. (died July, 1866) 1862-66 

Joshua Staples, Jr 1866-67 

R. M. Patterson 1867-73, 1878-79 (resigned June 1, 1881), 

[1879-81 

James W. Brown , 1873-76 

Bernhard H. Deitz (resigned June 10, 1878) 1876-78 

Thaddeus Reed (removed July 14, 1879) 1879 

Samuel H. Shearer 1881- 

CITY GAS INSPECTORS. 
George H. Fleming (left city in March, 1871) Feb. 17, 1868-71 

William S. Cone (resigned Nov. 6, 1871) 1871 

B. T. Cox 1871-73 

Ryland T.Brown 1873-74 

Alexander Robertson (defaulted; office abolished) 1874-75 

TOWN SUPERVISORS OF STREETS. 

Thomas Lupton 1838-39 

James Vanblaricum 1839-42 

Robert C. Allison 1842-43 

Thomas M. Weaver 1843-44 

William Wilkinson 1845-46 

Jacob B. Fitler 1846-47 



488 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



CITY STREET COMMISSIONERS. 

Jacob B. Filler 1847-48, 1855-57 

John Bishop 1848-49 

George W. Pitts 1849-60 

George Youngerman 1850-51 

Joseph Butsoh 1851-52 

Hugh Slaven 1852-53 

William Hughey 1853-55 

Henry Colestocls 1857-61 

John A. Colestocli 1861-63 

John M. Kemper 1863-65 

August Richter 1865-69 

Augustus Bruner 1869-73 

Thomas Wiles 1873-75 

Stephen Mattler (deposed May 8,1876) 1875-76 

Leander A. Fulmer 1876- 

CLERKS OP MARKETS. 

Thomas Chinn (resigned) Nov. 27, 1832, to Feb. 21, 1835 

Fleming T. Luse (resigned July 29, 1835) 1835 

Andrew Smith 1835-36 

Jacob Roop (died , 1837) 1836-37 

James Gore (resigned Feb. 6, 1837) 1837 

Jeremiah Wormegen (died , 1846) 1837-46 

James Vanblaricum 1839-41 

Jacob Miller 1845-47 

Jacob B. Fitler 1846-47 

CITY MARKET-MASTERS. 

Jacob Miller (resigned Aug. 2, 1852) 1847-52, 1854-55 

Sampson Barbee, Sr. (resigned March 20, 1848) 1847-48 

Henry Ohr 1853-54 

Richard Weeks 1855-66, 1867-58 

George W. Harlan 1862-53, 1866-57 

Charles John 1858-61, 1862-63, 1864-67 

Thomas J. Foos 1861-62 

John J. Wenner 186.3-64 

Sampson Barbee, Jr 1867-68 

Gideon B.Thompson 1868-69 

Theodore W. Pease 1869-70 

James Y. Mardick 1870-71 

John Unversaw 1871-74 

John F. Gulick 1874-76 

William Shaw 1876-77 

Jehiel B. Hampton ,.... 1877-78 

Roger R. Shiel 1877-78 

Joseph M.Sutton 1878-79 

Charles N. Lee (resigned Feb. 15, 1879) 1878-79 

Levi H. Rowell (to fill vacancy) 1879 

Albert Izor 1879-80 

Leroy C.Morris 1879-80 

James A. Gregg 1880-82 

Edward A. Guthrie (resigned Oct. 4, 1880) 1880 

Abraham L. Stoner (resigned May 14, 1883) 1880-83 

Orville B. Rankin 1SS2- 

Joseph R. Shelton 1883- 

TOWN WEIGH-MASTERS. 

Jacob J. Wiseman (resigned) Oct. 27 to Dec. 12, 1S35 

Edward Davis 1835-36 

John F. Ramsey Jan. 30 to April 18, 1836 

James Edgar 1836 

James Gore Jan. 19 to Feb. 6, 1837 



Jeremiah Wormegen Feb. 6 to May 17, 1837 

Isaac Harris 1837-38 

Adam Haugh 1838-39, 1840-47 

Charles Williams 1839-40 

CITY WEIGH-MASTERS. 

John Patton 1847-48 

Adam Haugh 1848-56 

Willard Nichols 1876-78 

John W. Smither 1878-79 

William P. Ballard 1879-80 

Jesse DeHaven 1880- 

SEALERS OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. 

Joseph W. Davis 1853-54 

Jacob T. Williams 1854-56 

Hugh J.Kelly 1856-57 

James M. Jameson 1857-58 

John G. Hanning 1858-59 

Cyrus S. Butterfield 1859-61 

James Loucks 1861-66 

Joseph L. Bishop 1866-67 

Augustus Bruner 1867-68 

Samuel B. Morris 1868-71, 1873-74 

William H.Phillips 1871-73 

Ignatz Cook (ofiice abolished) 1874-75 

FIRE DEPARTMENT MESSENGERS. 

James Vanblaricum (removed Dec. 23, 1842) 1840-42 

David Cox 1842-48 

Jacob B. Fitler (resigned Aug. 23, 1848) 1845-48 

James H. Kennedy 1847-48 

Hiram Siebert 1849- 

Andrew Heiner 1851— 

CHIEF FIRE ENGINEERS. 

Thomas M. Smith 1843-47 

Joseph Little 1853-54 

Jacob B. Fitler 1854-55 

Charles W. Purcell 1855-56 

Andrew Wallace 1856-58 

Joseph W. Davis 1858-63 

John E. Foudray (resigned Nov. — , 1859) 1859 

Charles Richmann 1863-67, 1868-70, 1872-74 

George W. Buchanan 1867-68 

Daniel Glazier (died in fall of 1872) 1870-72 

Michael G. Fitchey 1874-76 

W.O.Sherwood 1876-78 

John G. Pendergast 1878-82 

Joseph H. Webster 1882- 

TOWN SEXTONS. 

James Cox 1842-43 

John Musgrove 1843-44, 1845-47 

John O'Connor 1844-45 

CITY SEXTONS. 

Benjamin Lobaugh 1847-48 

Joseph I. Stretcher 1848-49 

Philip Sachs 1849-54 

George Bisbing (resigned July 31, 1854) 1854 

Henry Stumph (to fill vacancy) 1854-55 

John Moffit, «r 1855-56, 1857-59 

Archibald Lingenfelter 1856-57 

Garrison W. Allred (died Jan. — , 1876) 1859-69, 1875-76 

James H. Hedges 1869-72 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAKION COUNTY. 



John Eoss (impeached Aug. 11, 1873) 1872-73 

Thomas Spaulding (to fill vacancy) 1873-74 

James O'Connell (resigned Aug. 12, 1875) 1874-76 

Valentine Reinhart (to fill vacancy) 1875 

Mrs. Fannie Allred (to fill her dead husband's place) 1876 

Robert Turner 1876-78, ISSO-Sl (to fill vacancy) 1883- 

Jacob Eoss (died Jan. — , 1879) 1878-79 

James R. Locklear (to fill temporary vacancy) 1879 

Mrs. Sarah Ann Ross (to fill her dead husband's place)... 1879-80 
Fielding Houston (resigned May 14, 1883) 1881-83 

CITY JANITORS. 

William Regenour 1871-79 

1 Raible 1879- 



MEMBERS OF BOAED OF HEALTH. 

W. Clinton Thompson 1849-50, 1869-70 

James S. Harrison 1849-50 

David Funkhouser (resigned March 4, 1850) 1849-60, 1857 

George W. Mears... 1860-53, 1854-55 (resigned Sept. 14, 1861), 

[1861, 1863-69 

Livingston Dunlap 1860-53 

John L. Mothershead 1850-65 

Patrick H.Jameson 185.3-54, 1866-67 

Charles Parry 1863-64, 1867-59 

JohnS. Bobbs 1854-57 

Talbut BuUard 1855-57 

James H. Woodburn 1857-61 

John M. Kitchen 1858-61 

Clay Brown 1861-62 

Mansur H. Wright 1861-65 

John M. Gaston 1862-64, 1871-72 

Will. R. Bullard 1864-66 

Emil Kline 1866-66 

Thomas B. Harvey 1866-67, 1869-71 

Robert N. Todd 1866-69 

John P. Avery 1867-68 

John A. Comingor 1869-73 

GuidoBell 1870-74 

William Wands 1872-74,1877-80 

Samuel A. Elbert 1873-74, 1876-77 

James S. Athon 1874-76 

A. Stratford 1874-76 

Charles E. Wright 1874-76 

Francis M. Hook 1876-77 

Joseph W. Marsee 1876-77 

Thomas N. Bryan 1877-78 

Henry Jameson 1877-80 

William E. Jeffries 1879-81 

Elijah S. Elder 1880- 

William J. Elstun 1880-81 

Moses T. Runnels 1881- 

John A. Sutcliffe 1881- 

DIRECTORS OF CITY HOSPITAL. 

William Braden 1866-70 

George W. Buchanan (elected chief fire engineer) 1866-67 

J. C. Geisendorff 1866-68 

Alexander Graydon, Sr. (resigned) 1866-67 

John M. Kitchen (resigned June 30, 1870) 1866-70 

George Merritt 1866-69 

Frisby S. Newcomer 1866-71 

Samuel V. B. Noel 1866-67 

Lazarus B. Wilson (resigned) 1866-67 

William W. Smith 1867-69 

Charles Glazier 1867-71 

32 



E. J. HoUiday 1867-69 

John M. Phipps 1867-68 

Dandridge H. Oliver 1868-69 

Stoughton A. Fletcher, Jr 1869-70 

John M. Gaston 1869-71 

Love H. Jameson 1859-71 

Samuel B. Perkins 1869-61 

J. F. Johnston 1860-71 

William Kown 1870-71 

H. C. Newcomb 1870-71 

William H. Snider 1870-71 

TRUSTEES OF CITY HOSPITAL. 

Patrick H. Jameson 1871-73 

Theophilus Parvin 1871-73 

Robert N. Todd 1871-76 

Thomas Cottrell 1876-76 

SUPERINTENDENTS OF CITY HOSPITAL. 

Greenly V. Woollen 1866-70 

Evan Hadley 1870-71 

Joseph W. Marsee 1871-73 

A. W. Davis 1873-74 

W. B. McDonald 1874-76 

Flavius J. Van Vorhis 1876-77 

William H. Davis 1877-79 

William N. Wishard 1879- 

SUPERINTENDENTS OF CITY DISPENSARY. 

William B. Fletcher 1875-79 

Caleb A. Ritter 1879-82 

John J. Garver 1882- 

CITY COMMISSIONERS. 

Edmund Browning 1855-61 

Nathan B. Palmer 1855-58 

J. M. Talbott 1855-58 

W. Clinton Thompson 1855-61 

G. E. West 1855-58 

David S. Beaty 1858-61, 1863-66 

Adam Gold 1868-61 

Adam Knodle 1858-61 

James Blake 1861-64 

William Boaz 1861-64 

Andrew Brouse 1861-64 

James Sulgrove 1861-66 

Lemuel Vanlaningham (resigned Nov. 27, 1865) 1861-65 

^gidius Naltner 1863-66 

David V. Culley (resigned Nov. 27, 1866) 1863-65 

William Coughlen 1866-67 

J. W. Davis 1865-66 

T. L. Roberts 1866-66 

William Braden (resigned May 21, 1870) 1866-70 

James N. Russell (died November, 1869) 1866-69 

Thomas Schooley 1866-69 

Samuel M. Seibert 1866-73 

James C. Yohn 1866-69, 1879- 

John F. Ramsey 1869-73 

Joseph M. Sutton (resigned June 27, 1873) 1869-73 

Ignatius Brown (to fill Russell vacancy) 1869-73 

William S.Hubbard 1871-76 

George W.Alexander 1873-76 

William J. Elliot 1873-75 

J. George Stilz 187.3-76 

Peter Weis 1873-75 

John L. Avery 1876-79 



490 



HISTORY OF LNDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



J. S. Hildebrand 1875-79 

George W.Hill 1875- 

■William Mansur 1875-79 

Robert H. Patterson 1875-79 

William Hadley 1879- 

Newton Kellogg 1879- 

Miehael Steinhauer 1879- 

CITY DIRECTORS OF BELT RAILROAD. 

John M. Kitchen 1S77- 

Beniamin C. Shaw 1877-79 

Napoleon B. Taylor 1879-80 

Edwiu H. Lanime 1880-82 

Arthur L.Wright 1882- 

TOWN TRUSTEES. 

John G. Brown 1832-33 

Henry P. Coburn 1832-33 

Samuel Henderson 1832-33 

Samuel Merrill 1832-33, 1836-37 

John Wilkins 1832-33 

Benjamin L Blythe 1833-35 

Nathaniel Cos 1833-35 

James Edgar (resigned Dee. 9, 1833) 1833 

Samuel Goldsberry , 1833-35 

James Vanblaricum 1833-35 

Joseph Lefavour 1834-36 

Charles C. Campbell 1835-36 

Livingston Dunlap 1835 

Humphrey Griffith 1835-37 

Alexander P. Morrison 1835 

Nathan B. Palmer 1835-36 

I. M.Smith 1835-36 

John Foster 1836-38 

George Lockerbie 1836-38 

John L. Young (resigned Dee. 22, 1836) 1836 

Henry Porter 1837-38 

Joshua Soule, Jr 1837-38 

George W. Stipp 1837-38 

TOWN COMMON COUNCIL. 

William J. Brown (resigned Dec. 2, 1838) 1838 

John Elder 1838-39 

John W. Foudray 1838-39 

George Lockerbie 1838-40 

John F. Ramsey 1838-39 

Samuel S. Rooker 1838-40, 1842-45 

George W. Stipp 1838-39 

John E. McClure 1839-40 

George Norwood 1839-42 

Philip W. Seybert 1839-41 

William Sullivan 1839-40 

Jacob Cox 1840-42 

Samuel Goldsberry (died Jan. 16, 1847) 1840-47 

John Wilkins (to fill Goldsberry vacancy) 1847 

Matthew Little 1840-42 

Andrew A. Louden 1840-47 

Carey H. Boatright (resigned Nov. 5, 1842) 1841-42 

Joshua Black 1842-44 

James R. Nowland 1842-46 

Thomas Richards 1842-44 

Humphrey Griffith 1844-46 

William Montague 1844-47 

William C. Vanblaricum 1845-47 



Charles W. Cady 1848-47 

Abram W. Harrison 1846-47 



CITY COMMON COUNCIL. 

Charles W. Cady 1847-48 

Uriah Gates 1847-48 

Abram W. Harrison (resigned June 7, 1847) 1847 

Morris Morris (to fill Harrison vacancy) 1847-48 

Cornelius King 1847-48, 1849-50 

Samuel S. Rooker 1847-48,1849-51, 1856-57 

Henry Tutewiler 1847-49 

William L. "Wingate 1847-48 

Matthew Alford (resigned March 12, 1849) 1848-49 

Frederick H. Brandt 1848-49 

George A. Chapman 1848-49 

Thomas Eaglesfield 1848-49 

Royal Mayhew 1848-49 

Hiram Seibert 1848-49, 1854-55 

Hervey Bates.... 1849-50 

William Eckert 1849-51 

James Gillespie (died Nov. 2, 1849) 1849 

David V. Culley (to fill Gillespie vacancy) 1849-53 

William Montague 1849-50 

James Sulgrove 1849-50, 1855-56 

Samuel Hetzelgesser 1850-51 

Joseph M.Landis 1850-51 

Andrew A. Louden 1850-53 

George McOuat 1850-51 

Thomas Buchanan 1851-53 

George Durham 1851-54, 1856-59 

Nathan Edwards 1851-54 

George W. Pitts 1851-56 

Charles Woodward 1851-52 

Samuel Delzell 1852-54, 1855-57 

Jacob B. Fitler 1852-53 

John Greer 1852-53 

William A. Bradshaw 1853-54 

Daniel Carlisle 1853-54 

Livingston Dunlap 1853-59 

William H. Earns 1853-55 

Nicholas McCarty 1853-54 

Douglass Maguire 1853-56 

Henry H. Nelson 1853-55 

Horatio C. Newcomb 1853-54 

David Strickland 1853-54 

Edwin H. Wingate 1853-54 

John L.Avery 1854-55 

William Boaz 1854-56 (resigned May 31,1866), 1863-66 

Sims A. Colley 1854-55, 1862-69 

Canada Gowan 1854-55 

Alexander Gray don, Jr 1854-56 

William H. Jones 1854-56 

Daniel Keeley 1854-56 

John Truoksess 1854-55 

Samuel Beck 1855-56 

Samuel M. Douglass 1855-56 

Andrew W. Fuqua 1855-56 

Berl S. Goode 1855-56 

Henry J. Horn 1855-56 

William Mansur ' 1855-57 

J.. B. E. Reed 1855-56 

Henry Buscher 1856-57 

Adam Gold 1856-57 

Nixon Hughes 1856-57 

William MoKee 1856-57 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



491 



Fiisby S. Newcomer 1856-57 

Niithan B. Palmer 1866-57 

Robert M. Patterson 1856-57 

Thomas Cottrell 1857-60, 1867-73 

Joseph K. English (resigned Nov. 12, 1859) 1857-59 

Stoughton A. Fletcher, Jr 1857-59, 1862-65 

George W. Geisendorff (resigned Feb. 2, 1862) 1857-62 

Robert Greenfield 1857-59 

William Hadley 1857-59 

Jonathan S. Harvey 1857-58 

Erie Locke 1857-61, 1869-72 

Stephen McNabb 1857-65, 1866-67 

Myron North '.... 1857-69 

Albert G. Porter (resigned April 30, 1859) 1857-59 

Jacob Vandegrift (resigned Oct. 12, 1861) 1857-61 

Jacob S. Pratt (resigned March 24, 1860) 1858-60 

Theodore P. Haughey 1859-65 

Ernest H. L. Kuhlman 1859-63 

Alexander Metzger 1859-63 

Charles Richmann 1859-63 

Samuel M. Seibert 1869-63 

Herman Tilly 1869-61 

Andrew Wallace 1859-63 

John Blake (resigned April 4, 1864) 1861-64 

James G. Douglass (to fill Blake vacancy) 1864 

Austin H. Brown 1861-75 

W, Clinton Thompson (resigned May 1, 1867) 1861-67 

William Allen 1863-66 

Henry Coburn 1863-69 

William Cook 1863-65 

Roswell B. Emerson 1862-67 

Horace A. Fletcher 1862-67 

Charles Glazier 186.3-69 

Patrick H. Jameson 1863-69 

Samuel Lefever (resigned March 12, 1866) 1863-66 

Joseph Staub 1863-67 

William John Wallace (resigned Feb. 15, 1864) 1863-64 

Adolph Seidensticker (to fill Wallace vacancy) 1864-69 

Julius A. Grosvenor (left city ; seat declared vacant)... 1866-67 

G. A.Foster (to fill Grosvenor vacancy) 1867-69 

J. Henry Kappes 1866-69 

William H. Loomis 1865-69 

John B. MoArthur 1865-69 

Christian F. Schmidt 1865-69 

Charles Kempker (to fill Boaz vacancy) 1866-67 

James Burgess 1867-69 

Joseph W. Davis 1867-69 

Henry Geisel 1867-69 

Samuel Goddard 1867-69 

William H. Henschen 1867-69 

Ambrose P. Stanton 1867-69 

James H. Woodburn 1867-75 

Henry Gimber 1869-70, 1871-76 

Temple C. Harrison 1869-71 

Christopher Heckman 1869-72 

Leon Kahn 1869-71, 1872-76, 1879-81 

Robert Kennington 1869-75 

John L. Marsee 1869-72, 1877-79 

John S. Newman.., 1869-72 

John Pyle 1869-71 

James McB. Shepherd 1869-71, 1873-76 

Isaac Thalman 1869-77, 1880-84 

Frederick Thorns 1869-72 

William W. Weaver 1869-72 

C. E. Whitsit 1869-73 

William D. Wiles 1869-73 



Edward Reagan 1870-74 

John H. Batty 1871-74 

William H,. Craft 1871-77 

Heydon S. Bigham 1871-75 

Frederick C. Bollman 1872-76 

David Gibson 1872-74 

B. J. Hardesty 1872-74 

John T. Pressley 1872-74 

Frederick P. Rush 1872-74 

Lyman Q. Sherwood 1872-74 

Justus C. Adams 1873-77 

M. C. Anderson 1873-75 

Calvin F. Darnell 1873-77 

William McLaughlin 1873-75 

Thomas H. S. Peck 1873-74 

Ralph C.J. Pendleton 1873-74 

Isaac W. Stratford 1873-77 

James E. Twiname 1873-75 

Boswell Ward 1873-76, 1881-84 

Henry F. Albershardt 1874-76 

Patrick H. Curran 1874-76 

George W. Geiger 1874-76 

Marshall B. Hall 1874-76 

Francis M. Hook 1874-76 

Thomas Madden 1874-76 

Robert C. Magill (elected to Board of Aldermen) 1874^77 

BnosB.Reed 1874-78 

John Stuckmeyer 1874-76 

William Buehrig 1875-77 

John J. Diffley 1875-77 

George Kenzel 1876-77 

James C. Laughlin 1875-77 

Daniel M. Ransdell 187.5-77 

William F. Reasner 1876-77, 1878-79 

Frederick Schmidt 1875-77 

George C. Webster 1875-77 

Joseph W. Bugbee (expelled April 15, 1878) 1876-78 

Norman S. Bjram 1876-78 

John L. Case 1876-78 

Albert Izor 1876-78 

Martin McGinty 1876-80 

Thomas J. Morse 1876-79 

Milton Ponder 1876-78 

Michael Steinhauer 1876-78 

John Thomas 1876-78 

Arthur L. Wright .■ 1876-79 

William G. Wright 1876-78 

Robert B. Bagby 1877-79 

Marcus L. Brown 1877-80 

William M.Cochran 1877-78 

Josiah B. Dill 1877-79 

James T. Layman 1877-79 

Thomas C. Reading 1877-79 

Abraham L. Stoner 1877-78 

William H. Tucker 1877-80 

Isaac C. Walker 1877-79 

James E. Watts 1877-78 

George P. Wood 1877-80 

George Anderson 1878-79 

Henry Bermann 1878-80 

Jacob M. Bruner 1878-79 

Matthew M. Cummings 1878-79 

M. Horace McKay 1878-81 

Frank A. Maus 1878-79 

Sheldon Morris 1878-79 

Chris. H. O'Brien 1878-79 



492 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Christian Off. 1878-79 

Omer Rodibaugh 1878-79 

Samuel Showalter ,.. 1878-79 

Gottlieb Sindlinger 1878-79 

John L. F. Steeg 1878-79 

Christian F. Wiese 1878-80 

Jacob Bieler 1879-80 

Peter P. Bryce 1879-80 

Harvey G.Carey 1879-80 

James T. Dowling ; 1879-84 

John T. Downey 1879-81 

Francis W. Hamilton 1879-80 

Chris. H. Harmoning 1879-80 

George King 1879-80 

William C. Lamb 1879-81 

William H. Morrison 1879-84 

John O'Connor 1879-81 

John R. Pearson 1879-84 

Henry J. Prier 1879-81 

Calvin F. Rooker 1879-80 

Joseph H. Sheppard 1879-80 

William E. Shilling 1879-81 

Flavins J. VanVorhis 1879-81 

Collins T. Bedford 1880-84 

William F. A. Bernhamer 1880-81 

Allen Caylor 1880-84 

Edward H. Dean 1880-84 

John W. Fultz 1880-84 

Patrick Harrold 1880-84 

Ernest H. Roller 1880-84 

John A. Lang 1880-81 

Henry J. Mauer 1880-84 

James A. Pritchard 1880-84 

William G. White 1880-81 

Nelson Yoke 1880-84 

Edgar Brundage 1881-84 

Barton W. Cole 1881-84 

John R. Cowie 1881-84 

Simeon Coy 1881-84 

John Egger 1881-84 

Frederick Hartman 1881-84 

Ernst F. Knodel 18S1-84 

Philip Reiohwein 1881-84 

Hervey B. Stout 1881-84 

George Weaver 1881-84 

Frank Benjamin, 17th Ward 1884-8R 

John R. Cowie, 13th Ward 1884-86 

Simeon Coy, ISth Ward 1884-86 

William Curry, 25th Ward 1884-86 

James T. Dowling, 16th Ward 1884-86 

J. T. Duwney, 9th Ward 1884-86 

Philip J. Doyle, 15th Ward 1884-86 

G. F. Edenharter, 8th Ward 1884-86 

P. M. Gallahue, 20th Ward 1884-86 

Charles E. Haugh, 10th Ward 1884-86 

Fred Mack, 24th Ward 1884-86 

John Moran, 19th Ward 1884-86 

Robert C. McClelland, 7th Ward 1884-86 

W. C. Newcomb, 6th Ward 1884-86 

John R. Pearson, 5th Ward 1884-86 

J. F. Reincke, 22d Ward 1884-86 

R. H. Rees, 12th Ward 1884-86 

M. M.Reynolds, 1st Ward 1884-86 

J. L. Sheppard, 14th Ward 1884-86 

Theodore F. Smither, 4th Ward 1884-86 

George W. Spahr, 2d Ward 1884-86 



Isaac Thalman, 11th Ward 1884-86 

P.O. Trussler, 21st Ward 1884-86 

J. W.Wharton, 30th Ward .'. 1884-86 

P. H. Wolf, 23d Ward 1884-86 

BOARD OF ALDERMEN. 

Thomas E. Chandler 1877-80 

Henry Coburn 1877-81 

Robert S. Foster 1877-79 

Gottlob C. Krug 1877-78 

Robert C. MoGill 1877-78 

Horatio C. Newcomb 1877-78 

William H. Snider 1877-79 

Isaac W. Stratford 1877-79 

William Wallace 1877-78 

William D. Wiles 1877-79 

Daniel W. Grubbs (resigned May 1, 1881) 1878-81 

Diedrich Mussman 1878-84 

William F. Piel 1878-80 

Jonathan M. Ridenour 1878-80 

Harry E. Drew 1879-84 

James T. Layman 1879-84 

John Newman 1879-84 

Hiram Seibert 1878-84 

Francis W. Hamilton 1880-84 

William H. Tucker 1880-84 

George P. Wood 1880-84 

Derk DeRuiter 1881-84 

Brainard Rorison 1881-84 

W. F. A. Bernhamer, 5th District 1884-86 

S. H. Cobb, 3d District 1884-86 

W. A. Co.\, 2d District 1884-86 

Thomas J. Endly, 1st District 1884-86 

Isaac King, 4th District 1884-86 

James McHugh, 5th District 1884-86 

H. J. Prier, 1st District 1884-86 

James A. Pritchard, 2d District 1884-86 

Brainard Rorison, 3d District 1884-86 

Thomas Talentire, 4th District 1880-86 

CITY JUDGE. 
John N. Scott 1867-68 

METROPOLITAN POLICE. 

John W. Murphy, commissioner 1883-84 

John P. Frenzel, " 1883-85 

Volney T. Malott, " 1883-86 

Sidney M. Dyer, secretary 1883- 

Irvin Robbins, superintendent (resigned November, 1883). 1883 
John A. Lang 1883- 

In the following list the names are given of all per- 
sons who have held county offices, and also of those 
resident in Marion County who have held important 
offices in or under the State or national government, 
except those of official residence only.^ 



1 Quite a number of persons who have attained more or less 
distinction in politics, war, letters, or art have, at one time or 
another, been residents of Indianapolis. Among them are 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



493 



SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR. 
Caleb B. Smith 1S61-62 

POSTMASTER-GENERAL. 
Walter Q. Gresham 1883 

MINISTER TO TURKEY. 
Lewis Wallace 1881 to present. 

CHARGE D'AFFAIRES TO SWEDEN. 

Henry W. Ellsworth 1845-50 

UNITED STATES CONSUL AT GENEVA. 
Nathaniel Bolton 1855-57 

UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGES FOR INDIANA. 

Caleb B. Smith .'. 1862-64 

David McDonald 1864-69 

Walter Q. Gresham 1869-83 

UNITED STATES ATTORNEYS. 

Lucien Barbour 1848-50 

Hugh O'Neal 1850-53 

CLERKS OF UNITED STATES COURTS.i 

Horace Bassett 1835-60 

John H. Rea 1853-65 

Walt. J. Smith (died December 5) 1863-65 

John D. Howland 1865-77 

William P. Fishbaok 1877-79 

Noble Butler 1879- 



Professor George Bush, Oriental scholar and religious 
speculator. 

Rev. Henry Ward Beecher. 

Rev. Phineas D. Gurley. 

John B. Dillon, historian of Indiana. 

Rev. Sydney Dyer, poet. 

T. W. Whitridge, noted artist. 

Joseph 0. Eaton, a well-known Western artist. 

William Miller, a distinguished miniature painter. 

Dr. Schliemann, celebrated Troas explorer and vindicator 
of the " Iliad." 

Mrs. MoFarland, author and lecturer. 

Mrs. Seguin-AYallace, vocalist. 

Mrs. Sarah T. Bolton, earliest of Indiana poets. 

Edward R. Ames, a distinguished Methodist bishop. 

Thomas Edison, the inventor and electrician. 

Miss Julia (Dudu) Fletcher, author of "Kismet," when a 
child. 

Charles Nordhoff, city editor of the Sentinel in 1855. 

Gen. Lew Wallace, author of the " Fair God" and " Ben 
Hur." 

James W. Riley, author of "Ben Johnson's Poems." 
- ^ There are two Federal Courts. Mr. Bassett was clerk 
of both till 1853, when Mr. Rea was made clerk of one, Mr. 
Bassett continuing in the other. In 1860, Mr. Rea was ap- 
pointed to the other place, and held both till 1863, when Walt. 
J. Smith, son of Judge Caleb B. Smith, was given one of the 
clerkships, and he and Mr. Rea held till 1865, when the late 
John D. Howland succeeded to both places, and they have not 
since been separated. 



UNITED STATES MARSHALS. 

Robert Hanna 1841-45 

David 6. Rose 1861-65 

R. S. Foster 1881- 

POSTMASTERS (See Post-Office). 

PENSION AGBNTS.2 

Alexander F. Morrison (died 1857) 1857 

William Henderson 1857-61 

William P. Fishback 1861-64 

John W. Ray 1864-66 

Joseph P. Wiggins 1866-69 

Charles W. Brouse 1869-73 

William H. H. Terrell 1873-77 

Fred. Knefler 1877- 

COLLECTORS OF REVENUE. 

Theodore P. Haughey 1862-63 

Dr. J. J. Wright 1863-66 

Austin H.Brown 1866-69 

Charles F. Hogate (died) 1869-74 

Frederick Baggs^ 1874-83 

Horace McKay 1883- 

ASSESSORS OF REVENUE. 

William A. Bradshaw 1862-66 

Martin Igoe 1866-67 

David Braden 1867-69 

William M. Wiles (died) 1869-73 

COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS. 
John R. Leonard , 1882 

UNITED STATES SENATORS. 

Robert Hanna (by appointment) 1831 

Oliver H. Smith 1837-43 

James Whiteomb 1849-62 

Joseph A. Wright (by appointment) 1861-63 

David Turpie(by appointment) 1863 

Thomas A. Hendricks 1863-69 

Oliver P. Morton (died in ofBce) 1867-77 

Joseph E. McDonald 1875-81 

Benjamin Harrison 1881 

REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS. 

Oliver H. Smith (then in Connersville) 1827-29 

George L. Kinnard (blown up in a steamer; two 

terms) 1833-37 

William W. Wick 1839-41 

David Wallace 1841-43 

■Caleb B. Smith (then of Connersville; three terms)... 1843-49 

William J. Brown 1843-45 

Joseph A.Wright 1843-45 

2 The pension agency was at Madison till 1857, when it was 
removed to Indianapolis. In 1861 there were about 300 
pensioners on the rolls, requiring an annual aggregate pay- 
ment of about S10,000. In 1877, when Gen. Knefler, the 
present agent, took the oflSce, there were between 13,000 and 
14,000 pensioners on the rolls here, with an annual aggregate 
payment of $1,400,000. In 1883 there were over 22,000 on the 
rolls, with an annual total of pensions of S6, 800, 000. 

' On the death of Mr. Hogate the ofBces of collector and 
assessor were combined, aind Mr. Baggs held both, as Mr. 
McKay does. 



494 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



■William W. Wick (two terms) 1845-49 

George W. Juliao (then of Centreville) 1849-51 

William J.Brown 1849-51 

Joseph E. McDonald (then of CrawfordsvilTe) 1849-51 

Thomas A. Hendricks 1853-55 

William H. English (then of Scott County ; three 

terms) 1855-61 

Lucien Barbour 1855-57 

Albert G. Porter (two terms) 1859-63 

Ebenezer Dumont (two terms) 1863-67 

John Coburn (four terms) 1867-75 

Franklin Landers 1875-77 

Gilbert De La Matyr 1879-Sl 

Stanton J. Peele (two terms) 1881-83 



GOVERNORS OF INDIANA. 

James Brown Ray (acting) February, 1826, to De- 

[cember, 

James Brown Ray (first term) 

James Brown Ray (second term) 

Noah Noble (first term) 

No.ah Noble (second term) 

David Wallace 

James Whitoomb (first term) 

James Whitcomb^ (second term) 

Joseph A. Wright (first term) 

Joseph A. Wright (second term) 

Abram A. Hammond (acting) November, 1860, to 
[January, 

Oliver P. Morton (acting) January, 

Oliver P. Morton i 

Conrad Baker (acting) January, 

Conrad Baker 

Thomas A. Hendricks 

Albert G. Porter 



LIEUTENANT-GOVERNORS. 

John H. Thompson 1825-28 

David Wallace 1834-37 

Abram A. Hammond 1857-60 

Conrad Baker 1865-67 

SECRETARIES OF STATE. 

William W. Wick 1825-29 

James Morrison 1829-33 

William Sheets 1833-37 

William J. Brown 1837-41 

William Sheets 1841-45 

John H. Thompson 1845-49 

Charles H. Test 1849-53 

James S. Athon , 1863-65 

Nelson Trusler 1865-69 

John H.Farquhar 1872-73 

William W. Curry 1873-75 

AUDITORS OF STATE. 

Morris Morris 1829-44 

Douglass Maguire 1847-50 

Erastus W. H. Ellis 1850-53 

John P. Dunn 1853-65 

John W. Dodd 1867-61 

Thomas B. McCarty , 1866-69 

John D. Evans 1869-71 

John C. Shoemaker 1871-73 

James A. Wildman 1873-75 



1852 




1825- 


-28 


1828- 


-31 


1831- 


-34 


1834-37 


1837- 


-40 


1843- 


-46 


1846- 


-48 


1849 


-53 


1853- 


-67 


1861 




1861 


-66 


1865 


-67 


1867 


-69 


1869 


-73 


1873 


-77 


1881 


- 



' Resigned for United States Senate. 



TREASURERS OF STATE. 

Samuel Merrill 1823-34 

Nathan B. Palmer 1834-41 

Royal Mayhew 1844-47 

Samuel Hanna 1847-50 

James P. Drake 1850-63 

William R. Nofl^singer 1855-57 

Aquilla Jones 1857-59 

Jonathan S. Harvey 1861-63 

James B. Ryan 1871-73 

John J. Cooper 1883- 

ATTORNBYS-GENERAL. 

James Morrison from March 5, 1855 

Joseph E. McDonald from Dec. 17, 1857 

Oscar B. Hord from Nov. .3, 1862 

James C. Denny from Nov. 6, 1872 

ADJUTANT-GENERALS.2 

Samuel Beck 

David Reynolds 1846- 

William A. Morrison 1863- 

Lewis Wallace 1861- 

Lazarus Noble 1861-65 

William H. H. Terrell 1866-70 

J. G. Greenawalt 1870-73 

William W. Conner 1873-77 

George W. Russ 1877-81 

James R. Carnahan 1881- 

SUPERINTENDENTS OP PUBLIC INSTRUCTION. 

William C. Larrabee 1852-55 

William C. Larrabee 1857-59 

Samuel L. Rugg 1859-61 

Miles J. Fletcher (killed on cars) 1861-62 

Samuel E. Hoshour (by appointment) 1862-63 

Samuel L. Rugg 1863-65 

George W. Hoss 1863-65 

George W. Hoss 1865-67 

STATE LIBRARIANS. 

John Cook 1841-43 

Samuel P. Daniels 1843-45 

John B.Dillon 1845-51 

Nathiiniel Bolton 1851-55 

M. G. C. W. Tanner 1855-67 

S. D. Lyons 1857-59 

David Stephenson 1863-65 

B.F.Foster 1865-69 

Moses G.McClain 1869-71 

Sarah A. Oren 1873-75 

JUDGES OF THE SUPREME COURT. 

Isaac Blackford 1817-53 

Samuel E. Perkins 1846-65 

Addison L. Boache 1853-65 

Samuel B. Gookins 1854-57 

2 Until the occurrence of the Mexican war the office of adju- 
tant-general was merely nominal, and the records show nothing 
of the occupants or terms. From the closing up of the business 
made by the Mexican war, during which Mr. Reynolds held the 
office, till the outbreak of the civil war, it lapsed into its former 
unimportance. Since the civil war it has been a place of much 
business and responsibility. 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



495 



Charles A. Ray (son of James M. Ray) 1865-71 

Samuel E. Perkins (died) 1877-79 

Byron K.Elliott 1881- 

CLERKS OF SUPREME COURT. 

Henry P. Coburn 1820-52 

William B. Beach 1852-60 

Lazarus Noble 1864-68 

Gabriel Sohmuok 1876-80 

Jonathan W. Gordon (by appointment) 1882-83 

REPORTERS OF SUPREME COURT. 

Isaac Blackford (by his own appointment) 1817-50 

Albert G. Porter (by law) 185.5-57 

M. Gordon C.W. Tanner 1857-61 

Benjamin Harrison 1864-69 

James B. Black 1869-77 

STATE SENATORS. 
James Gregory, session of 1825-26. 
Calvin Fletcher, session of 1826-27, 1827-28, 1828-29, 1829- 

30, 1830-31, 1831-32, 1832-33. 
Alexander P. Morrison, session of 1833-34. 
Henry Brady, session of 1834-35, 1835-36, 1836-37, 1837-38, 

1838-39, 1839-40. 
Robert Hanna, session of 1840-41. 
Nathaniel West, session of 1841-42, 1842-43. 
Thomas J. Todd, session of 1843-44, 1844-45, 1845-46. 
William Stewart, session of 1846-47, 1847-48, 1848-49. 
Nicholas McCarty, session of 1849-50, 1850-51, 1851-52. 
Percy Hosbrook, session of 1853, 1855. 
John S. Bobbs, session of 1857, 1859, special of 1858. 
Horatio C. Newcomb, session of 1861. 
John C. New, session of 1863. 

William C. Thompson, session of 1865, 1867, special of 1865. 
John Caven, session of 1869, 1871. 
Sims A. CoUey, session of 1869. 
Elijah B. Martindale, session of 1871. 

William C. Thompson, session of 1873, 1875, special of 1872. 
Dandridge H. Oliver, session of 1873, 1875, special of 1872. 
J. J. Maxwell, session of 1875. 
Addison C. Harris, session of 1877, 1879. 
Abel D. Streight, session of 1877, 1879. 
George W. Grubbs, session of 1879. 
Flavins J. Van Verbis, session of 1881, 1883. 
George H. Chapman, session of 1881. 
Simon P. Yancey, session of 1881, 1883. 
William B. Fletcher, session of 1883. 

STATE REPRESENTATIVES. 
James Paxton, session of 1823-24. 
John Conner, session of 1824-25. 
James Paxton, session of 1825-26. 
Morris Morris, session of 1826-27. 

George L. Kinnard, session of 1827-28, 1828-29, 1829-30. 
Alexander W. Russell, session of 1830-31. 
Henry Brady, session of 1831-32. 
Robert Hanna, session of 1832-33. 
Henry Brady, session of 1833-34. 
Jeremiah Johnson, session of 1834r-35. 
Austin W. Morris, session of 1835-36, 1836-37. 
Robert Hanna, session of 1836-37, 1837-38, 1838-39. 
Alexander F. Morrison, session of 1837-38. 
James Johnson, session of 1838-39, 1839-40. 
Philip Sweetser, session of 1839-40, 1840-41. 
Israel Harding, session of 1840-41, 1841-42. 
William J. Brown, session of 1841-42, 1842-43. 



Thomas Johnson, session of 1842-43. 

John Sutherland, session of 1843-44. 

Obadiah Harris, session of 1843-44. 

John L. Bruce, session of 1844-45. 

John M. Jamison, session of 1844-45. 

Nathaniel B. Webber, session of 1845-46. 

Young E. R. Wilson, session of 1845-46. 

S. V. B. Noel, session of 1846-47. 

W. M. Moore, session of 1846-47. 

Samuel Harding, session of 1846-47, 1847-48. 

Hervey Brown, session of 1847-48. 

Henry Brady, session of 1848-49. 

Arthur St. Clair Vance, session of 1848-49. 

James P. Drake, session of 1848-49. 

Isaac W. Hunter, session of 1849-50. 

William Robson, session of 1849-50. 

John Coburn, session of 1850-51. 

Benjamin Morgan, session of 1850-51. 

Percy Hosbrook, session of 1850-51. 

Henry Brady, session of 1851-52. 

Isaac Smith, session of 1851-52. 

Jesse Price, session of 1853. 

George P. Buell, session of 1853. 

Robert N. Todd, session of 1857. 

Jonathan W. Gordon, session of 1857, 1859, special of 1858. 

Isaac N. Cotton, session of 1869, special of 1868. 

James H. Turner, session of 1861. 

William H. Kendrick, session of 1861, 1863. 

John C. Tarkington, session of 1863. 

Horatio C. Newcomb, session of 1865, 1867, special of 1865. 

James M. McVey, session of 1865, special of 1866. 

Emsley Hamilton, session of 1867. 

Fielding Beeler, session of 1869, 1871. 

Ambrose P. Stanton, session of 1869. 

James M. Ruddle, session of 1869, 1871. 

T. J. Vater, session of 1869. 

Oliver M. Wilson, session of 1871. 

Edward King, session of 1871, 1873, special of 1872. 

Nathan Kimball, session of 1873, special of 1872. 

John J. W. Billingsley, session of 1873, special of 1872. 

Edward T. Johnson, session of 1873, special of 1872. 

E. C. Kennedy, session of 1875. 

James Hopkins, session of 1875. 

James L. Thompson, session of 1875. 

David Turpie, session of 1 875. 

John E. McGaughey, session of 1877. 

William H. Craft, session of 1877. 

Stanton J. Peele, session of 1877. 

Justus C. Adams, session of 1877. 

J. B. Connor, session of 1879. 

Jonathan W. Gordon, session of 1879. 

William W. Herod, session of 1879. 

C. B. Robinson, session of 1879. 

William E. English, session of 1879. 

Nelson B. Berryman, session of 1881. 

Vinson Carter, session of 1881. 

Isaac N. Cotton, session of 1881. 

John W. Furnas, session of 1881. 

James S. Hinton (colored), session of 1881. 

Thomas McSheehy, session of 1881. 

William D. Bynum, session of 1883. 

.lohn C. Ferriter, session of 1883. 

Elisha J. Howlahd, session of 1883. 

Bellamy S. Sutton, session of 1883. 

Jesse Whitsit, session of 1883. 

John R. Wilson, session of 1883. 



496 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



SHERIFFS OF MARION COUNTY. 
Hervey Bates, Jan. 1, 1822, to Aug. 26, 1824. 
Alexander W. Russell, Aug. 26, 1824, to Aug. 28, 1828. 
Jacob Laodis, Aug. 28, 1828, to Aug. 21, 1832. 
Israel Philips, Aug. 21, 1832, to Aug. 9, 1836. 
Corson Viokers, Aug. 9, 1836, to Aug. 1, 1840. Resigned. 
John B. Ferguson, Aug. 8, 1840, to Aug. 1, 1842. 
Banner Lawhead, Aug. 1, 1842, to Aug. 19, 1844. 
Ale.xander W. Russell, Aug. 19, 1844, to Aug. 19, 184S. 
Charles C. Campbell, Aug. 19, 1848, to Oct. 12, 1852. 
Isaac W. Hunter, Oct. 23, 1852, to Oct. 24, 1854. 
John E. Foudray, Oct. 24, 1854, to Nov. 12, 1868. Resigned. 
■William J. Wallace, Nov. 12, 1868, to June 27, 1859. 
John F. Guliok, June 27, 1859, to June 6, 1860. Resigned. 
William J. Wallace, June 6, 1860, to Dec. 9, 1862. Resigned. 
William J. H. Robinson, Dec. 9, 1862, to Dec. 9, 1866. 
George W. Parker, Dec. 9, 1S66, to Dec. 9, 1870. 
Nicholas R. Ruckle, Dec. 9, 1870, to Dec. 9, 1874. 
Albert Reisner, Dec. 9, 1S74, to Dec. 9, 1876. 
John T. Pressley, Dec. 9, 1876, to Dec. 9, 1880. 
Henry C. Adams, Dec. 9, 1880, to Dec. 9, 1882. 
James W. Hess, Dec. 9, 1882, for two years. 

CORONERS. 
George Smith, Sept. 28, 1822, to Aug. 8, 1826. Resigned. 
Harris Tyner, June 24, 1826, to Oct. 12, 1829. 
Fleming T. Luse, Oct. 12, 1829, to Sept. 8, 1831. 
Joel Blackledge, Sept. 8, 1831, to Aug. 31, 1833. 
Ahira Wells, Aug. 31, 1833, to Sept. 1, 1837. 
Joel Blackledge, Sept. 1, 1837, to Nov. 14, 1837. Resigned. 
Harris Tyner, Nov. 28, 1837, to Sept. 1, 1838. 
Thomas N. Thomas, Sept. 1, 1838, to Sept. 1, 1842. 
Jacob Smoek, Sept. 1, 1842, to Sept. 4, 1844. 
Andrew Smith, Sept. 4, 1844, to Oct. 17, 1848. 
Peter F. Newland, Oct. 17, 1848, to Sept. 24, 1850. 
William W. Weaver, Sept. 24, 1860, to Aug. 15, 1851. Resigned. 
Andrew Smith, Aug. 16, 1851, to Aug. 16, 1853. 
George Newland, Aug. 15, 1863, to Aug. 15, 1855. 
Thomas N. Thomas, Aug. 15, 1855, to Aug. 15, 1857. 
John Moffitt, Aug. 16, 1857, to Aug. 15, 1861. 
Garrison AT. Albred, Aug. 15, 1861, to Oct. 24, 1870. 
James H. Hedges, Oct. 24, 1870, to Oct. 24, 1872. 
Samuel C. Tomlinson, Oct. 24, 1872, to Oct. 24, 1874. 
James H. Fuller, Oct. 24, 1874, to Oct. 24, 1876. 
William H. Wishard, Oct. 24, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
Allison Maxwell, Oct. 25, 1880, to Nov. 10, 1884. 

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. 
Jesse Wright, Aug. 1, 1831, to Aug. 4, 1834. 
Harris Tyner, Aug. 1, 1831, to March, 1835. 
Thomas O'Neal, Aug. 1, 1831, to March, 1835. 
Andrew Hoover, Aug. 4, 1834, to March, 1835. 
Jesse Wright, Aug. 7, 1837, to Aug. 3, 1840. 
John Williams, Aug. 7, 1837, to Aug. 5, 1839. 
James Turner, Aug. 7, 1837, to Aug. 5, 1839. 
Thomas Johnson, Aug. 5, 1839, to Aug. 2, 1841. 
Asa B. Strong, Aug. 5, 1839, to Aug. 3, 1840. 
Isaac Pugh, Aug. 3, 1840, to Aug. 7, 1843. 
Harris Tyner, Aug. 2, 1841, to Aug. 5, 1S44. 
James Mcllvain, Aug. 2, 1841, to Aug. 1, 1842. 
John McFall, Aug. 1, 1842, to Aug. 4, 1845. 
Isaac Pugh, Aug. 7, 1843, to Aug. 3, 1846. 
Harris Tyner, Aug. 5, 1844, to Aug. 2, 1847. 
John McFall, Aug. 4, 1845, to Aug. 7, 1848. 
David Marrs, Aug. 3, 1846, to Aug. 6, 1849. 
Harris Tyner, Aug. 2, 1847, to Aug. 5, 1850. 



Aaron Aldrige, Aug. 7, 1848, to Aug. 4, 1851. 

Thomas F. Stout, Aug. 6, 1849, to Aug. 2, 1852. 

Matthew R. Hunter, Aug. 6, 1850, to Aug. 1, 1853. 

Powell Howland, Aug. 4, 1861, to Aug. 7, 1864. 

Henry P. Todd, Aug. 2, 1862, to Nov. 1, 1856. 

Matthew R. Hunter, Aug. 1, 1863, to Nov. 1, 1866. 

Powell Howland, Aug. 7, 1854, to Nov. 1, 1856. 

James Blake, Oct. 13, 1866, to Nov. 1, 1868. 

Abraham C. Logan, Nov. 1, 1855, to Oct. 9, 1856. Died. 

Henry P. Todd, Oct. 9, 1856, to Nov. 1, 1856. 

Thomas W. Council, Nov. 1, 1856, to Nov. 1, 1858. 

Levi A. Hardesty, Nov. 1, 1856, to Nov. 1, 1869. 

Thomas Johnson, Nov. 1, 1857, to October, 1860. 

Samuel Moore, Nov. 1, 1853, to October, 1861. 

Levi A. Hardesty, Nov. 1, 1859, to October, 1862. 

George Bruce, October, 1860, to October, 1863. 

Samuel Moore, October, 1861, to October, 1864. 

Levi A. Hardesty, October, 1862, to Dec. 31, 1863. Resigned. 

George Bruce, October, 1863, to October, 1866. 

Lorenzo Vanscyoc, Deo. 31, 1863, to October, 1865. 

Samuel Moore, October, 1864, to November, 1867. 

Lorenzo Vanscyoc, October, 1865, to November, 1868. 

Joseph K. English, October, 1866, to November, 1869. 

Aaron MoCray, November, 1867, to Oct. 26, 1873. 

Lorenzo Vanscyoc, November, 1868, to Oct. 27, 1871. 

John Armstrong, Oct. 24, 1870, to Oct. 26, 1873. 

Samuel S. Rumford, Oct. 27, 1871, to Oct. 24, 1874. 

Charles A. Howland, Oct. 25, 1873, to Oct. 25, 1876. 

Alexander Jameson, Oct. 26, 1873, to Oct. 25, 1876. 

Samuel Cory, Oct. 24, 1874, to Oct. 24, 1877. 

Allison C. Remy, Oct. 25, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1879. 

William Worman, Oct. 25, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1879. 

Jacob Rubush, Oct. 27, 1877, to Oct. 24, 1880. 

George F. McGinnis, Oct. 25, 1879, to July 13, 1881. Resigned. 

Moses Allen, Oct. 25, 1879, to Nov. 20, 1882. 

John H. Smith, Oct. 24, 1880, to Nov. 5, 1883. 

Jonathan M. Ridenour, Aug. 1, 1881, to Nov. 20, 1882. 

Frederick Ostermeyer, Nov. 20, 1882, to Nov. 20, 1885. 

Joseph Loftin. Nov. 20, 1882, to Nov. 20, 1886. 

Wharton R. Clinton, Nov. 5, 1883, to Nov. 5, 1886. 

RECORDERS. 
Joseph C. Reed, April 8, 1822, to April 8, 1829. 
James M. Ray, April 8, 1829, to Feb. 13, 18.34. Resigned. 
Livingston Dunlap, Feb. 13, 1834, to Aug. 14, 1834. 
Lewis C. Lewis, Aug. 14, 1834, to Aug. 12, 1848. 
Charles Stephens, Aug. 12, 1848, to Aug. 19, 1855. 
Alexander G. Wallace, Aug. 19, 1856, to Aug. 19, 1863. 
William J. Elliott, Aug. 19, 1863, to Aug. 19, 1871. 
Benjamin F. Johnson, Aug. 19, 1871, to March 5, 1872. Died. 
Daniel C. Greenfield, March 5, 1872, to March 27, 1875. Died. 
Edward M. Wilmington, March 27, 1875, to Oct. 23, 1876. 
Calvin F. Darnell, Oct. 23, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
Jacob L. Bieler, Oct. 25, 1880, to Oct. 24, 1884. 
William F. Keay, Oct. 24, 1884, for four years. 

COUNTY CLERKS. 
James M. Ray, April 1, 1822, to Feb. 13, 1834. Resigned. 
Joseph M. Moore, Feb. 1.3, 1834, to March 25, 1834. 
Robert B. Duncan, March 25, 1834,^ to March 8, 1850. 
William Stewart, March 8, 1860, to Nov. 20, 1S56. Died. 
John C. New, Nov. 22, 1856, to Nov. 2, 1861. 
William Wallace, Nov. 2, 1861, to Nov. 2, 1866. 
William C. Smock, Nov. 2, 1865, to Oct. 24, 1870. 
William J. Wallace, Oct. 24, 1870, to Oct. 24, 1874. 
Austin H. Brown, Oct. 24, 1874, to Oct. 24, 1878. 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



497 



Daniel M. Ransdell, Oct. 24, 1878, to Nov. 10, 1882. 
Moses G. McClain, Not. 10, 1882, for four years. 

COUNTY TREASURERS. 
Daniel Tandes, April 16, 1822, to Jan. 7, 1828. 
John Johnson, Jan. 7, 1828, to Nov. 7, 1832. Resigned. 
Thomas B. Johnson, Nov. 7, 1832, to March 5, 1838. 
John B. E. Reed, March 6, 1838, to Sept. 3, 1838. 
Charles Stephens, Sept. 4, 1838, to Aug. 9, 1841. 
Jacob Landis, Aug. 9, 1841, to Aug. 10, 1847. 
John M. Talbot, Aug. 10, 1847, to Sept. 3, 1850. 
Willis W. Wright, Sept. 3, 1850, to Sept. 3, 1855. 
Jesse Jones, Sept. 3, 1855, to Sept. 3, 1859. 
Thomas D. Barker, Sept. 3, 1859, to Sept. 3, 1861. 
John L. Brown, Sept. 3, 1861, to Sept. 3, 1863. 
George E. Meyer, Sept. 3, 1863, to Sept. 3, 1867. 
Arthur L. Wright, Sept. 3, 1867, to Sept. 3, 1869. 
Prank Erdelmeyer, Sept. 3, 1869, to Sept. 3, 1871. 
Benjamin E. Riley, Sept. 3, 1871, to Sept. 3, 1875. 
Jackson Landers, Sept. 3, 1876, to Sept. 3, 1877. 
Samuel Hanway, Sept. 3, 1877, to Sept. 3, 1879. 
Sample Loftin, Sept. 3, 1879, to Sept. 3, 1881. 
John L. Mothershead, Sept. 3, 1881, to Sept. 3, 1883. 
William G. Wasson, Sept. 3, 1883, for two years. 

COUNTY AUDITORS. 
John W. Hamilton, Aug. 9, 1841, to Nov. 1, 1855. 
Austin H. Brown, Nov. 1, 1855, to Nov. 1, 1869. 
Jacob T. Wright, Nov. 1, 1869, to Nov. 2, 1867. 
George E. McGinnis, Nov. 2, 1867, to Nov. 2, 1871. 
Francis W. Hamilton, Nov. 2, 1871, to Nov. 2, 1875. 
William R. Sproule, Nov. 2, 1875, to Nov. 2, 1879. 
William A. Pfaff, Nov. 2, 1879, to Nov. 2, 1883. 
Justus C. Adams, Nov. 2, 1883, for four years. 

COUNTY ASSESSORS. 
James Paxton (appointed), April 17, 1822, to Feb. 11, 1823. 
Aaron Lambeth (appointed), Feb. 11, 1823, to Feb. 11, 1824. 
Jacob Landis (appointed), Feb. 11, 1824, to Jan. 2, 1826. 
George L. Kinnard (iippointed), Jan. 2, 1826, to Jan. 1, 1827. 
John MeCollum (elected), Dec. 6, 1841, to Dec. 1, 1845. 
Ahira Wells (elected), Dec. 1, 1845, to Deo. 6, 1847. 
Thomas MoEarland (elected), Deo. 6, 1847, to Dec. 6, 1849. 
Samuel Vanlaningham (elected), Dec. 6, 1849, to October, 1862. 
Anthony Wiese (elected), Aug. 1, 1873, to Nov. 1, 1874. 
Andrew J. Vansickle (elected), Nov. 1, 1874, to March, 1875. 

COUNTY COLLECTORS OP REVENUE. 
Harris Tyner, May 15, 1822, to 1823. 
Hervey Bates, 1823, to Feb. 11, 1824. 
Jeremiah Johnson, Feb. 11, 1824, to Jan. 3, 1825.- 
Alexander W. Russell, Jan. 3, 1825, to May 6, 1828. 
Jacob Landis, May 6, 1828, to May 2, 1831. 
Andrew Wilson, May 2, 1831, to May 7, 1832. 
George Taffe, May 7, 1832, to May 6, 1833. ■ 
Asa B. Strong, May 6, 1833, to May 5, 1836. 
Corson Vickers, May 5, 1835, to April 18, 1836. 
Israel Phillips, April 18, 1836, to May 1, 1837. 
Corson Vickers, May 1, 1837, till the office was abolished in 
1841. 

COUNTY SURVEYORS. 
Isaac Kinder, Feb. 19, 1827, to Nov. 7, 1831. 
George L. Kinnard, Dec. 12, 1831, to March 26, 1835. 
Isaac Kinder, April 6, 1835, to Oct. 2, 1836. Resigned. 
Robert B. Hanna, Oct. 3, 1835, to Nov. 7, 1836. Resigned. . 



William Sullivan, Nov. 11, 1836, to Nov. II, 1839. 

Robert B. Hanna, March 19, 1840, to March 25, 1843. Resigned. 

Isaac Kinder, Nov. 24, 1843, to June 8, 1847. Resigned. 

Lazarus B. Wilson, Sept. 1, 1847, to March 9, 1848. Resigned. 

Percy Hosbrook, March 10, 1848, to Sept. 4, 1850. 

Daniel B. Hosbrook, Sept. 4, 1850, to Nov. 6, 1864. 

William A. Curran, Nov. 6, 1854, to Nov. 12, 1856. 

William P. Case, Nov. 12, 1856, to June 9, 1858. Resigned. 

Royal Mayhew, June 9, 1858, to Oct. 27, 1860. 

Oliver W. Voorhis, Oct. 27, 1860, to Nov. 12, 1874. 

William H. Morrison, Nov. 12, 1874, to Jan. 18, 1875. Died. 

Hervey B. Eatout, Feb. 6, 1875, to Nov. 10, 1884. 

SCHOOL LAND COMMISSIONERS. 
John M. Frazee, November, 1829, to Jan. 8, 1833. 
Abram W. Harrison, Jan. 8, 1833, to Nov. 4, 1833. 
Thomas H. Sharpe, Nov. 4, 183.3, to Sept. 6, 1834. 
William Hannaman, Sept. 6, 1834, to March 11, 1842. 
John L. Mothershead, March 17, 1842, to Sept. 7, 1842. 
Elias N. Shimer, Sept. 7, 1842, to March 7, 1844. 
Moore Galway, March 8, 1844, to Sept. 6, 1844. 
Aquilla Parker, Sept. 6, 1844. 

SCHOOL EXAMINERS. 
George M. Darrock, Dec. 5, 1854, to July 11, 1860. 
Lawrence Waldo, March 6, 1S56, to March 1, 1857. 
Silas T. Bowen, March 1, 1857, to March 1, 1860. 
George W. Hoss, July 11, 1860, to March 1, 1861. 
Cyrus Smith, March 1, 1861, to Sept. 5, 1865. 
Pleasant Bond, Sept. 6, 1865, to Sept. 4, 1867. 
William A. Bell, Sept. 4, 1867, to June 4, 1873. 

COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS. 
Walter S. Smith, June 4, 1873, to June 9, 1875. 
Lea P. Harlan, June 9, 1875, to June 11, 1885. 

DIRECTORS COUNTY ASYLUM. 
Abraham Coble, May 8, 1832, to — . 
William McCaw, May 8, 1832, to—. 
Carey Smith, to May 7, 1833. Resigned. 
Samuel McCormiok, May 7, 183.3, to Jan. 7, 1834. 
Isaac Pugh, Jan. 7, 1834, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
James Johnson, Jan. 7, 1834, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
William Logan, Jan. 7, 1834, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
Isaac Pugh, Jan. 4, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
James Johnson, Jan. 4, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
James Johnson, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 2, 1838. 
Samuel McCray, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 2, 1838. 
Abraham Coble, Jan. 2, 1838, to Nov. 6, 1839. 
William McCaw, Jan. 2, 1838, to Nov. 6, 1839. 
George Lockerbie, Nov. 6, 1839, to March 1, 1841. 
Thomas F. Stout, Nov. 6, 1839, to March 1, 1841. 

SUPERINTENDENTS COUNTY ASYLUM. 
James H. Higgenbotham, March 1, 1841, to March 1, 1847. 
Ruth Higgenbotham, March 1, 1847, to March 1, 1860. 
Henry Fisher, March 1, 1850, to March 1, 1851. 
Firmin Stout, March 1, 1851, to March 1, 1862. 
Henry Fisher, March 1, 1862, to March 1, 1864. 
Titus Baker, March 1, 1854, to March 1, 1867. 
John Felty, March 1, 1857, to March 1, 1858. 
William H. Watts, March 1, 1858, to March 1, 1860. 
John Adams, March 1, 1860, to March 1, 1863. 
William H. Watts, March 1, 1863, to March 1, 1864. 
Levi A. Hardesty, March 1, 1864, to March 1, 1867. 
Parker S. Carson, March 1, 1867, to March 1, 1868. 
Joseph L. Fisher, March 1, 1868, to March 1, 1872. 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Samuel Royster, March 1, 1S72, to March 1, 1878. 
Lawrence Logsdon, March 1, 1878, to March 1, 1879. 
Peter M. Wright, March 1, 1879, to March 1, 1885. 

COUNTY PHYSICIANS. 
Charles Parry, Sept. 9, 1840, to Sept. 7, 1841. 
David Yeakle, Sept. 7, 1841, to March 10, 1842. 
Livingston Dunlap, March 10, 1842. to March 8, 1S43. 
John S. Bobbs, March 8, 184.3, to March 1, 1844. 
Livingston Dunlap, March 8, 1843, to March 1, 1844. 
John H. Parry, March 1, 1844, to March 1, 1847. 
Charles Saunders, March 1, 1844, to March 1, 1847. 
John H. Parry, March 1, 1847, to March 1, 1850. 
John M. Gaston, March 1, 1847, to March 1, 1850. 
Livingston Dunlap, March 1, 1850, to March 8^ 1851. 
Alois D. Gall, March 1, 1850, to March 8, 1851. 
John F. Merrill, March 8, 1851, to March 8, 1852. 
Fitch C. Fisher, March 8, 1851, to March 8, 1852. 
David Funkhouser, March 8, 1852, to June 8, 1853. 
George ^Y. Mears, March 8, 1852, to June 8, 1853. 
Livingston Dunlap, June 8, 1853, to June 8, 1854. 
Nicholas J. Dorsey, June 8, 1853, to June 8, 1855. 
David Funkhouser, June 8, 1855, to June 1, 1857. 
Thomas B. Elliott, June 1, 1857, to June 15, 1859. 
Michael J. Lynch, June 15, 1859, to Dec. 6, 1860. 
Clay Brown, Dec. 6, 1860, to Dec. 6, 1861. 
Mansur H. Wright, Dec. 6, 1861, to Dec. 6, 1863. 
Robert N. Todd, Dee. 6, 1863, to Dec. 6, 1865. 
John M. Phipps, Dec. 6, 1865, to Dec. 6, 1866. 
James W. Bigelow, Dec. 6, 1866, to Dec. 6, 1867. 
William Wands, Dec. 6, 1867, to Dec. 7, 1870. 

PHYSICIANS AT COUNTY ASYLUM. 
H. H. Moore, Deo. 7, 1870, to March 1, 1873. 
P. Henry Jameson, March 1, 1873, to Feb. 1, 1877. 
Samuel M. Davis, Feb. 1, 1877, to Feb! 23, 1879. 
Harry Peachee, Feb. 23, 1879, to Feb. 23, 1881. 
W. D. Culbertson, Feb. 23, 1881, to Feb. 23, 1882. 
C. A. Ritter, Feb. 23, 1882, to March 1, 1883. 
Theodore A. Wagner, March 1, 1883, to March 1, 1885. 

RESIDENT PHYSICIAN OF THE COUNTY ASYLUM. 
Orange G. Pfaff, March 1, 1883, to March 1, 1885. 

JUDGES OF THE PROBATE COURT. 
John C. Hume, Aug. 15, 1829, to Aug. 17, 1836. 
Robert Patterson, Aug. 17, 1836, to Sept. 23, 1850. 
Adam Wright, Sept. 23, 1850, to Oct. 13, 1851. Died. 
Samuel Cory, Oct. 14, 1851, till the court was abolished in 1852. 

PRESIDENT JUDGES OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. 
William W. Wick, Feb. 7, 1822, to Jan. 20, 1825. Resigned. 
Bethuel F. Morris, Jan. 20, 1825, to Nov. 13, 1834. Resigned. 
William W. Wick, Dec. 4, 1834, to Aug. 2, 1838. Resigned. 
James Morrison, Aug. 2, 1838, to Aug. 10, 1842. Resigned. 
William Quarles, commissioned Aug. 15, 1842. Not accepted. 
Stephen Major, commissioned Sept. 28, 1842. Not accepted. 
William J. Peaslee, Dec. 16, 1842, to Sept. 17, 1849. Resigned. 
William W. Wick, Sept. 17, 1849, to Oct. 23, 1852. 

JUDGES OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. 
William W. Wick, Oct. 23, 1852, to May 1, 1853. Resigned. 
Stephen Major, May 1, 1853, to Sept. 5, 1859. Resigned. 
William W. Wick, Sept. 5, 1859, to Oct. 24, 1859. Resigned. 
Fabius M. Finch, Oct. 24, 1859, to Oct. 27, 1865. 
John Coburn, Oct. 27, 1865, to Sept. 24, 1866. Resigned. 



John T. Dye, Sept. 24, 1866, to Nov. 3, 1866. 

Cyrus C. Hynes, Nov. 3, 1866, to Nov. 5, 1870. 

John S. Tarkington, Nov. 5, 1870, to Oct. 26, 1872. Resigned. 

Livingston Howland, Oct. 26, 1872, to Dec. 28, 1876. Resigned. 

Jacob B.Julian, Dec. 28, 1876, to Oct. 14, 1878. 

Joshua 6. Adams, Oct. 14, 1878, to Oct. 14, 1884. 

Alexander C. Ayres, Oct. 14, 1884, for six years. 

ASSOCIATE JUDGES OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. 
James Mcllvain, April 8, 1822, to April 25, 1825. Resigned. 
Eliakin Harding, April 8, 1822, to Dec. 15, 1826. Resigned. 
George Smith, Aug. 8, 1825, to April 8, 1836. 
James Mcllvain, Feb. 12, 1827, to April 8, 1829. 
Joshua Stevens, April 8, 1829, to April 8, 1836. 
Adam Wright, April 8, 1836, to April 8, 1850. 
Thomas O'Neal, April 8, 1836, to April 8, 1843. 
Daniel R. Smith, April 8, 1843, till the ofBoe was abolished in 

1851. 
Samuel Cory, April 8, 1843, till the office was abolished in 1861. 

JUDGES OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. 
Abram A. Hammond, Jan. 12, 1849, to March 20, 1850. 
Edward Lander, March 26, 1850, to Oct. 26, 1852. 
Levi L. Todd, Oct. 26, 1852, to Oct. 29, 1856. 
David Wallace, Oct. 29, 1856, to Sept. 4, 1859. Died. 
John Coburn, Oct. 24, 1859, to Sept. 30, 1860. Resigned. 
Charles A. Ray, Sept. 30, 1860, to Dec. 7, 1864. Resigned. 
Solomon Blair, Dec. 13, 1864, to March 3, 1871. Resigned. 
Livingston Howland, March 3, 1871, to Oct. 24, 1872. 
William Irwin, Oct. 24, 1872, till the court was abolished in 

May, 1873. 

JUDGES OF THE CRIMINAL COURT. 
George H. Chapman, Dec. 27, 1865, to Oct. 24, 1870. 
Byron K. Elliott, Oct. 24, 1870, to Nov. 16, 1872. 
Charles H. Test, Nov. 16, 1872, to Oct. 22, 1874. 
Edward C. Buskirk, Oct. 22, 1874, to Oct. 23, 1878. 
James E. Heller, Oct. 23, 1878, to Oct. 24, 1882. 
Pierce Norton, Oct. 24, 1882, for four years. 

JUDGES OF THE SUPERIOR COURT. 
Room 1. 
Frederick Rand, Feb. 25, 1871, to Aug. 24, 1872. Resigned. 
Samuel E. Perkins, Aug. 24, 1872, to Jan. 1, 1877. Resigned. 
John A. Holman, Jan. 1, 1877, to Nov. 20, 1882. 
Napoleon B. Taylor, Nov. 20, 1882, to Nov. 20, 1886. 

Room 2. 
Solomon Blair, March 3, 1871, to Nov. 3, 1876. 
Daniel W. Howe, Nov. 3, 1876, to Nov. 18, 1886. 

Horatio C. Newcomb, Feb. 25, 1871, to Sept. 18, 1876. 
Harry M. Burns, Sept. 19, 1876, to Oct. 24, 1876. 
Byron K. Elliott,. Oct. 24, 1876, to Oct. 27, 1880. 
Lewis C. Walker, Oct. 27, 1880, to Oct. 27, 1888. 

Room i. 
Myron B. Williams, March 10, 1877, to Oct. 28, 1878. 
David v. Burns, Oct. 28, 1878, till the court was abolished in 
May, 1879. 

PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. 
Calvin Fletcher, Sept. 26, 1822, to Nov. 8, 1823. 
Hervey Gregg, Nov. 8, 1823, to Aug. 9, 1825. 
Calvin Fletcher, Aug. 9, 1825, to Aug. 28, 1826. 
James Whitcomb, Aug. 28, 1826, to Jan. 14, 1829. 



CIVIL LIST OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



4S9 



William W. Wick, Jan. 14, 1829, to Jan. 14, 1831. 

William Brown, Jan. 14, 1831, to Jan. 14, 1833. 

William Herod, Jan. 14, 1833, to Dec. 11, 1838. 

William Quarles, Deo. 11, 1838, to April 13, 1839. 

William J. Peaslee, April 13, 1S:19, to Jan. 25, 1841. 

Hugh O'Neal, Jan. 29, 1841, to Jan. 29, 1843. 

Abram A. Hammond, Jan. 29, 1843, to Jan. 29, 1847. 

Edward lander, Jan. 29, 1847, to Aug. 27, 1851. 

David S. Gooding, Aug. 27, 1851, to Oct. 23, 1852. 

Reuben A. Riley, Oct. 23, 1852, to Oct. 27, 1854. 

De Witt C. CMpman, Oct. 27, 1854, to Nov. 2, 1856. 

Peter S. Kennedy, Nov. 2, 1856, to Nov. 2, 1858. 

William P. Fishback, Nov. 2, 1858, to Oct. 4, 1862. Resigned. 

William W. Leathers, Oct. 4, 1862, to Deo. 27, 1865. 

PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS OF THE CRIMINAL 

COURT. 
William W. Leathers, Dec. 27, 1865, to Nov. 25, 1867. 
John S. Duncan, Nov. 25, 1867, to Nov. 3, 1870. 
Henry C. Guffin, Nov. 3, 1870, to Nov. 3, 1872. 
Robert P. Parker, Nov. 3, 1872, to Nov. 3, 1S74. 
James M. Cropsey, Nov. 3, 1874, to Nov. 3, 1876. 
James E. Heller, Nov. 3, 1876, to Oct. 22, 1878. 
John B. Elam, Oct. 22, 1878, to Nov. 17, 1882. 

PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS OF THE CIRCUIT COURT. 
John Denton, Oct. 26, 1874, to Oct. 26, 1876. 
Joshua G. Adams, Oct. 26, 1876, to Oct. 26, 1878. 
Richard B. Blake, Oct. 26, 1878, to Oct. 26, 1880. 
Newton M. Taylor, Oct. 26, 1880, to Nov. 17, 1882. 

PROSECUTING ATTORNEY OF THE CIRCUIT AND 

CRIMINAL COURTS. 
William T. Brown, Nov. 17, 1882, to Nov. 17, 1884.' 

PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS OF THE COURT OF 

COMMON PLEAS. 
John T. Morrison, Oct. 25, 1852, to Oct. 24, 1854. 
Jonathan W. Gordon, Oct. 24, 1854, to Jan. 30, 1856. Resigned. 
Richard J. Ryan, Jan. 20, 1856, to Oct. 28, 1856. 
John S. Tarkington, Oct. 28, 1856, to Oct. 28, 1858. 
James N. Sweetser, Oct. 28, 1858, to Oct. 26, 1860. 
John C. Buff kin, Oct. 26, 1860, to Nov. 1, 1864. 
William W. Woolen, Nov. 1, 1864, to Nov. 2, 1868. 
William ];rvin, Nov. 2, 1868, to Nov. 2, 1870. 
David V. Burns, Nov. 2, 1870, to Nov. 2, 1872. 
Robert E. Smith, Nov. 2, 1872, till the court was abolished 
in May, 1873. 

COUNTY BOARD OF JUSTICES.' 

1824-25. 

Prest., Joel Wright, May 11, 1822, Washington and Lawrence 

townships. 
William D. Rocker, May 11, 1822, Washington and Lawrence 

townships. 
John C. Hume, June 19, 1824, Pike township. 
Jeremiah J. Corbaley, February, 1824, Wayne township. 



1 The prosecuting attorneys of the Circuit Court were re- 
placed by those of the Criminal Court from 1865 to 1874. 
Then there was a prosecutor for each until 1882, when the 
offices were combined. 

' The date in county boards of justices is the date of election 
always. 



Abraham Hendricks, May 1 1, 1822, Wayne township. Removed 
from township. 

William Logan, Jan. 29, 1825, Wayne township. 

Joseph Beeler, Aug. 30, 1823, Decatur township. 

Peter Harmonson, May 11, 1822, Perry and Franklin town- 
ships. 

Henry D. Bell, Feb. 22, 1823, Perry and Franklin townships. 

Wilks Reagin, May 25, 1822, Centre and Warren townships. 

Obed Foote, May 25, 1822, Centre and Warren townships. 

Lismund Basye, May 25, 1822, Centre and Warren townships. 

1825-26. 

Prest., Joseph Beeler, Decatur township. 

Joel Wright, Washington and Lawrence townships. Resigned 
Sept. 5, 1825. 

William D. Rooker, Washington and Lawrence townships. 

Hiram Bacon, Oct. 1, 1825, Washington and Lawrence town- 
ships. 

John C. Hume, Pike township. 

Jacob Sheets, July 30, 1825, Pike township. 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, Wayne township. 

William Logan, Wayne township. 

Peter Harmonson, Perry and Franklin townships. 

Henry D. Bell, Perry and Franklin townships. 

Obed Foote, Centre township. ' 

Wilks Reagin, Centre township. Resigned April 15, 1826. 

Lismund Basye, Centre township. 

Caleb Seudder, June 3, 1826, Centre township. 

Rufus Jenison, June 3, 1826, Warren township. 

1826-27. 
Prest., Joseph Beeler, Decatur township, 
Joel Wright, July 2, 1827, Washington township. 
William D. Rooker, Washington township. Term expired. 
Hiram Bacon, Washington township. 
John C. Hume, Pike township. Resigned May 16, 1827. 
Jacob Sheets, Pike township. 
Jeremiah J. Corbaley, Wayne township. 
William Logan, Wayne township. 
Peter Harmonson, Perry and Franklin townships. 
Henry D. Bell, Perry and Franklin townships. 
Obed Foote, June 2, 1827, Centre township. Re-elected. 
Lismund Basye, Centre township. Term expired. 
Henry Bradley, June 2, 1827, Centre township. 
Caleb Seudder, Centre township. 
Rufus Jenison, Warren township. 

Thomas North, Oct. 6, 1826, Lawrence township. Invalid. 
Peter Castetter, Deo. 2, 1826, Lawrence township. 

1827-28. 
Prest., Joel Wright, Washington township. Died. 
Hiram Bacon, Washington township. 
Edward Roberts, April 5, 1828, Washington township. 
Jacob Sheets, Pike township. 
Austin Davenport, July 28, 1827, Pike township. 
Jeremiah J. Corbaley, Wayne township. 
William Logan, Wayne township. 
Joseph Beeler, Decatur township. 
Henry D. Bell, Perry township. 
Peter Harmonson, Perry township. 
Thomas Carle, April 5, 1828, Perry township. 
James Greer, Oct. 6, 1827, Franklin township. 
Rufus Jenison, Warren township. 
Peter Castetter, Lawrence township. 
Obed Foote, Centre township. 
Henry Bradley, Centre township. 
Caleb Seudder, Centre township. 



500 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



1828-29. 
Prest., Caleb Scudder, Centre township. 
Obed Foote, Centre township. 
Henry Bradley, Centre township. 

Hiram Bacon, Washington township. Resigned Jan. 4, 1830. 
Edward Roberts, Washington township. 
Jacob Sheets, Pike township. 
Austin Davenport, Pike township. 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, March 28, 1829, Wayne township. Re- 
elected. 
William Logan, Wayne township. Resigned Nov. 4, 1828. 
James Johnson, Dec. 6, 1828, Wayne township. 
Joseph Beeler, Dec. 30, 1828, Decatur township. Re-elected. 
Thomas Carle, Perry township. 
Henry D. Bell, Perry township. 
James Greer, Franklin township. 

Rufus Jenison, Warren township. Resigned Nov, 3, 1828. 
Henry Brady, Aug. 4, 1828, Warren township, 
Solomon Wells, Feb. 7, 1829, Warren township. 
Peter Castetter, Lawrence township. 

1829-30, 
Prest., Caleb Scudder, Centre township. 
Obed Foote, Centre township. 
Henry Bradley, Centre township. 
Edward Roberts, Washington township. 
Abraham Bowen, Jan. 30, 1830, Washington township, 
Jacob Sheets, Pike township. Resigned. 
Austin Davenport, Pike township. Resigned March 1, 1830. 
Zeph. HoUingsworth, Jan. 30, 1830, Pike township. 
William C. Robinson, Jan, 30, 1830, Pike township. 
Jesse Lane, March 20, 1830, Pike township, 
Jeremiah J. Corbaley, Wayne township. 
James Johnson, Wayne township. 
Joseph Beeler, Decatur township. 
Thomas Carle, Perry township. 
Peyton Bristow, Oct. 1, 1S29, Perry township. 
James Greer, Franklin township. 
Marine D. West, July 25, 1829, Franklin township. 
Henry Brady, Warren township. 
Solomon Wells, Warren township. 
Peter Castetter, Lawrence township. 

1830-31. 
Prest., Caleb Scudder, Centre township. 
Obed Foote, Centre township, 
Henry Bradley, Centre township. 
Edward Roberts, Washington township. 
Abraham Bowen, Washington township. 
William C. Robinson, Pike township. 

Zeph. HoUingsworth, Pike township. Resigned May 2, 1831. 
Jesse Lane, Pike township. 
Adam Wright, June 4, 1831, Pike township. 
Jeremiah, J. Corbaley, Wayne township. 
James Johnson, Wayne township. 
Joseph Beeler, Decatur township. 
Thomas Carle, Perry township. Died May, 1831. 
Peyton Bristow, Perry township. 
Thomas McFarland, May 28, 1831, Perry township. 
James Greer, Franklin township. 

Marine D. West, Franklin township. Removed May, 1831. 
Isaac Baylor, June 11, 1831, Franklin township. 
Henry Brady, Warren township. 

Solomon Wells, Warren township. Resigned Sept. 3, 1832. 
Peter Castetter, Lawrence township. 
John Bolander, Feb. 5, 1831, Lawrence township. 



1831-32. 
Prest., Caleb Scudder, Centre township. 
Obed Foote, Centre township. 
Henry Bradley, Centre township. 
Edward Roberts, Washington township. 
Abraham Bowen, Washington township. 
William C. Robinson, Pike township. 
Jesse Lane, Pike township. 
Adam Wright, Pike township. 
Jeremiah J. Corbaley, Wayne township. 
James Johnson, Wayne township. 
Joseph Beeler, Decatur township. 
James Epperson, April 2, 1832, Decatur township. 
Peyton Bristow, Perry township. 
Thomas McFarland, Perry township. 
James Greer, Franklin township, 
Isaac Baylor, Franklin township. 
Henry Brady, Warren township. 
Joshua Black, Aug. 13, 1831, Warren township. 
Peter Castetter, Lawrence township. Term expired in De 

cember, 1831. 
John Bolander, Lawrence township. 
William G. Mcintosh, April 2, 1332, Lawrence township. 

1835-36. 
Prest., Caleb Scudder, Centre township. 
Henry Bradley, Feb. 2, 1833, Centre township. 
Wilks ReagiD, Dec. 7, 1833, Centre township. 
Samuel Jenison, March 8, 1834, Centre township. 
James Epperson, Decatur township. 
Zimri Brown, Feb. 12, 183'4, Decatur township. 
Joseph Beeler, Aug. 29, 1835, Decatur township. 
James Greer, Nov, 20, 1832, Franklin township. 
Isaac Baylor, Franklin township, 
Joseph Johnston, Dec. 1, 1832, Lawrence township. 
Daniel Shartz, April 1, 1835, Lawrence township. 
Jacob Smock, Feb. 1, 1834, Perry township. 
George Tomlinson, Oct. 4, 1834, Perry township. 
Smith Isaac, Oct. 4, 1834, Pike township. 
Nathaniel Bell, April 6, 1835, Pike township. 
Elias N. Shimer, Oct. 13, 1S32, Warren township. 
Joseph S. Mix, Oct. 4, 1834, Warren township. 
Daniel R. Smith, Oct. 12, 1833, Washington township. 
Abraham Bowen, April 1, 1835, Washington township. 
James Johnson, Feb. 5, 1834, Wayne township. 
James W. Johnston, May 6, 1834, Wayne township. 
Allen Jennings, May 6, 1834, Wayne township. 



Prest., Henry Bradley, Centre township. 

Caleb Scudder, Aug. 27, 1836, Centre township. 

Wilks Reagin, Centre township. 

Samuel Jenison, Centre township. 

Thomas M. Weaver, Oct. 2, 1836, Centre township, 

Joshua Stevens, April 3, 1837, Centre township. 

Joseph Beeler, Decatur township. 

Zimri Brown, Decatur township. 

Noah Reagan, Oct. 1, 1836, Decatur township. 

Jesse Grace, Dee. 24, 1836, Decatur township. 

James Greer, Franklin township. 

Isaac Baylor, June 25, 1836, Franklin township, 

Benjamin Morgan, April 4, 1836, Franklin township, 

Joseph Johnston, Lawrence township. 

Daniel Shartz, Lawrence township. 

Jacob Smock, Perry township. 

George Tomlinson, Perry township. 



CENTRE TOWNSHIP. 



501 



Smith Isaac, Pike township. 

Nathaniel Bell, PiketoTvnship. 

Elias N. Shimer, Warren township. 

Joseph S. Mix, Warren township. 

James P. Hanna, May 2S, 1836, Warren township. 

Lyman Carpenter, Oct. 4, 1836, Warren township. 

Daniel R. Smith, Washington township. 

Abraham Bowen, Washington township. 

John R. Anderson, Nov. 20, 1836, Washington township. 

James Johnson, Wayne township. 

James W. Johnston, Wayne township. 

Allen Jennings, Wayne township. 



CHAPTER XX. 



CENTRE TOWNSHIP. 



Although the city of Indianapolis covers but 
about twelve of the forty-two sections in Centre 
township, the history of the city is so largely that of 
the township that there is little to say of the latter 
that will not be a repetition. The settlements which 
have become little towns are merely the natural ac- 
cretions of residence about a factory or mill, or an in- 
dustry of some kind that belongs to the city, and 
they are really as much a part of it as the squares 
cornering on the Circle. What history and business 
they have independently can be soon told. The 
township was associated with Warren from its first 
organization, in the spring of 1822, to the 1st of 
May, 1826, and the records called the combination 
Centre-Warren township. After this separation the 
township and the town were one till the independent 
organization of the latter, Sept. 3, 1832. Then the 
outside area began to have a little consciousness of a 
legal existence. It has never had much more. The 
population in 1880 was five thousand five hundred 
and ninety-two, and is probably seven thousand now. 
Of this number, Brightwood contains six hundred 
and seventy-nine, part of Irvington eighty-nine, and 
Woodruff Place twenty. The population of West 
Indianapolis, formerly Belmont, is not stated, as the 
town was not organized when the census was taken. 
Haughsville is in Wayne township, and Brookside 
and Indianola belong to the city, and North Indian- 
apolis is not organized. So there is no way to learn 
accurately the distribution of this outside population. 



There are four divisions of the surrounding area. 
Washington and Meridian Streets are the dividing 
lines, and all inside of the city limits is taken off, 
leaving a rim of territory round each quarter of the 
city in the corners. Each of these sections is di- 
vided into two precincts for voting purposes. Each 
is a road district, and has its own supervisor, under 
the general supervision of the township trustee. 
There are thirteen schools in these four sections, 
with about thirty teachers. Two of these are colored 
schools, — No. 11, in the northeast, and No. 5, in the 
southeast. A colored class is taught in No. 10, 
North Indianapolis. In Nos. 7 and 4 a German 
school is maintained in connection with the regular 
schools ; that is, such portions of each school as 
wish to study German, or to pursue their general 
studies in that language, are given the services of a 
teacher, who separates them temporarily from the 
others and gives them instruction as he would do if 
they had a school wholly to themselves. The German 
language is studied by a number of the colored pupils 
at No. 10 and other schools. Teachers' institutes are 
held monthly to assist the teachers by discussions of 
subjects connected with their occupation. 

The churches are not numerous in these outlying 
sections. The city is so convenient and so much 
more likely, as a rule, to have a more interesting 
class of services, that the church attendance of a 
considerable portion of the township is taken to the 
city, to the damage of the home influence and the 
depreciation of church property. There are two 
churches at Brightwood, one Catholic and one Meth- 
odist ; one in Belmont, or used to be ; and one that 
may be still kept up on the Shelby ville road, near the 
McLaughlin place, the religious training-school of 
Rev. Greenly H. McLaughlin, one of the few now 
living who can remember Indianapolis from the year 
it was laid out until to-day. 

In the chapter on " Charities" is a statement by 
the township trustee of the pauper account during 
the first month of this year. The total payments on 
this account are nearly eighteen hundred dollars, or 
at the rate of over twenty-one thousand dollars a year. 
This, the trustee says, is an unfair indication. The 
pauper expense of January was double that of the 



502 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



average monthly outlay. The year's total will 
not reach ten thousand dollars. During the winter 
of 1874-75 there were eighteen hundred persons, 
many with families, supported by the township, 
and the annual outlay was four times what it is 
now. But that was the worst season for the extent 
of pauperism ever known in this country. The town- 
ship trustee takes care of several abandoned or 
abused children in the course of the year at the 
different asylums. 

The following is a list of oflBcers of Centre township 
from its formation in 1822 to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
Wilks Reagin, June 14, 1822, to April 15, 1826 ; resigned. 
Lismund Basye, June 14, 1822, to June 7, 1827. 
Obed Foote, June 14, 1822, to June 7, 1827. 
Caleb Seudder, June 14, 1826, to June 14, 1831. 
Obed Foote, June 13, 1827, to June 12, 1832.- 
Henry Bradley, June 13, 1827, to June 12, 1832. 
Caleb Seudder, June 27, 1831, to June IS, 1836. 
Henry Bradley, Feb. 13, 1833, to Feb. 13, 1838. 
Obed Foote, Feb. 13, 1833, to Noyember, 1833 ; died. 
James Wingate, Feb. 13, 1833, to January, 1834; died. 
Wilks Reagin, Dec. 17, 1833, to August, 1836; removed. 
Samuel Jenison, Marob 11, 1834, to March 25, 1837; resigned. 
Caleb Seudder, Sept. 19, 1836, to Sept. 19, 1841. 
Thomas M. Weaver, Nov. 1, 1836, to July 12, 1841 ; resigned. 
Joshua Stevens, April 6, 1837, to April 6, 1842. 
John L. Ketcham, April 11, 1838, to June 2, 1842 ; resigned. 
Joseph A. Levy, Aug. 13, 1841, to Aug. 13, 1846. 
William Sullivan, Oct. 6, 1841, to Nov. 1, 1867. 
Joshua Stevens, April 8, 1842, to April 8, 1852. 
William Campbell, Aug. 10, 1842, to Deo. 9, 1845; resigned. 
James G. Jordan, Jan. 27, 1846, to Sept. 28, 1848; resigned. 
Caleb Seudder, Aug. 14, 1846, to Aug. 14, 1851. 
James McCready, April 11, 1850, to May 6, 1854 ; resigned. 
Charles Fisher, Aug. 18, 1851, to Nov. 1, 1875. 
Christopher G. Werbe, April 20, 1862, to April 20, 1856. 
John Saltmarsh, May 6, 1855, to May 3, 1859. 
Charles Coulon, April 21, 1856, to April 20, 1860. 
Andrew Curtis, May 3, 1859, to May 3, 1863. 
Frederic Stein, April 20, 1860, to April 20, 1864. 
Oscar H. Kendrick, May 3, 1863, to Dec. 1, 1864: resigned. 
Charles Coulon, April 20, 1864, to April 20, 1868. 
Alexander G. Wallace, April 18, 1865, to April 17, 1869. 
Andrew Curtis, April 13, 1867, to April 13, 1871. 
Charles Secrest, Nov. 1, 1867, to Nov. 1, 1871. 
Charles Fred. Doepfner, April 20, 1S68, to Dec. 30, 1870 ; re- 
signed. 
Il^nry H. Bogges, Nov. 9, 1869, to Oct. 19, 1872 ; resigned. 
William Dietrichs, Feb. 22, 1871, to April 18, 1876. 



Peter Smock, April 13, 1871, to April 13, 1875. 

John 6. Smith, Nov. 1, 1871, to April 9, 1875 ; resigned. 

William H. Schmitts, Oct. 21, 1872, to Oct. 21, 1876. 

Christopher C. Glass, Oct. 24, 1874, to Oct. 24, 1878. 

Abel Catterson, April 9, 1875, to June 20, 1878; resigned. 

Thomas P. Miller, April 13, 1875, to April 13, 1879. 

Luke Walpole, Nov. 1, 1875, to Nov. 1, 1879. 

William C. Newoomb, Oct., 23, 1876, to Oct. 23, 1880. 

David K. Miner, Oct. 25, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 

Willis W. Wright, Jan. 13, 1877, to April 9, 1878. 

William Whitney, April 9, 1878, to April 9, 1882. 

Willis W. Wright, June 20, 1878, to Nov. 1, 1879. 

Theodore W. Pease, Oct. 24, 1878, to Oct. 24, 1882. 

Marquis L. Johnson, April 13, 1879, to April 13, 1882; re- 



George M. Seibert, Nov. 1, 1879, to Nov. 1, 1883. 
John W. Thompson, Nov. 1, 1879, to Nov. 1, 1883. 
William H. Schmitts, Nov. 12, 1880, to April 13, 1882. 
John C. Woodard, Oct. 23, 1880, to Oct. 23, 1884. 
John M. Johnston, April 13, 1882, to April 13, 1886. 
Patrick Bennett, July 8, 1882, to Oct. 11, 1882; resigned. 
David K. Miner, July 10, 1882, to June 20, 1883; resigned. 
Charles B. Feibleman, July 10, 1882, to April 17, 1884. 
Theodore W. Pease, Sept. 20, 1882, to April 17, 1884. 
Christopher C. Glass, Oct. 11, 1882, to April 17, 1884. 
Luke Walpole, Oct, 24, 1882, to Oct. 24, 1886. 
John C. Hoss, June 21, 188.3, to April 15, 1886. 

TRUSTEES. 
Jacob Newman, April 14, 1859, to April 13, 1861. 
James Turner, April 13, 1861, to June 13, 1864. 
James W. Brown, June 13, 1864, to June 29, 1864. 

Joshua M. W. Langsdale, June 29, 1864, to 1867. 

Cyrus C. Heizer, 1867, to Oct. 18, 1872. 

Charles John, Oct. 18, 1872, to Oct. 22, 1874. 
Michael Doherty, Oct. 22; 1874, to Oct. 20, 1876. 
W. Smith King, Oct. 20, 1876, to April 14, 1880. 
Alonzo B. Harvey, April 14, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 
Ernest Kitz, April 14, 1882, for two years. 

ASSESSORS. 
Henry Bradley, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 7, 1828. 
James F. N. Bradley, Jan. 7, 1828, to Jan. 3, 1831. 
Daniel R. Smith, Jan. 3, 1831, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
Butler K. Smith, Jan. 2, 1832, to Jan. 7, 1833. 
John W. Reding, Jan. 7, 1833, to Jan. 5, 1835. 
Elias N. Shimer, Jan. 5, 1835, to May 5, 1835. 
Morris Bennett, May 5, 1835, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
Charles J. Hand, Jan. 4, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
Morris Bennett, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 1, 1838. 
Peter Winohell, Jan. 1, 1838, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
John M. Wilson, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 
Robert Hanna, Jan. 6, 1840, to Jan. 4, 1841. 
Benjamin G. Yates, Jan. 4, 1841, to Dee. 6, 1841. 
John Taffe, Dee. 21, 1852, to Feb. 6, 1864. 




llllllllllllllllljllll>llllllllllllllllll „ 



^^;4-z^ c//u^-tn^-Cy 



CENTKE TOWNSHIP. 



503 



John D. Thorpe, Feb. 6, 1S54, to April 7, 1855. 
John B. Stumph, April 7, 1855, to Dec. 13, 1855. 
John C. Baker, Dec. 13, 1855, to Nov. 29, 1856. 
Andrew Curtis, Nov. 29, 1856, to Oct. 25, 1858. 
Oscar H. Kendrick, Oct. 25, 1858, to Nov. 22, 1860. 
Leonidas M. Phipps, Nov. 22, 1860, to Nov. 1, 1866. 
William 0. Phipps, Oct. 24, 1864, to April 3, 1868. 
John Reynolds, April 3, 1868, to Oct. 26, 1870. 
David W. Brouse, Oct. 26, 1870, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
David W. Brouse, March 17, 1875, to April 12, 1880. 
Bernard Raw, April 12, 1880, to April 10, 1882. 
Thomas B. Messick, April 10, 1882, to April 10, 1884. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



SAMUEL CANBY. 
Samuel Canby, whose ancestors were of English 
extraction, was the son of Dr. Benjamin H. Canby 
and his wife, Sarah Taylor, of Virginia. He was 
born in Leesburg, Loudoun Co., Va., on the 12th of 
April, 1800. Here his early years were spent in the 
pursuit of such educational advantages as the schools 
of the neighborhood afforded. On attaining the 
years of manhood he removed with the family to 
Boone County, Ky., where his father purchased a 
farm on the banks of the Ohio River, at East Bend, 
Bacon Co., and was assisted in the cultivation and 
improvement of the land by his son. Samuel Canby 
was married, in April, 1827, to Miss Elizabeth 
De Pew, of Boone County, Ky., granddaughter of 
John De Pew, who emigrated from England and 
settled in Virginia. The latter had eight children, 
of whom Abram, the father of Mrs. Canby, married 
Mildred Sebree, whose parents were John and Mil- 
dred Johnson Sebree. The former was a Revolution- 
ary soldier, and died at the siege of Yorktown. He 
was the companion of Gen. George Rogers Clark in his 
expedition against the British posts in the West. In 
1837, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Canby removed to Marion 
County, Ind., in company with an uncle, John H. 
Canby, a gentleman of the old school, who possessed 
ample means, and had many years before retired 
from business. He was a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and much esteemed for his many 
Christian virtues. His death occurred Feb. 8, 1844, 



at the age of seventy-one years. Mr. and Mrs. 
Canby located upon a farm in Centre township, two 
miles from the city of Indianapolis, where they con- 
tinued the congenial pursuits of the agriculturist 
during the former's lifetime. Mr. Canby enjoyed 
the reputation of being a model farmer, and one of 
the most successful in the county. The home of 
Mr. and Mrs. Canby was the seat of a generous hos- 
pitality, and proverbial for the welcome and good 
cheer afforded alike to guest or traveler. In politics 
the subject of this sketch was a Democrat, though 
his innate modesty and the demands of his private 
business alike prevented active participation in the 
political events of the day. He was reared in the 
Quaker faith, and with his wife became a member of 
the Roberts Park Methodist Episcopal Church of 
Indianapolis. Mr. Canby, in 1874, erected a spa- 
cious dwelling in the latter city, to which he removed 
on its completion. He survived this change of resi- 
dence but two weeks, and died on the 16th of Oc- 
tober, 1874. His remains are interred in the beau- 
tiful Crown Hill Cemetery. His widow, with her 
sister. Miss De Pew, now occupies the city home. 
Mrs. Mildred De Pew, the mother of Mrs. Canby, 
died at the home of her daughter at the advanced age 
of eighty-eight years, and is buried in Crown Hill 
Cemetery. She was a lady of genial nature, great 
force of character, and remarkable Christian faith. 



JOHN MOORE. 
The paternal grandfather of Mr. Moore emigrated 
when a young man from Scotland to Ireland, where 
he married a Miss Reid and had children, — John, 
William, Thomas, Christopher, James, Catherine 
(Mrs. William Humphrey), Eleanor (Mrs. Robert 
Roe), Peggy (Mrs. Jesse Roe), and Elizabeth 
(Mrs. Keyes). Mr. Moore resided in County 
Donegal, Ireland, where he was employed in the 
cultivation and improvement of a farm. His son 
Thomas was born in County Donegal, and mar- 
ried Miss Catherine Gutherie, daughter of John 
Gutherie, of County Fermanagh, Ireland, who was 
also of Irish descent. The children of Thomas and 
Catherine Moore are John, Thomas, Mary (Mrs. 



504 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Henry Bowser), Margaret (Mrs. Charles Clenden- 
ning), Isabel J. (Mrs. R. A. Yoke), Elizabeth (Mrs. 
Robert Roe), Catherine (Mrs. Edward Thomas), and 
Eleanor (Mrs. Hampton Kelly). Mr. and Mrs. 
Moore were attracted by the superior advantages 
America offered the working classes, and left their 
native land in 1824 for its hospitable shores. Mrs. 
Moore's death occurred in Pennsylvania, en route for 
Ohio, where the family soon after settled. In 1831 
Mr. Moore removed to Marion County, Ind., where 
his death occurred Jan. 8, 1838. John Moore, his 
son, was born Nov. 8, 1806, in County Farmanagh, 
Ireland, and at the age of eighteen emigrated with 
his parents to America. His educational oppor- 
tunities were limited, his early years having been 
devoted chiefly to labor. He engaged in Ohio with 
his father in clearing land and farming, and on 
becoming a resident of Marion County, in 1831, 
sought work upon the public improvements, and also 
busied himself at farming. He was, on the 19th of 
September, 1833, married to Miss Sarah Bowser, 
daughter of Henry Bowser, of Marion County. 
Their children are Thomas H., William, Hannah, 
Ritchison, Isabel (Mrs. J. "W. Yoke), John 0., 
Catherine, Mary E. H., Joseph A., and three who 
are deceased. Mr. Moore, in 1839, removed to his 
present home, and has there continued farming until 
the present time. He has devoted his energies 
entirely to the improvement of his land, and given 
little attention to the affairs of more general interest. 
He was formerly a Whig in politics, and subsequently 
gave his vote to the Republican party, though he has 
never accepted or desired office. He is in religion a 
Methodist, and member of the Fletcher Place Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church of Indianapolis. Mr. and 
Mrs. Moore celebrated their golden wedding on the 
19th of September, 1883, on which interesting occa- 
sion there were present nine children and eleven 
grandchildren, who offered their affectionate con- 
gratulations to this venerable couple. 



THOMAS MOORE. 
Thomas Moore is a native of County Fermanagh, 
Ireland, where his birth occurred on the 6th of Au- 



gust, 1808. At the age of sixteen his parents 
determined to emigrate to America, there being at 
that- time few avenues to advancement or independ- 
ence open to the poorer classes in Ireland, while the 
New World offered unlimited possibilities to the in- 
dustrious and ambitious foreigner. After a brief so- 
journ in Washington, Pa., Mr. Moore and his family 
removed to the vicinity of Zanesville, Ohio, and in 
1831 made Thomas Moore's present farm, in Marion 
County, Ind., their permanent abode, where the 
father died on the 8th of January, 1838. The 
education Thomas received in his youth was neces- 
sarily limited, but sufficient knowledge of the rudi- 
ments was obtained to be of service in his subsequent 
career. His first employment in Indiana was in con- 
nection with public improvements and the construc- 
tion of roads. This was continued for a period, when 
Mr. Moore engaged in the transportation of goods 
from Cincinnati for the merchants of Indianapolis, 
and also became a successful farmer, making this the 
business of his life. His industry, application to the 
work in hand, and discretion in the management of 
his varied interests have received their reward in a 
competency which is now enjoyed in his declining 
years. Mr. Moore was married, in January, 1832, to 
Miss Catherine, daughter of William Moore, who 
resided near Zanesville, Ohio. Her death occurred 
June 29, 1867. Their children are three daughters, 
— Jane (deceased), Mary Ann (Mrs. George Langs- 
dale, who died in Texas in April, 1880), and Margaret 
J. (Mrs. Wilmer Christian, of Indianapolis). Mr. 
Moore has always been in his political predilections a 
consistent Democrat, though not active as a politician 
and without ambition for the honors of office. The 
Moore family are of Scotch- Irish lineage, the grand- 
father of the subject of this biographical sketch hav- 
ing married a Miss Reid, to whom were born nine 
children. Their son Thomas, a native of County 
Donegal, Ireland, married Miss Catherine Gutherie, 
of County Fermanagh, Ireland, and had two sons 
and six daughters. The sons, John and Thomas, are 
represented by portraits in this work. 




i>i ^i inn 61!^ (27 V i ^ e^-r-t 




C^^ ^^2^^/^/ 



CENTRE TOWNSHIP. 



505 



ELISHA J. HOWLAND. 
Mr. Howland is of English extraction, and the 
grandson of Elisha Howland, who was a native of 
Rhode Island, and when seventeen years of age emi- 
grated to Saratoga County, N. Y. He married a 
Miss Powell and had six children, all of whom sur- 
vive, with the exception of Powell, who was born 
Oct. 16, 1799, in Saratoga County, and removed 
to Indiana in 1839. He married, in 1818, Miss 
Tamma Morris, of Saratoga County, and in 1823, 
Miss Mahala Thurber. To the first marriage were 
born two children, and to the second five, among 
whom was Elisha J., whose birth occurred in Saratoga 
County, Nov. 30, 1826, where he remained until 
thirteen years of age. He then with his father re- 
moved to Indiana, and was until eighteen years of 
age a pupil of the public school, after which for two 
years he enjoyed the advantages of the Marion 
County Seminary, in Indianapolis. His attention 
was then turned to the cultivation of the homestead 
farm, a part of which became his by division on 
attaining his majority. He has since that time con- 
tinued farming of a general character, combined with 
stock-raising, and has met with success in his voca- 
tion. He shares his father's love of horticultural 
pursuits, and has devoted much time and attention 
to the subject. He is a member of both the State 
and County Horticultural Societies. In politics Mr. 
Howland is an ardent Democrat, and was in 1882 
elected to the State Legislature, where he served on 
the committees on Reformatory Institutions and Fees 
and Salaries, and was chairman of the former. He 
has ever manifested much public spirit, been active 
in the furtherance of all public improvements, and 
the promoter of various schemes for the welfare of 
the county of his residence and the good of the pub- 
lic. Mr. Howland was married, in 1851, to Miss 
Margaret E., daughter of Nineveh Berry, one of the 
earliest settlers in the State, who was born in Clark 
County, and removed to Anderson, Madison Co., 
before the government survey was made. He held 
many prominent offices, and was one of the original 
surveyors who laid out the lands of the State in be- 
half of the government. His death occurred Aug. 17, 
1883, in his eightieth year. Mr. and Mrs. Howland 



have children, — Charles B., Elizabeth M., James B., 
Margaret M., Julia H., and one who died in child- 
hood. He was a member of the Ebenezer English 
Lutheran Church, in which he has been both an elder 
and a deacon. Mrs. Howland is also a member of 
the same church. 



JOHN G. BROWN. 

John G. Brown, who was of Scotch-Irish descent, 
was born in Charleston, S. C, June 23, 1785. He 
received in youth a fair English education, and in 
early manhood emigrated to Kentucky. He was, on 
the 17th of October, 1810, married to Eliza M. Bar- 
nett, to whom were born four children, — Juliet D., 
Eliza Jane (Mrs. L. W. Monson), Emeline A. (Mrs. 
J. L. Mothershead), and Alexander M. Mrs. Brown 
died in September, 1820, and he was again married 
in October, 1821, to Mrs. Mary C. Todd, nee Win- 
ston, who was of English lineage and the daughter of 
James Winston, a soldier of the Revolution, and his 
wife, Sarah. Mrs. Brown was born in Louisa County, 
Va., in 1791, and was a lady of much refinement and 
culture. On her marriage to Mr. Brown she was the 
widow of Dr. Henry Todd, of Bourbon County, Ky. 
Her death occurred in May, 1859. The children of 
Mr. and Mrs. Brown are Mary T. (Mrs. Stephen D. 
Tomlinson), James Winston, Margaret M. (Mrs. W. 
T. Sprole), and Caroline S. James W..and Marga- 
ret M. are the only survivors of all Mr. Brown's 
children, the former having come, when but eighteen 
months old, with his father to Indianapolis. He is 
consequently among its earliest settlers. 

Mr. Brown, while a resident of Kentucky, engaged 
in the manufacture of woolen goods, which business 
was continued until his removal to Indiana in the 
fall of 1825. His strong convictions on the slavery 
question induced his removal from Kentucky. Be- 
lieving that all men were created free and equal and 
entitled to the blessings that freedom confers, both 
he and Mrs. Brown liberated their slaves and re- 
moved to a free State. About the year 1830 he 
formed a copartnership with W. H. Morrison for the 
purpose of conducting a general mercantile business, 
which was continued until his death, with the addi- 



506 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tional interest involved in the cultivation of a farm 
in the suburbs. In politics he was a Henry Clay 
Whig, though content to let others share the labors 
and honors of oflBee. He was a zealous member of 
the First Presbyterian Church of Indianapolis, in 
which he was an elder and one of its most active 
workers. All measures for the advancement of mo- 
rality and the furtherance of the best interests of 
society found in Mr. Brown a warm supporter and 
friend, though feeble health prevented active partici- 
pation in works of philanthropy. His death occurred 
in May, 1838, in his fifty-third year. 



LEVI AYRES. 



The Ayres family are of Welsh extraction, the 
grandfather of Levi Ayres having been John Ayres, 
a Revolutionary patriot, who was taken prisoner 
by the enemy and confined in the noted prison- 
ship lying in New York harbor, where he remained 
until released by the suspension of hostilities. He 
was a blacksmith, and in that capacity proved invalu- 
able to the enemy, who refused to excliange him. 
He married Miss Susanna Jarman, and had children, 
among whom was John, the father of the subject of 
this biographical sketch, born in 1777, in Cumber- 
land County, N. J., the residence of his father, where 
he followed agricultural pursuits. He married Miss 
Margaret Pawner, the daughter of Asher Pawner, 
who was reared in the Quaker faith. The children 
of John and Margaret Ayres are Levi, Reuben, 
George, Charles, Richard, John, and Mary Jane 
(Mrs. Ebenezer Woodruff). The death of Mr. 
Ayres occurred in 1847, and that of his wife the 
same year. Their son Levi was born on the 3d of 
September, 1808, in Cumberland County, N. J. 
His early life was spent upon the farm, and such 
education obtained as was possible in the common 
schools of the neighborhood, after which, for two 
successive winters, he engaged in teaching, mean- 
while during the remainder of the year aiding in the 
labor of the farm. In 1832 he removed to Indiana, 
and settled for one year in Franklin County, after 
which he resided in Vicksbura;, Miss., and for three 



years pursued th^ trade of a painter. In 1836 he 
returned to Franklin County and became owner 
of a farm. He was, in 1840, married to Jane C, 
daughter of Alexander and Rachel Cregmile, of 
Franklin County, Ind. Their children are John T., 
deceased ; R. Jennie, deceased ; Alexander C., a prac- 
ticing lawyer in Indianapolis ; Franklin, a farmer ; 
Levi P., a farmer, and two who died in infancy. 
Alexander C. and Levi P. are graduates of Butler 
University. Mr. Ayres during the two successive 
winters following his advent in Indiana engaged in 
teaching, the remainder of his life having been 
devoted to the cultivation of his lands. In 1858 
he removed to Centre township, Marion Co., his 
present residence. 

He has been, as a Democrat, actively identified 
with politics, and in Franklin County served as 
inspector of elections, justice of the peace, county 
commissioner for two terms, and as a member of the 
State Legislature in 1858. He is a charter member 
of Mount Carmel Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons, 
and also member of the Brookville Chapter. Mrs. 
Ayres and her family were reared in the faith of the 
Presbyterian Church, of which Mr. Ayres is a 
supporter. 



CHAPTER XXL 



DECATDR TOWNSHIP.i 



This township, named in honor of Commodore 
Stephen Decatur, is the extreme southwestern town- 
ship of Marion County. It is bounded on the north 
by Wayne and, for a very short distance, by Centre 
township ; on the east by White River, which marks 
the boundary against Perry township ; on the south 
by Blorgan County ; and on the west by Hendricks 
County. The population of Decatur, as shown by 
the returns of the United States census of 1880, was 
then sixteen hundred and forty-seven. 

Originally the territory of the township was very 
heavily timbered with black walnut, poplar, the dif- 
ferent varieties of oak, blue and gray ash, beech, 

1 By Fielding Beeler, Esq. 




0^^ ^^^^yu^ 



DECATUR TOWNSHIP. 



507 



sugar-tree, red and white elm, and hackberry, and 
on the bottom-lands sycamore, buttonwood, soft 
maple, buckeye, paw-paw, and in early times spice- 
wood and prickly ash. The heavy timber was a 
great drawback in the early settlement, requiring a 
great amount of very hard labor to clear the land 
sufficiently to furnish the settlers with bread and 
feed for their stock, though the stock usually re- 
quired (or at least received) but little feed, subsist- 
ing largely on the " range," while hogs lived and were 
fattened on the mast, — acorns, beechnuts, hickory- 
nuts, etc. The land was at first cleared of the 
grubs, logs, and smaller trees, and the large ones 
" deadened," as it was termed, by girdling, and thus 
the clearing was sometimes many years in being 
completed. As years passed on and the clearings 
extended, the custom of deadening all timber, where 
the land was intended to be cleared, was introduced. 

The streams of the township are the White River, 
which forms its entire eastern boundary; Eagle 
Creek, a tributary which enters the river at the ex- 
treme northeast corner of the township ; and a num- 
ber of smaller and unimportant creeks and runs, 
which flow through Decatur southeastwardly to their 
junction with the White River. The surface of the 
township is sufficiently rolling to admit of good and 
easy drainage of the lands. There are in the town- 
ship two considerable elevations of ground, one known 
as Marr's Hill, near the residence of Patrick Harman, 
the other as Spring Valley Hill, owned jointly by Mr. 
Elijah Wilson and Isaac B. Dewees, Esq. It is an 
isolated point or knob, rising one hundred and forty 
feet or more above the general level of the surround- 
ing country, and two hundred feet or more above the 
level of the river, which is nearly a quarter of a mile 
east. From this point, when the air is clear, an ex- 
tended view may be had of the surrounding country, 
including the buildings of the insane asylum, the 
spires and many of the highest buildings in the city 
of Indianapolis, and even Crown Hill, north of the 
city, and fully twelve miles from the point of ob- 
servation. 

The lands of the township consist of a variety of 
soils; alluvial or bottom, along the valley of White 
River ; second bottom underlaid with gravel ; and 



upland, of which the soil is underlaid with clay. All 
the soil of the township, with proper cultivation, 
produces largely of cereals, vegetables, clover, timo- 
thy, and blue grass, for all of which crops it equals 
the best in the county or State. 

In the first settlement of the township the large 
yellow and spotted rattlesnakes were numerous, and 
the cause of much terror among the settlers. Cattle 
and other animals were frequently bitten, and died 
from the effects of the poison, though there is no 
account of any person having died from that cause. 
During the fall of 1824 some of the settlers became 
convinced that the reptiles had a den in the vicinity 
of what is now the village of Valley Blills, and in 
the following spring a close watch was kept for their 
appearance in that locality. On one of the earliest 
of the warm days their den was discovered by John 
Kenworthy, and the inhabitants of the neighboring 
settlements were notified of the fact. The able-bodied 
men of the region for several miles around gathered 
at the place, and with mattocks, shovels, spades, and 
hoes proceeded to dislodge and slay the serpents. 
Their den was in the side of a ravine on the land of 
Isaac Hawkins, now owned and occupied by William 
Sanders, about a half-mile east of Valley Mills Sta- 
tion of the Indianapolis and Vincennes Railway. One 
hundred and seven rattlesnakes were killed (most of 
them of large size), besides a number of other and 
less venomous snakes. This general slaughter of the 
reptiles seemed to almost entirely rid the township of 
them, as but few were seen afterwards, most of them, 
however, in the vicinity of Valley Mills and near the 
high bluffs along White River. A few of the black 
variety, known as the prairie rattlesnake, were found 
around the bog prairie, situated partly in Decatur and 
partly in Wayne townships, until quite recently, but 
now they appear to have been exterminated. Many 
years ago Ira Plummer was bitten (while gathering 
hazel-nuts) by a snake of this kind, but survived and 
recovered wholly through the efficacy (as was said) 
of whiskey and a tea made of blue-ash bark. 

Decatur, like the other townships of the county, 
was set off and erected into a separate township by 
the board of county commissioners, April 16, 1822, 
and on the same date it was, by the same authority. 



508 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



joined with Perry and Franklin townships for organ- 
ization and the election of justices of the peace, for 
the reason that none of the three contained a sufln- 
cient number of inhabitants for such organization. 
This arrangement continued until Aug. 12, 1823, 
when the commissioners ordered " that Decatur town- 
ship be stricken off from Perry and Franklin town- 
ships, and form from this date a separate and inde- 
pendent township of this county, in every respect as 
if it had never been attached to the said townships 
of Perry and Franklin ;" and the board assigned one 
justice of the peace to be elected for the township 
of Decatur, at an election ordered to be held at the 
house of John Thompson, on Saturday, Aug. 30, 
1823, John Thompson to be inspector of the said 
election. 

The following is a list of justices and township 
officers of Decatur from its erection to the present 
time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 

Peter Harmonson, June 28, 1822, to Aug. 30, 1823 (for town- 
ships of Decatur, Perry, and Franklin, until their separa- 
tion). 

Joseph Beeler, Nov. 3, 1823, to Oct. 8, 1828. 

Joseph Beeler, Jan. 5, 1829, to Jan. 5, 1834. 

James Epperson, May 7, 1832, to Aug. 1, 1835: died. 

Zimri Brown, Feb. 25, 1834, to Sept. 1, 1836; resigned. 

Joseph Beeler, Sept. 21, 1835, to Sept. 21, 1840. 

Noah Eeagan, Nov. 1, 1836, to Nov. 23, 1836; resigned. 

Jesse Grace, Jan. 14, 1837, to Jan. 14, 1842. 

Toung Em. R. Wilson, Feb. 23, 1839, to Feb. 23, 1844. 

Zadock Jackson, Dec. 25, 1840, to Deo. 22, 1845. 

John S. Hall, Feb. 19, 1842, to Feb. 19, 1847. 

Toung Em. K.Wilson, May 11, 1844, to July, 8, 1845; resigned. 

Noah McCreery, Aug. 27, 1845, to Aug. 27, 1850. 

William Mendenhall, Dec. 22, 1845, to Dee. 22, 1850. 

Joseph Beeler, Feb. 19, 1847, to Feb. 19, 1852. 

John Burris, Dec. 26, 1850, to May 3, 1859. 

Jesse Price, Nov. 8, 1851, to Oct. 9, 1852; resigned. 

Lewis George, April 24, 1858, to May 24, 1859; resigned. 

Gurdon C. Johnson, July 19, 1859, to July 19, 1867. 

Thomas Mendenhall, April 19, 1864, to April 13, 1 866 ; resigned. 

John S.Walker, April 17, 1866, to Sept. 12, 1866; resigned. 

Thomas R. Cook, Nov. 9, 1866, to Nov. 9, 1870. 

John M. Ritter, April 26, 1869, to April 16, 1873. 

David W. Compton, Nov. 9, 1870, to Oct. 18, 1872; resigned. 

James S. Wall, Oct. 24, 1874, to April 17, 1882; removed. 

Isaac B. Dewees, Oct. 24, 1878, to Oct. 24, 1882. 

John D. Haworth, June 12, 1880, to April 15, 1886. 

Charles F. Allen, April 17, 1882, to Oct. 24, 1886. 



TRUSTEES. 
Martin Searly, April 9, 1859, to April 9, 1860. 
Josiah Russell, April 9, 1860, to April 19, 1862. 
Jackson L. Jessup, April 19, 1862, to Oct. 10, 1867. 
John W. Billingsley, Oct. 10, 1867, to Oct. 23, 1872. 
Jacob Horner, Oct. 23, 1872, to Oct. 26, 1874. 
Noah McCreery, Oct. 26, 1874, to April 14, 1882. 
Thomas N. Janeway, April 14, 1S82, for two years. 

ASSESSORS. 
Demas L. McFarland, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 7, 1828. 
Cader Carter, Jan. 7, 1828, to Jan. 4, 1830. 
Jesse Wright, Jan. 4, 1830, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
John P. Clark, Jan. 2, 1832, to Jan. 7, 1833. 
Adam Wright, Jan. 7, 1833, to Jan. 6, 1834. 
Aaron Wright, Jan. 6, 1834, to May 5, 1835. 
James M. Bailey, May 5, 1834, to May 5, 1835. 
Zimri Brown, May 5, 1835, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
Demas L. McFarland, Jan. 4, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
Abram H. Dawson, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 1, 1838. 
Jesse Grace, Jan. 1, 1838, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
Grimes Dryden, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 4, 1841. 
Aaron AVright, Jan. 4, 1841, to Dec. 6, 1841. 
Joseph Cook, Dec. 21, 1852, to Dee. 8, 1854. 
Isaac Hawkins, Dec. 8, 1854, to Feb. 5, 1855. 
Eli Sanders, Feb. 9, 1855, to Dec. 13, 1856. 
John S. Rabb, Dec. 13, 1856, to March 12, 1857. 
Jesse Price, March 12, 1857, to Deo. 12, 1858. 
Abner Mills, Dee. 12, 1858, to Nov. 22, 1872. 
John Ellis, Nov. 22, 1872, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Jesse W. Reagan, March 22, 1875, to Dec. 26, 1876. 
John W. Ellis, Dec. 26, 1876, to April 13, 1880. 
Edward C. Forest, April 13, 1880, to April 13, 1884. 

This township, as originally set off and erected by 
the commissioners in 1822, contained forty-two sec- 
tions of land, being in size six miles from north to 
south, and seven miles east and west, its eastern line 
being a continuation of the line between the town- 
ships of Centre and Wiyne, thus bringing into De- 
catur a strip of land lying east of the White River, 
and between that stream and the township of Perry, 
the strip having an average width of about two miles, 
and embracing about twelve sections of land. This 
continued to be included in Decatur township until 
the 7th of January, 1833, when, upon petition by 
citizens of Decatur township, it was ordered by the 
board of justices " that all the part of Decatur town- 
ship lying on the east side of White River be attached 
to and hereafter form a part of Perry township." By 
this action the White River was established as the 



DECATUR TOWNSHIP. 



509 



line between Decatur and Perry, and has remained as 
such to the present time. 

The earliest settlements in Decatur were generally 
made in the vicinity of the White River, and near 
springs, with which the township abounds, especially 
along the higher lands near the river. In the gov- 
ernment sales of lands this consideration had much 
to do in deciding the location and purchase of differ- 
ent tracts. The first settlements were made in 1821, 
— possibly two or three came as early as the fall of 
1820, — but who was the first settler who came to 
make his permanent home within the territory that 
soon afterwards became Decatur township cannot 
now be satisfactorily ascertained. Among the first, 
however, were the Dollarhides, David Kime, Charles 
and Joseph Beeler, Demas L. McFarland, John 
Thompson, Jesse Wright, and John, James, Edward, 
Eli, and Jacob Sulgrove on the west side of the 
river, and Martin D. Bush, Emanuel Glimpse, and 
the Myers and Monday families on the east side of 
the stream, in that part of the township which was 
transferred to the jurisdiction of Perry in 1833, as 
before mentioned. 

Joseph Beeler was one of the earliest settlers in 
Decatur, as he was also for a period of almost thirty 
years (from his settlement here to his death) one of 
the most prominent and respected men of the town- 
ship. He was born in April, 1797, in a block-house 
which was built for defense against Indians in what 
is now Ohio County, W. Va. The block-house was 
surrounded by a stockade work which was called 
" Heeler's Fort," or '• Beeler's Station," his father 
being in command of the defense, and also of a com- 
pany of frontiersmen called " rangers," whose head- 
quarters were at the stockade. The name Beeler's 
Station is retained to the present day in the post- 
office at that place. 

His father dying when he was but six weeks old, 
he was left with but the care and protection of his 
mother, and he grew to years of manhood, living part 
of the time in Virginia and part in Washington 
County, Pa. In the summer of 1819 he, with his 
mother and brother George, descended the Ohio 
River in a pirogue (a very large dug-out canoe), and 



stopped at a place on the lower river (the locality of 
which is not now known), from which, in the fall of 
the same year, he, with his two brothers and two 
acquaintances, made an exploring trip to the then 
wilderness region which is now Marion County. 
Striking the White River at the place where the 
village of Waverly now is, they traveled thence 
northward and halted at a camp which they made 
on the river bank nearly on the site of the present 
water-works of Indianapolis. There was not at that 
time a white man's cabin or habitation of any kind 
in the vicinity. He made a thorough examination 
of this region, and being pleased with it, he returned 
in the. spring of 1820 with his mother, his brother, 
G. H. Beeler (afterwards the first clerk of Morgan 
County), and several others for permanent settle- 
ment, and located on the west side of the river near 
the bluffs. At the land sales they bought the tract 
on which they had settled, but afterwards sold it to 
James Burns at an advance of one hundred dollars, 
which would pay for an additional eighty acres of 
land in some new location. Burns, the purchaser, 
afterwards built upon the tract a small frame house 
(the first of the kind in that part of the country) 
and painted it red. The house is still standing, and 
the place has been and is at this day known as the 
" Red House." 

Soon after his sale to Burns, Joseph Beeler bought 
the northeast quarter of section 6, township 14, range 
3, and commenced a clearing. In May, 1822, he 
was married to Hannah Matthews, and late in the 
fall of the same year they removed to their new 
home on his land in Decatur township. 

Mr. Beeler was a fine specimen of pioneer man- 
hood, being six feet in height and finely proportioned. 
He was ever a leader in matters of public enterprise, 
and untiring in perseverance and industry. He 
regarded his vocation of farmer as one of the highest 
respectability, and he had great ambition to excel in 
his calling. He was one of the first farmers of the 
county to import improved breeds of stock, which 
gained the reputation of being the best in the county, 
— as the records of the agricultural societies show, — 
from the number of premiums awarded him in the 
different classes. He also took a deep interest in 



510 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



horticulture, and his orchards were noted for their 
production of the best quality of fruit. 

He was for many years a justice of the peace. In 
those times there was much more litigation in the 
county than now, and though in his office he might 
have profited by it pecuniarily, he always used his 
influence to prevent instead of promoting law-suits. 
In Mr. Nowland's " Sketches of Prominent Citi- 
zens," he says, " Were I writing for the eye only of 
those who knew Mr. Beeler, it would be unnecessary 
to say that he was a man of the strictest integrity, 
whose word was as good as his bond, and was never 
questioned." At the time of his death, and for 
many previous years, he was a member of the Chris- 
tian Church. He died July 12, 1851, in the full 
strength and vigor of manhood. He had endured 
years of toil and privation, but lived to see the forest 
give place to cultivated fields and fruitful orchards, 
the small clearing extended to a large and valuable 
farm, and the log cabin to the comfortable mansion ; 
but though he had much to live for, he entered the 
dark valley with the resignation and faith of the Chris- 
tian who feels that his work has been well done, and 
that there is peace and happiness on the other side 
of the river. He left surviving him his wife and 
five children. His oldest son. Fielding Beeler (born 
March 30, 1823), is now a resident of Wayne town- 
ship, and one of the best known and most successful 
farmers of Marion County. George M., then but a 
small boy (and who died at the early age of twenty- 
four years), inherited his father's taste for horticul- 
ture, and was particularly distinguished in that pro- 
fession for one of his years. Emily, the oldest 
daughter, married Calvin Fletcher, of the well-known 
Fletcher family of Indianapolis, and now resides with 
her husband at Spencer, Ind. Melissa, the second 
daughter, married the Hon. John C. New, of Indian- 
apolis. She died, leaving an only son, Harry S. 
New, who is one of the proprietors and editors of the 
Indianapolis Journal. The third daughter, Hattie, 
married T. W. Hall, who died several years ago, and 
she now lives with her three children in Indianapolis. 
The widow of Joseph Beeler survived him thirty 
years, and died in Indianapolis in 1881, in the 
eightieth year of her age. She was remarkable for 



the activity of her mind, on which account, and be- 
cause of her excellent memory of the incidents of 
early times, she was often appealed to as authority 
concerning occurrences with which she had been ac- 
quainted in her youth. The minister who officiated 
at her funeral spoke of her life and experience as a 
forcible illustration of the progress of the country; 
mentioning the fact that when a young lady of twenty 
years she passed over the ground (then dotted by 
only a few log cabins) that became the site of the 
city in which she died, containing at the time of her 
death nearly one hundred thousand inhabitants. 

Martin D. Bush came from the State of New York 
in 1821, and settled on the east side of White River, 
on the southeast quarter of section 8, township 15, 
range 3, now in Perry township. His land was 
all river bottom and so much subject to overflow that 
he became discouraged, and in 1845 or 1846 sold 
out and removed to Atchison County, Mo., where he 
died. During the years of his residence in the 
White River Valley Mr. Bush was ever known as an 
honorable, upright, and public-spirited man. His 
house was the headquarters of traveling ministers of 
the several denominations when they came to the 
new country, and preaching was frequently held there. 
His wife was noted for her benevolence, and kindness 
to the sick and afflicted among the early pioneers. 
They were both original members of the Liberty 
Church. They had three children, a son and two 
daughters. The oldest daughter, Anna, was married 
to Blr. Merrill, brother of the late Samuel Merrill. 
The other daughter, Mary, married Amos Sharp, 
brother of the well-known banker of Indianapolis. 
The son, Henry Bush, married Susan, daughter of 
Grimes Dryden. All of them with their families 
removed to Missouri with their parents. 

Charles Beeler, born in Ohio County, Va. (now 
West Virginia), came to ftlorgan County, Ind., in 
1820, and to Decatur township in 1822, and settled 
on the southeast quarter of section 7, township 14, 
range 2, it being land which he bought at the 
government land sales at Brookville, and which 
is now owned and occupied by ex-County Commis- 
sioner A. C. Remy. He sold his property in Decatur 
and removed in 1831 to Shelby County, 111. After- 



DECATUR TOWNSHIP. 



511 



wards he moved to the State of Missouri, thence to 
California, and from there back to Missouri, and died 
near St. Joseph, in that State, about the year 1867, 
at the age of eighty-four years. 

Samuel K. Barlow, an early settler in the township, 
and who laid out the original town plat of Bridgeport 
on land of John Furnas, located a short distance 
south of that village, in the northwest part of Decatur. 
He was always regarded as well behaved and peace- 
able, yet he had the misfortune to become the slayer 
of a man named Matlack, who was his brother-in-law. 
It appears that upon the fatal occasion he visited 
Matlack's house (in Hendricks County), and upon 
seeing Matlack attempt to whip his wife with a cow- 
hide. Barlow interfered for the protection of the 
woman, and in the fight which ensued Matlack was 
killed. For the homicide Barlow was confined a long 
time in the Hendricks County jail, and finally brought 
to trial, which resulted in his acquittal, but the cost 
of his defense was so heavy that he was compelled to 
sell his property to pay it. He then removed from 
Decatur to Iowa, and afterwards to Oregon, where he 
died about 1878, at the age of eighty-four years. 

Jesse Wright, a native of North Carolina, came to 
Decatur from the Whitewater country, and settled on 
the northwest quarter of section 29, township 15, 
range 3, the same property now owned by the family 
of the late Jacob Hanch. He was a positive and an 
energetic man, but a very contentious one, and this 
latter characteristic made him an Ishmael among the 
people of the community in which he lived, as was 
shown by the course he took at the death of his first 
wife (he was twice married), who was a most estima- 
ble woman. Although there was a public burial- 
ground within half a mile of his home, he buried 
her in the woods on the bluff overlooking the swampy 
lands southwest of his residence. He was a man in 
good circumstances, yet after selling his farm to 
Jacob Hanch, about the year 1838, he left the coun- 
try and removed to Iowa without erecting even the 
rudest or simplest stone to mark her resting-place ; 
and there are few, if any, now living who can identify 
the spot where he made her lonely grave. 

Aaron Wright, brother of Jesse, was also a North 
Carolinian by birth. He came from Union County 



to Decatur township, and settled on the lands now 
owned and occupied by John Hurd. He was an 
honest, upright man, who attended strictly to his own 
business, and never engaged in controversy or conten- 
tion with his neighbors. He died in 1877, upwards 
of seventy years of age, leaving a son, Jesse Wright, 
who has been for two terms trustee of Wayne town- 
ship, and is one of its most prominent farmers ; also a 
daughter, who is Mrs. John Doty, and another living 
near Council Blufis, Iowa. 

Cader Carter came from Ohio in the early days of 
the settlement and bought an eighty-acre tract in 
Decatur township, the same now owned by John 
Chamberlain. Carter was a single man, and for sev- 
eral years made his home with Jesse Wright, with 
whom he had a disagreement which grew into a law- 
suit, which resulted adversely to Carter and compelled 
him to sell his land to pay the expenses of litigation. 
He always complained bitterly of the wrong which 
had been done him by Wright and by the decision 
in the latter's favor. After the loss of his property 
he lost his energy, and never made another purchase 
of land in the township. He served as constable for 
several years, and for about five years drove a stage 
between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. He was an 
active and earnest politician of the Democratic party, 
and it was alleged that he was of one-eighth negro 
blood. In consequence of his active partisanship at 
the State election of 1836, his vote was challenged 
and refused. He sued for damages, but, unfortu- 
nately for him, it was proved to the satisfaction of 
the jury trying the case that the allegation was 
true, and he was never again allowed to vote. All 
who knew him gave him the character of a strictly 
honest and upright man, and one of very fair intelli- 
gence and general information. He died in 1851. 

John Thompson, one of the earliest of the settlers 
in this township, located upon (and afterwards bought) 
the southwest quarter of section 30, township 15, 
range 3, now owned and occupied by Patrick Har- 
mon. He was also the owner of the west half of the 
southwest quarter of section 29, in the same town- 
ship, which latter tract alone was assessed to him in 
1829. John Thompson was esteemed by all who 
knew him as an honorable, upright man, who in h 



5)1 2- 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



daily walk aDd in all his dealings was entitled to the 
appellation of Christian. His cabin was the place of 
the earliest gatherings for religious worship in the 
township, and the place where Liberty Church was 
organized and its meetings held until the erection of 
the meeting-house. In the absence of regular minis- 
ters, Mr. Thompson often preached himself at his 
dwelling. In 1837 he sold his land to John Marrs 
and removed to Iowa. His first wife died about 
1832, and he afterwards married Mrs. Matlack, 
widow of the Matlack who was killed by S. K. 
Barlow, as noticed in the sketch of the latter. Mr. 
Thompson raised a large family of children, all of 
whom moved West with him, except Naomah (wife 
of Eli Sulgrove) and Sarah (wife of Calvin Mat- 
thews). 

Demas L. McFarland came from Washington 
County, Pa., to Marion County in February, 1822, 
and located in Decatur township. In 1829 he was 
assessed on the northeast quarter of section 30, 
township 15, range 3, but afterwards was the owner 
of other lands. He was an earnest, energetic, and 
public-spirited man ; always " kept up his end of the 
handspike" at the neighborhood log-rollings and house- 
raisings, and did his full share in contributing to all 
enterprises for the public good. He was a colonel in 
the militia as long as that system and organization 
was kept up. He died in 1869, in the seventy-ninth 
year of his age, leaving one son, Abel, who has been 
for many years a resident of California, and three 
daughters, — Charlotte and Laura, of Indianapolis, 
and Anne, who is the wife of Dr. Duzon, and who 
with her husband and family occupied the old home- 
stead of her father in Decatur. Near the dwelling is a 
noted and excellent spring, which doubtless influenced 
Mr. McFarland in the location of his home. 

Reason Reagan, who was one of the early settlers 
in Decatur, located on the northwest quarter of sec- 
tion 9, township 15, range 2, where he cleared up a 
good farm, but sold it many years ago, and spent the 
later years of his life in Mooresville, Morgan Co. 
He was the father of Dr. Amos Reagan, of Moores- 
ville, Dr. Lott Reagan (deceased), of Bridgeport, and 
Noah Reagan, a well-known stock-raiser and auction- 
eer, now dead. 



Joseph Mendenhall, a native of North Carolina, 
came from Ohio to Decatur in 1822, and settled near 
where West Newton now is. In 1829 he was as- 
sessed on lands, the southwest quarter of section 23, 
township 14, range 2. He died in 1868, at the age 
of eighty-two years. Two of his sons (Eli and Atha) 
and four daughters live in the township, also one 
daughter in Kansas. 

Richard Mendenhall, brother of Joseph, came to 
Decatur in 1823. His lands are described in the as- 
sessment-roll of 1829 as the northeast quarter of 
section 22, township 14, range 2. He moved in 
about 1852 to Iowa, where he died in 1868, in his 
eighty-fourth year. His widow is (or was very re- 
cently) living at near one hundred years of age. One 
son, William, lives near West Newton village; the 
rest of the family made their homes in Iowa. 

John McCreery came to this township from Ohio 
in 1826 or 1827, and located on the west half of the 
northeast quarter of section 26, township 15, range 
2, as shown by the township assessment-roll of 
1829. 

He was a pioneer member of the Bethel Methodist 
Church (better known as the McCreery Church), and 
an earnest, upright. Christian man. His house was 
the usual headquarters for preachers and strangers 
visiting or exploring this region, and all were hospit- 
ably entertained. He died in 1879, in his eighty- 
seventh year, leaving a sod, Noah, who has been sev- 
eral times elected township trustee, though differing 
in politics from a majority of the electors, a fact 
which plainly shows the confidence which his fellow- 
townsmen repose in his integrity, judgment, and im- 
partiality. A daughter (Amanda) of John McCreery 
is the wife of John Hoffman, and lives at the old 
homestead. 

Daniel McCreery came to this township at the same 
time with his brother John. He also was a pioneer 
member of the Bethel Methodist Church. He was 
killed by his horse running away with him in a spring 
wagon July 4, 1863. He was about seventy-five 
years of age at his death. 

Asahel Dollarhide came from North Carolina to 
Marion County, Ind., and settled in Decatur town- 
ship in 1821 or 1822. He was an upright, honest 



DECATUR TOWNSHIP. 



513 



man, and an early member of Liberty Church. He 
died about 1840, at the age of eighty-three years. 

Edmund Dollarliide was the youngest son of Asahel 
DoUarhide, and lived with his father, near where the- 
Spring Valley gravel road crosses DoUarhide Creek, 
the homestead now occupied by his granddaughter, 
Mrs. Dewees. Edmund DoUarhide was rather a pe- 
culiar character, a little too fond of whiskey to pass 
for a strict temperance man. For a long time his 
business was that of a teamster, Iiauling produce to 
and goods from the principal points on the Ohio River 
for Indianapolis merchants. He usually drove .six 
horses attached to an old-fashioned Conestoga wagon ; 
almost always returning home from Indianapolis late 
in the evening with his horses in a fast trot (some- 
times on the gallop), he sitting in his saddle on the 
nigh wheel-horse, and clinging with one hand to 
his mane, the chains of the wagon making a clatter 
that could be heard for miles in the stillness of the 
night. He seemed at such times to entirely abandon 
all attempt to guide his team by the lines, and to sur- 
render all responsibility to the lead-horse, which he 
named " Farmer," a noble chestnut sorrel, who seemed 
endowed with something higher than mere brute in- 
stinct, and always brought team, wagon, and man 
home in safety. Edmund DoUarhide died in Feb- 
ruary, 1862. He had two sons, one of whom died 
several years before his father ; the other migrated 
West. His only daughter married Ira N. Holmes, 
and now lives with her husband at Winfield,' Kansas. 

David Kime, one of the very early settlers in 
Decatur, located on the east half of section 24, town- 
ship 14, range 2. He was a quiet and unobtrusive, 
but honest and honorable man, one of the original 
members of Liberty Church. He died in 1873, 
nearly eighty years of age. He had two sons, 
Michael and Alfred, who removed to the Platte Pur- 
chase about 1840. His daughter is the wife of Isaac 
B. Dewees, Esq. 

The following-named persons, early settlers in 
Decatur, were resident tax-payers in the township in 
1829. The description of their lands, given after 
the name of each, respectivelj', is taken from the 
township assessment-roll of that year, viz. : 

Joseph Allen, the west half of the northeast quar- 



ter of section 9, township 14, range 2. Mr. Allen 
was a native of North Carolina, and came to this 
county in 1826. He was the father of ex-County 
Commissioner Moses Allen, a prominent farmer and 
stock-raiser ; of Dr. W. Allen, the well-known and 
popular physician of West Newton ; of Preston 
Allen, deceased ; and of Joseph Allen, a leading 
farmer and dealer in stock, who owns and occupies 
the homestead farm of his father in Decatur. 

Christopher Ault and Henry Ault, no real estate 
assessment in 1829. They came from Ohio. Henry 
(son of Christopher) removed to Hancock County, 
and was killed on a railway track in the winter of 
1880. 

William Boles, the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 25, township 15, range 2. He 
came from Ohio to Decatur, and removed thence to 
Huntingdon County about 1835. 

Thomas Barnet, no real estate asisessment in 1829. 
He was a native of North Carolina ; came to Decatur 
in 1827, and died in 1839. He was the father of 
Jesse, William, and James Barnet. All were mem- 
bers of the Society of Friends. Jesse is now living 
in Iowa. Thomas also emigrated to Iowa. James 
died in 1868. Athanasius Barnet died in Iowa. 

William Bierman, no real estate assessment in 
1829. He was a brother-in-law of John Thompson. 
He had much sickness in his family, and did not 
remain long in Decatur. 

Benjamin Cuddington, the southwest quarter of 
section 29, township 15, range 3. He came from 
New York State in 1824, and died in 1830. Most 
of his family left the county soon afterwards, and 
all are now dead. 

John Cook, no assessment on lands in 1829. He 
was from North Carolina, a member of the Society 
of Friends, and emigrated to Iowa about 1842. 

Seth Curtis, tract of one hundred and forty acres 
on section 18, township 14, range 3. He came 
from Kentucky, and moved from Decatur to Boone 
County. 

Aaron Coppock, no real estate assessment in 1829. 
He died in 1840. 

James Curtis, tract of one hundred and forty-seven 
acres on section 18, township 14, range 3. He was 



514 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



a Kentuckian. Moved from Decatur in 1845 to 
Holt County, Mo. Died at the age of eighty-four 
years. 

Uriah Carson, no real estate assessed to him in 
1829. He was a Quaker from North Carolina. 
Died in 1860. 

Dennis Cox, assessed on no property in 1829, 
except one horse and a silver watch. He was from 
North Carolina, and married the youngest daughter 
of Asahel Dollarhide. He is now living near 
Augusta. 

Joshua Compton, assessed in 1829 on one horse, 
two oxen, and one silver watch. He was a Quaker 
from Ohio. Died in 1841. 

John Cowgill, part of the northwest quarter of 
section 23, township 14, range 2. He was a tanner, 
and had a tan-yard on his farm. 

Grimes Dryden, part of the northwest quarter of 
section 18, township 14, range 3. He came from 
Kentucky, and moved from Decatur to Atchison, Mo., 
about 1843. 

James Dryden, the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 12, township 14, range 3. He 
came from Kentucky, and afterwards returned to that 
State. 

James Epperson, the northeast quarter of section 
33, township 15, range 2. He was a justice of the 
peace. Died in 1833. 

Abel Gibson, no real estate assessment in 1829. 
He was a blacksmith and axe-maker. He removed 
to Hamilton County, and died in 1880, at the age of 
eighty-seven years. While in Decatur he was in- 
terested in a wagon-shop with Abidan Bailey, who 
was a wagon-maker by trade. Joseph Gibson was a 
son of Abel. 

Emanuel Glimpse, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 33, township 15, range 3. Lands 
located in what is now a part of Perry township. 

Andrew Hoover, Jr., the southeast quarter of 
section 9, township 14, range 3. Lands east of 
White River, now Perry township. 

David Hinkston, the southwest quarter of section 
36, township 15, range 2. East of river in what is 
now Perry township. 

Isaac Hawkins, the southwest quarter of section 



36, township 15, range 2. He was from North 
Carolina, and a member of the Society of Friends. 
He left the township about 1833. 

George Hayworth, no real estate in 1829. He 
was a Quaker from North Carolina. Came to the 
township in 1825. Died about 1875. 

James Horton, no real estate in 1829. He came 
to the township in 1824. Died about 1850. His 
son James removed recently to Arkansas. 

Henry Hobbs, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 23, township 14, range 2. He 
removed to Tipton County. 

Frederick Hartzell, no lands in 1829. He came 
from Ohio. Removed from Decatur to Iowa. Died 
about 1850. 

Peter Hoffman, no lands in 1829. He came from 
Ohio, and settled in the Bethel neighborhood in 1826. 
Died in 1840, at ninety years of age. 

Jesse Hawkins, the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 28, township 15, range 2. He 
came from Carolina in 1825 or 1826. Died about 
1858. 

Mark Harris (colored), the west half of the south- 
east quarter of section 21, township 14, range 3. 

Parker Keeler, the east half of the northeast quar- 
ter of section 36, township 15, range 2. He was a 
Virginian by birth, moved thence to Ohio, thence to 
Decatur township. He was one of the pioneer mem- 
bers of the Bethel Methodist Church. 

Noah Kellum, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 33, township 15, range 2. He 
was a Quaker from North Carolina, came to Decatur 
in 1824, but was only a temporary resident. 

John Kenworthy, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 36, township 15, range 2. He 
was from North Carolina, a member of the Society 
of Friends, and father of William and John, Jr. 
The latter moved to Iowa and thence to Texas. 

John, Henry, and Larkin Munday, John and 
Henry Myers, and James Martin were emigrants 
from Kentucky, who came here before 1829 and 
settled east of White River in that part of Decatur 
which was afterwards joined to Perry township. 

Alexander Mendenhall, no lands in 1829. He re- 
moved to Hamilton County, where he died in 1882. 



DECATUR TOWNSHIP. 



515 



Charles Merritt, no real estate in 1829. He re- 
moved to Iowa many years ago. 

Joseph Nunn, the southwest quarter of section 33, 
township 15, range 3. He left the township and 
moved West. 

Frederick Price, no real estate in 1829. He came 
from Butler County, Ohio, and removed from Deca- 
tur to Arkansas. 

John Rozier, the east half of the northwest quarter 
of section 29, township 15, range 2 ; land now owned 
by Martin Seerly. Rozier came from Ohio to Deca- 
tur in 1826. George Rozier, son of Adam Rozier, is 
now living in Morgan County. 

John Sulgrove, the northwest quarter of section 
28, township 15, range 3. His brother James had 
the south part of the southwest quarter and their 
brother Edward the remainder of the section, two 
hundred and twenty-three acres. Eli Sulgrove, an- 
other brother, had the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 32 of the same township. The 
family came from Ohio. Edward, the eldest, never 
married. Eli moved to Iowa about 1856. Jacob 
Sulgrove, son of James, is named in the assessment 
of 1829, but paid a poll-tax only. 

Jacob Sutherland, part of the southwest quarter of 
section 33, township 15, range 3. His wife was a 
daughter of one of the Sulgroves. 

Anthony Sells, no real estate in 1829, but after- 
wards owned lands now embraced in the farm of A. 
C. Remy. Sells was unmarried, and removed West 
about 1836. 

James Thompson, son of John Thompson, had no 
land in 1829. He moved from Decatur to the West. 

James Vorice (Voorhes?) owned no land, but lived 
in a cabin on the farm of Jesse Wright. 

John Wilson, the northeast quarter of section 22, 
township 14, range 2. He was afterwards the owner 
of part of section 23. His lands south of the village 
of West Newton are now owned by J. R. George. 
He was a member of the Society of Friends, and re- 
moved to Iowa about 1846. He died about 1879 at 
a very advanced age. 

Edward Wright, no lands in 1829. He came 
from Ohio to Decatur, and moved thence to Missouri 
about 1835. He was the father of Henry Wright 



and of Peter N. Wright, who has been for several 
years superintendent of the Marion County poor 
farm. 

John Dollarhide, the south half of the southeast 
quarter of section 24, township 14, range 2. He 
also owned part or all of the southwest quarter of 
section 19, township 14, range 3. His homestead 
is now owned and occupied by his daughter, Mrs. 
Sawyer, and her husband. John Dollarhide died in 
the winter of 1832. 

Absalom Dollarhide, a tract of eighty acres not 
clearly described in assessment-roll of 1829. The 
land on which he settled is now owned by William 
Boatright. Mr. Dollarhide moved to Illinois about 
1834. 

Zimri Brown, no real estate assessed to him in 
1829. He came from North Carolina, and married 
a daughter of Asahel Dollarhide. He removed from 
Decatur township to Hamilton County. 

Villages. — The most important village in the 
township is that of West Newton, which was laid 
out by Christopher Furnas in April, 1851. Its loca- 
tion is in the south part of the township and south 
of the Vincennes Railroad. It has two churches 
(Friends and Methodist), a fine two-story school- 
house, a graded school, two physicians, a post-office, 
two general stores, two blacksmith- and one wagon- 
maker's shop, one undertaker's shop, one saw-mill, 
and the railway station of the Vincennes line. 

West Newton Lodge, No. 452, F. and A. M., was 
chartered May 27, 1873. Philip McNabb, W. M. ; 
Jeremiah R. George, S. W. ; Jesse A. Reynolds, J. 
W. The names of the present officers have not been 
obtained, though asked for. The lodge is in a flour- 
ishing condition. 

Valley Mills village, previously called Fremont, 
and also Northport, was laid out as Fremont by Joe 
Sanders in 1856, and laid out and platted under the 
name of Northport, March 21, 1839; is located a 
little north of the centre of the township, on the 
Vincennes Railroad. It has a Friends' meeting- 
house, and another of the Hicksite branch of the 
same society, one commodious school-house of four 
rooms, a graded school, post-office, one physician, 
one general store, one grocery, a blacksmith- and 



516 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



wagon-maker's shop, a saw-mill, and railroad station. 
On the northeast, adjoining the village, is the fine 
nursery and fruit farm of the Hon. John Furnas. 

The village or town of Spring Valley was laid out 
on the northwest quarter of section 10, township 15, 
range 3, by Stephen Ward, in 1848 (plat recorded 
January 4th of that year). Quite an extensive store 
was opened, with a full stock of goods, a building 
was erected for a hotel, a blacksmith-shop and a 
wagon-shop were started, and several dwellings were 
built and occupied by families, a physician located 
there, and a post-office was established. The town 
flourished well for a time, but the rivalry of Fremont 
and West Newton caused it to decline. The original 
projector sold out his landed interest, and the mer- 
chant became discouraged and left the place, as did 
also the physician, when it became apparent that the 
village and vicinity could not support him. Finally 
the place was abandoned by all who felt any interest 
in its prosperity or existence. The buildings were 
dismantled, and the material removed to other places, 
and Spring Valley was left with its name, but with 
not enough of the marks of a town to lead a stranger 
to suspect that one had ever existed there. A public 
school-house is still there, but there has been no post- 
office or postmaster for Spring Valley for several 
years. 

Mills and Distilleries, — The first and only grist- 
mill in Decatur was built by James A. Marrs and 
Ira N. Holmes in 1854, at the southwest corner of 
the southwest quarter of section 36, township 15, 
range 2. It was a steam mill, with two boilers, two 
engines, and three run of burrs, — two for wheat and 
one for corn, with a capacity for making one hun- 
dred barrels of flour in twenty-four hours. It did 
both custom and merchant work. Holmes sold out 
his interest to Marrs before the mill was finished. 
Marrs completed it, and ran it until his death, 
which occurred in October, 1857. His adminis- 
trator kept it in operation for some years afterwards, 
but it was found unprofitable, because the distance 
from market or a shipping-place rendered the ex- 
pense of hauling too great. The mill was then sold 
to Fielding Beeler and Calvin Fletcher, and removed 
by them to what is now Maywood. There it was re- 



built, a saw-mill and new machinery added, and all 
was operated vigorously till the spring of 1873 (Mr. 
Beeler being the superintending partner), when it 
was sold to other parties, but was not successfully 
conducted, and finally the business was abandoned. 
The machinery has since been sold and the building 
dismantled. 

The first saw-mill in Decatur was built about 1834 
by Reuben Jessup, on Dollarhide Creek, on land now 
owned by Isaiah George. The creek afforded water 
enough to run the mill only during the wet season of 
the year, but by gathering a head of water in the 
pond it was able to do the necessary sawing of 
lumber for the neighborhood. The mill was sold by 
Jessup to Joseph Beeler, who ran it some three 
years, then sold the machinery to Noah Sinks, who 
erected a dam, race, and building lower down the 
creek (near where it enters White River), on land 
now owned by ex-County Commissioner A. C. Remy, 
and moved the machinery of the mill to the new 
site. Mr. Sinks was a good millwright, and his new 
mill was well constructed and put in excellent order, 
but in consequence of the leakage of an aqueduct, 
which was necessary to carry the water at some 
height over the bed of the creek, the mill was unable 
to run with even as much success as it did on the old 
site. 

The only distillery in the township of which any 
information has been gained was started by Stephen 
Ward in 1857, on the old Eli Sulgrove farm, now 
owned by the heirs of the late Jeremiah Mansur. Its 
capacity was about twenty barrels of whiskey per day, 
but it was not successful, and was soon abandoned. 

Schools, — The first school in Decatur township 
was taught in the winter of 1824-25, by Samuel 
Wick, brother of Judge W. W. Wick, in one of the 
cabins of Col. D, L. McFarland. In the fall of 1825 
a cabin was built for school purposes on the land of 
Jesse Wright, near its north line, and near the present 
crossing of the Martin Seerly gravel road and the 
Vincennes Railroad. In that cabin a school was 
taught by Joseph Fassett, the earliest Baptist min- 
ister of this section of country. It has not been 
ascertained that any other person than he ever taught 
in the cabin referred to. 



DECATUR TOWNSHIP. 



517 



In 1826 or 1827 a house was built on the land of 
John Thompson for school and church purposes, and 
was called Liberty school-house and Liberty Church. 
It was quite a pretentious structure for those days, 
being of hewed logs with a loft of clapboards. The 
west end was furnished with logs, hewed flat on the 
upper side, and extending across the building, in- 
tended for seating the men at meeting. When school 
was taught in the room these same logs furnished 
seats for the children, the feet of the smaller ones 
hanging several inches above the floor. The east end 
of the building had a fireplace, with jambs built up 
of clay, which after two or three years gave place to 
brick. The fireplace communicated with a " stick" 
chimney on the outside of the building. The seats 
in the east end were benches made of puncheons, 
with legs fastened in auger-holes on the under side. 
It was soon found that the fireplace was insufficient 
to keep the room warm enough for even tolerable 
comfort, and an old-fashioned box, or " six-plate" stove 
was put in, it being the first of the kind ever seen in 
this part of the country. It was hauled from Cin- 
cinnati by Daniel Closser, one of the Vanderbilts of 
those times, whose transportation line ran over a road 
of mud and corduroy, and whose car was a wagon, 
having a bed crooked up at each end like sled-run- 
ners, boxes in the sides, feed-box at the back end, all 
heavily ironed from end to end, with two heavy lock- 
chains, one on each side, rattling in concert with the 
, bells on the harness of the four or six horses which 
furnished the motive power. 

A house for school purposes was built on land of 
Absalom DoUarhide, occupying almost the exact spot 
on which now stands the residence of William Boat- 
right. This house was of round logs, two of which 
were halved out at the sides and one end for win- 
dows. In these openings split pieces of wood were 
placed perpendicularly at the proper distances for 
sashes, and greased paper stretched over them instead 
of glass. The floor and seats were made of puncheons 
(split logs), with the roughest splinters dressed oif 
with an axe. It had no chimney but a hole left at 
the comb of the roof for the smoke to pass out. 
There was no fireplace but a few stones built against 
the logs and plastered with clay, and no hearth but 



the bare ground. A stick of wood nearly as long as 
the width of the house was laid on the fire, and when 
it burned in two the ends were chunked together 
again. Another house, of the same description as 
this, was built south of the present village of West 
Newton, and near the south line of the township. 
The first teacher in this was Benjamin Puoket. An- 
other house was built a year or two later at the south- 
west corner of Parker Keeler's land, about a quarter 
of a mile west of the first site of Bethel meeting- 
house (where the cemetery is located). Another 
school-house was built and maintained for many years 
by citizens of the Society of Friends, near the site of 
their Beech Grove meeting-house. This was inde- 
pendent of the public school organization or school 
funds, and was for many years a very prosperous 
school, attended by several pupils who have since 
attained prominence in the educational institutions of 
the county. Among these was Mr. Mills, who was 
for many years assistant superintendent of the public 
schools of the city of Indianapolis. A fine and com- 
modious school -house is now located about a quarter 
of a mile east of the site of this old house, and in it 
a very well conducted and successful graded school is 
maintained under the general school system, the old 
organization having been abandoned. The house 
stands in a pretty grove, a few rods southeast of Val- 
ley Mills railroad station. There was also a school- 
house built, and a school maintained, by the Friends 
near the Beech Grove meeting-house. This has given 
place to a spacious two-story frame school-house, in 
which a prosperous school is maintained under the 
present public school system. 

Decatur township has now six school districts, and 
the same number of school-houses (four frame, and 
two of brick). Schools are taught in all the houses, 
and there are graded schools in two of the districts. 
In 1883, ten teachers were employed (three male and 
seven female). Six teachers' institutes were held in 
the township during the year. The average total daily 
attendance was 244 ; whole number of children ad- 
mitted to the schools, 400 ; average length of school 
terms in the township in 1883, 160 days ; valuation 
of school-houses and grounds, $16,000. 

Clmrches. — The earliest church organization in 



518 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAEION COUNTY. 



Decatur township was that of the Baptist denomina- 
tion, called Liberty Church, which was organized at 
a meeting convened for that purpose at the house of 
John Thompson, on the 8th of July, 1826, Joseph 
Fassett, moderator, and Samuel McCormick, clerk of 
the meeting. The members of this first organization 
were John Thompson and Nancy his wife, John Dol- 
larhide, Elisha Smith, George Stevens, Jane Beeler 
(grandmother of Fielding Beeler, Esq., now of Wayne 
township), Nancy McFarland (wife of Col. Demas 
L. McFarland), Martha Sutherland, Mary Spickel- 
moir, Rachel Dollarhide, Phebe Spickelmoir, Rebecca 
Smith, and Rosanna Shoemaker. Meetings for relig- 
ious worship had previously been held by these people 
at the house of John Thompson ; and after the or- 
ganization they were held at the same place regularly 
every month, the preachers being Joseph Fassett, 
William Irwin, and John Butterfield. On the second 
Saturday in October, 1827, a meeting was held for 
the first time in the house which had been erected 
for both church and school purposes (as has been 
mentioned in the account of the schools of the town- 
ship). The record mentions the presence on this 
occasion of ministers Irwin, Fassett, Butterfield, and 
Cotton ; also, that a sister from Massachusetts (name 
not given) preached to the congregation present. 
When no regular minister was present the services 
were often conducted by John Thompson as long as 
he remained a resident of the neighborhood, up to 
about 1837. When the split in the Baptist Church 
occurred, as cau.sed by the teachings of Alexander 
Campbell, Liberty Church enrolled itself under his 
leadership. John Thompson and other leading mem- 
bers having removed from the county (and from 
other causes), Liberty Church ceased to exist as an 
organization ; no regular services were held after the 
year 1841, and the church building was allowed to 
fall into disuse and decay. 

The next religious organization after Liberty 
Church was that of the Friends worshiping at the 
Easton meeting-house at West Newton. It dates 
from the year 1827, and was from the start, and still 
is, a well-maintained religious organization. The first 
minister or preacher was Benjamin Pucket, who died 
in 1829 or 1830, and was the second person interred 



in the burial-ground connected with the meeting- 
house. 

The third church of the township was Bethel 
(Methodist Episcopal), known to the worldly-minded 
of those early days as " Brimstone Church," from the 
preaching of one of its early ministers named Beck, 
whose principal theme was " fire and brimstone." The 
Rev. James Havens, noted in the early annals of 
Methodism in this State, was also one of the earliest 
preachers at Bethel. This organization is still in 
active and prosperous life. Its old log church has 
given place to a neat frame building, and though the 
McCreerys and others of its original pillars have 
passed away, their descendants and the new-comers 
have taken up and continued its work. 

Lick Branch Meeting of the Friends was organized 
and a log meeting-house erected about 1830. The 
old log structure was superseded by a frame house 
which is still standing, but the organization ceased to 
exist many years ago. 

Beech Grove (Friends) Church was also organized 
and a meeting-house erected about 1830. The or- 
ganization still exists and is prosperous. A new 
building, has been erected near the site of the old one, 
which is a few rods west of Valley Mills Station of 
the Indianapolis and Vincennes Railroad. 

The Centre, or " Starbuck" Church of the Friends 
was organized about the year 1850. Its location is 
on the west line of Decatur, against Hendricks 
County, where many of its principal members reside. , 

The Mount Pleasant Baptist Church building — a 
frame structure, erected about 1860 — is located a short 
distance west of the residence of ex-County Com- 
missioner A. C. Remy. Before the building of the 
church, services were held in the vicinity, the first 
minister who served the small congregation being the 
Rev. Mr. McCray. Prom the erection of the church 
to the present time, preaching has been held (gen- 
erally monthly) with considerable regularity, though 
there is now no church organization, and the people 
who gather for worship at Mount Pleasant, having 
no regular pastor, depend on services by ministers 
from other places, among the principal of whom is 
the Rev. Mr. Maybee, of Indianapolis. 

Burial-Groimds. — Near Liberty Church, at the 



FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



519 



northeast corner of the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 29, township 15, range 3, is a free 
public burial-place, the land for which was donated 
by John Thompson. The first person buried in it 
was Elizabeth Thompson, in 1828 or 1829. 

The Bethel graveyard is adjoining the first site 
of Bethel Church, near the northeast corner of the 
west half of section 26, range 2. 

Adjoining the site of the old Easton Friends' 
meeting-house at West Newton is a free burial- 
ground, in which the first interment was that of a 
child of Thomas Barnet, in 1828. The second burial 
in it was that of Benjamin Packet, who died in 1829 
or 1830. He was the first school-teacher and first 
preacher at the Easton Friends' meetiog. 

On the river bluflf, on land of Elijah Wilson, near 
the east end of the south half of section 18, township 
15, range 3, is an old burial-ground in which lie the 
remains of several of the early settlers of the neighbor- 
hood and some of later date, with a considerable num- 
ber of children. Burials have been free, but the 
ground has never been deeded or formally dedicated 
to its sacred use, and it is now nearly abandoned as a 
place of interment. 

There is a small burial-ground on the land formerly 
owned by Joseph Beeler, on the Spring Valley 
gravel road. The first burial in it was that of a 
child of Joseph Beeler, in October, 1826. It also 
contains the graves of Mr. Beeler, his mother, his 
brother Thomas, and several other members of his 
family, and those of several of his neighbors and 
friends. Burials have always been free in this 
ground, though it was never formally consecrated. 

There is a graveyard attached to the Centre, or 
" Starbuck'' Friends' meeting-house grounds, on the 
west line of the township ; another at Lick Branch 
(Friends) Church, and another at the Mount Pleasant 
Baptist Church. There are also several places in 
the township where from one to four or five graves 
have been made together on private lands, but which 
are not regarded as public burial-grounds, and in 
some cases all traces of the graves are obliterated. 



CHAPTER XXIL 

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.! 

Tbe township of Franklin lies in the southeast 
corner of Marion County, being bounded on the 
north and west respectively by the townships of 
Warren and Perry, on the south by Johnson 
County, and on the east by the counties of Shelby 
and Hancock. The township is traversed diagonally 
from southeast to northwest by the line of the Cin- 
cinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago Rail- 
way. The principal stream is Buck Creek, which 
enters the township across its north line a short dis- 
tance west of its northeastern corner, flows through 
the eastern part of Franklin in a general southward 
direction, nearly parallel with the eastern line, and 
leaves the township at a point near its southeastern 
corner, joining its waters with those of Big Sugar 
Creek in Shelby County. Wild Cat and Indian 
Creeks, Big Run, and several smaller streams are 
tributaries of Buck Creek which flow in a south- 
eastwardly direction through Franklin township to 
their junctions with the main stream. Another 
stream, which also bears the name of Buck Creek 
(sometimes called Little Buck Creek), and is a 
tributary to White River, flows from its sources in 
Franklin southwestwardly into Perry township. 
The surface of Franklin township is, like that of 
other parts of the county, nearly level in some parts, 
in others rolling, and in some parts hilly. The soil 
is, in general, excellent, well adapted to most of the 
purposes of agriculture, and the farmers working it 
are well rewarded for the labor they bestow upon 
it. The total population of the township in 1880 
was two thousand six hundred and nine, as shown 
by the returns of the United States census of that 
year. 

Franklin was laid off and erected a township of 
Marion County by the board of county commissioners 
on the 16th of April, 1822, and on the same day, 
and by the same authority, Decatur, Perry, and 
Franklin were (because none of the three were then 
sufficiently populated for separate organization) joined 
together as one township. This union of the three 



1 By T. J. MoCoUum, Esq. 



520 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



townships continued until the 1 2th of August, 1823, 
when Decatur was made separate and independent 
by order of the commissioners. Then Perry and 
Franklin remained joined together as one until May 
12, 1824, when, upon petition, and it being made to 
appear to the commissioners that Perry and Franklin 
had each a sufficient number of inhabitants for 
separate organization, the board ordered that Frank- 
lin be taken from Perry, and that an election be held 
on the 19th of June following, at the house of 
William Rector, for the purpose of electing a justice 
of the peace, John Ferguson to be inspector of the 
said election. 

Following is a list of township officers of Franklin 
from its erection to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
Peter Harmonson, June 28, 1822, to June 6, 1827 (for Perry, 

Deoatur, and Franklin, until their separation). 
Henry D. Bell, Jan. 3, 1824, to Oct. 6, 1827. 
James Greer, Oct. 27, 1823, to Oct. 22, 1832. 
Marine D. West, Aug. 24, 1829, to May, 1831 ; removed. 
Isaac Baylor, Aug. 10, 1831, to June 24, 1836. 
James Greer, Dec. 24, 1832, to Dec. 24, 1837. 
Benjamin Morgan, April 18, 1836, to April 15, 1846. 
Isaac Baylor, Aug. I, 1836, to Aug. 1, 1841. 
James Clark, Feb. 5, 1838, to Feb. 2, 1843. 
Patrick Catterson, Sept. 20, 1841, to Sept. 20, 1846. 
Ale.iander Carson, March 9, 1843, to March 9, 1848. 
Benjamin Morgan, April 25, 1846, to Aug. 3, 1850 ; resigned. 
Daniel McMullen, Nov. 7, 1846, to Nov. 7, 1851. 
William M. Smith, April 19, 1848, to April 19, 1853. 
William Power, Nov. 23, 1850, to Nov. 23, 1855. 
Daniel McMullen, Nov. 17, 1851, to May 28, 1858; resigned. 
James A.Hodges, April 19, 1853, ta April 5, 1856; resigned. 
William Power, May 5, 1856, to April 19, 1860. 
Thomas J. MoCoUum, July 16, 1858, to July 16, 1862. 
Lewis B. Willsey, April 19, 1860, to April 17, 1864. 
James Morgan, April 18, 1860, to April 16, 1864. 
George W. Morgan, July 16, 1862, to Jan. 29, 1864; resigned. 
Richard L. Upton, April 16, 1864, to Aug. 27, 1864; resigned. 
Jefferson Russell, April 15, 1864, to April 15, 1868. 
John T. Rynearson, April 17, 1864, to April 17, 1868. 
James Hickman, Aug. 24, 1866, to Aug. 24, 1870. 
Lewis B. Willsey, April 17, 1868, to April 17, 1872. 
John T. Phemister, Oct. 25, 1870, to November, 1875 ; died. 
George W. Morgan, Oct. 24, 1874, to November, 1875; died. 
John Wilson, Nov. 22, 1875, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
John Porter, Deo. 30, 1875, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
Lewis B. Willsey, Oct. 25, 1880, to Oct. 25, 1884. 
John H. Peggs, Oct. 25, 1880, to Oct. 25, 1884. 



TRUSTEES. 
John H. Randsdell, April 7, 1859, to April 16, 1863. 
James A. Ferguson, April 16, 1863, to April 14, 1865. 
Waller M. Benson, April 14, 1865, to April 20, 1868. 
James L. Thompson, April 20, 1868, to Oct. 26, 1874. 
Hiram H. Hall, Oct. 26, 1874, to April 8, 1878. 
James L. Thompson, April 8, 1878, to April 19, 1880. 
R. C. M. Smith, April 19, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 
John Wilson, April 14, 1882, for two years. 

ASSESSOES. 
George L. Kinnard, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 7, 1828. 
William Rector, Jan. 7, 1828, to Jan. 5, 1829. 
John Bellis, Jan. 5, 1829, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
Ahira Wells, Jan. 2, 1832, to Jan. 7, 1833. 
John Bellis, Jan. 7, 1833, to May 5, 1835. 
John H. Messinger, May 5, 1835, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
Benjamin Morgan, Jan. 4, 1836, to March 7, 1836. 
William Townsend, March 7, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
Benjamin Morgan, Jan. 2, 1837, to Deo. 6, 1841. 
Bernard Leachman, Deo. 16, 1852, to Nov. 13, 1858. 
James Morgan, Nov. 13, 1858, to Oct. 18, 1860. 
Joseph S. Carson, Oct. IS, 1860, to Oct. 30, 1862. 
Hiram H. Hall, Oct. 30, 1862, to Oct. 21, 1872. 
Richard C. M. Smith, Oct. 21, 1872, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Richard C. M. Smith, March 18, 1875, to April 14, 1880. 
James H. Gibson, April 14, 1880, to April 14) 1882. 
Joseph N. Cunningham, April 14, 1882, to April 14, 1884. 

The old Michigan road, traversing the territory 
of Franklin township diagonally in a northwesterly 
direction, had been cut out and underbrushed 
(but not graded or grubbed) through a great part of 
this region as early as 1820, and it was over the route 
of that road that many of the pioneers came to Marion 
County. The first settlements within what is now 
Franklin township were made by people who came 
over this old thoroughfare and located not far from 
its line, in the east and southeast parts of the present 
township, along the valley of Buck Creek. 

It is believed (though the fact cannot now be 
established by absolute proof) that the first white 
settler within the present boundaries of Franklin 
township was William Rector, who came here from 
Ohio in the year 1820, and built his cabin on lands 
bordering Buck Creek. It was at his house that the 
first election of the township was held (as before 
mentioned) on the 19th of June, 1824. On the 
earliest assessment-roll of the township which can 
now be found (that of the year 1829) the name of 



FKANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



521 



William Eector appears assessed on one hundred and 
sixty acres of land, the northeast quarter of section 
10, township 14, range 5 ; also on two oxen and 
three horses. He was an extensive dealer (for those 
times) in hogs, of which he drove large numbers to 
Lawrenceburg and Cincinnati. Mr. Rector was a 
prominent man in the Methodist Church, and was a 
member and leader of the first class of that denomina- 
tion in the township, which was organized at his house 
in 1827. He had three sons and several daughters. 
Having remained an inhabitant of Franklin township 
for more than a quarter of a century, he, about 1848, 
sold out his possessions here and removed with his 
family to Iowa. One of his sons afterwards returned 
to Franklin township and married a daughter of Isaac 
Baylor, one of the pioneers of this region. 

Maj. John Belles (who received his title from ser- 
vice in that grade in the war of 1812) came from 
Scott County, Ky., in 1820, and first stopped on the 
Bradley farm, just south of the city of Indianapolis, 
where he remained two years, during which time his 
wife died, leaving him with a family of five sons and 
three daughters. In 1822 he moved into Franklin 
township, and settled on the line of the old Michigan 
road, near where it crosses the line dividing the town- 
ships of Franklin and Warren. The land on which 
he located was still owned by the government, and he 
did not become a purchaser until a number of years 
later. At this place he erected his first dwelling, 
which was constructed of rails, with a wagon cover 
hung up in front for a door. His third son, Caleb, 
was at this time twelve years old, and the cooking and 
household duties fell on him for a few years, until his 
father married a widow by the name of Snell, who 
was a sister of Dr. John Sanders and William Sanders, 
of Indianapolis. He erected a more comfortable house 
in which to live after his marriage, and commenced 
keeping a tavern. 

When Maj. Belles settled in Franklin township 
his nearest neighbor was a man named Doyle, who 
lived midway between Indianapolis and the Belles 
tavern stand, which was six miles southeast from the 
town. This tavern was a very popular one with the 
traveling public, and there was always an extra effort 
made by travelers to reach it for lodging at night. 



After the capital of the State was moved to Indian- 
apolis the representatives and senators from the 
southeast part of the State made it a point to stop 
with the major on their way to and from the General 
Assembly. Maj. Belles continued to keep this tavern 
until his death in 1838. His son Caleb settled on 
the school section in 1838. His wife was Lewis 
O'Neal's daughter Mary, to whom he was married in 
1836. The farm of Maj. John Belles was bought 
by William Morrison, after which it passed through 
other hands, and is now owned and occupied by 
William Sloan. 

Although the first settlements in Franklin were 
among the very earliest made in Marion County, and 
although within four years from the time when the 
pioneer, William Rector, built his lonely cabin in the 
solitude of the Buck Creek Valley the township had 
become sufficiently populous to entitle it to a separate 
and independent organization, it appears certain that 
the greater part of the people living here at that time 
were but squatters rather than permanent settlers ; 
for, even as late as nine years after the first settle- 
ment, it is shown (by the assessment-roll of 1829) 
that only eight hundred and seventy-five and one- 
half acres of land was assessed to resident owners or 
holders, and only eight hundred acres to non-resident 
owners, leaving more than nine-tenths of the area of 
the township still in possession of the government. 
The roll referred to shows that in the year 1829 
only nine persons, residents in Franklin township, 
were assessed on lands, while those who paid the poll 
tax, but were assessed on no real estate, were thirty- 
nine in number, named as follows, viz. : 



Simeon Adams. 
William Adams. 
William Adair. 
Moses Barker. 
John Belles. 
Robert Brown. 
Benson Cornelius. 
Robert Carthen. 
James Greer. 
William Griffith. 
William Hines. 
Israel Jennings. 



Joshua Jackson. 
Elijah Jackson. 
John Miller. 
George Montgomery. 
George R. McLaughlin. 
James McLain. 
James B. McLain. 



John Messinger, 
Henry Martin. 
Aquilla W. Noe. 
Lewis O'Neal. 
John Perkins. 



1^ 



522 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



James Pool. William P. Smith. 

Thomas Rowes. James Turner. 

John Smither. Josiah B. Toon. 

John Smither, Jr. John Walden. 

Lewis Smither. Marine D. West. 

James Smither. William West. 

Willis Smither. Stephen Yager. 

James Skelly. 

Following are given the names of the resident 
landholders of Franklin township in 1829 (excepting 
William Rector, who has already been mentioned), 
together with a description of the lands on which 
each was assessed, as shown by the assessment-roll, 
viz. : 

John Ferguson, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 28, township 15, range 5, and the 
west half of section 27 in the same township. Mr. 
Ferguson was appointed by the county commission- 
ers inspector of the election held at the house of 
William Rector in June, 1824, which was the first 
election held in Franklin after it became a separate 
and independent township. 

Jeremiah Burnet, the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 3, township 14, range 5. Also 
one horse, two oxen, and a silver watch. 

Thomas Berry, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 3, township 14, range 5. 

Peter Carberry, fifty acres in the west half of the 
southwest quarter of section 15, township 14, range 
5. Carberry came to this township in 1826, and 
settled where the village of Acton now is. 

Jacob Rorick, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 3, township 14, range 5. 

Daniel Smith, the southeast quarter of section 10, 
township 14, range 5. 

George Tibbitts, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 10, township 14, range 5. Mr. 
Tibbitts came here from the south part of the State 
in 1824. He was a tanner by trade, and built a 
tannery on his lands in 1828. In 1845 he sold out 
his property in Franklin township to Samuel Parsley 
and moved to Iowa. 

Daniel Skelly, the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 3, township 14, range 5. 

Reuben Adams came to Franklin township in 



1825, cleared a piece of land, and put in a crop. In 
1826 he brought his family here, and died in the 
same year. He had nine sons and two daughters. 
His daughter Lorinda married James Skelly about 
1830. His son, William Adams, settled on a farm 
which he afterwards sold to John Smither, who sold 
to Samuel McGaughey. It is now occupied by John 
E. McGaughey. 

Lewis O'Neal emigrated from Kentucky in 1825, 
and settled in Franklin township, near New Bethel, 
on one hundred and sixty acres of land which he 
purchased from the government about four years later, 
and which is now owned and occupied by George 
Adams and Isaac Shimer. O'Neal's daughter Mary 
married Caleb Belles Nov. 10, 1836. Richard, son 
of Lewis O'Neal, married Charlotte Tickers. He 
died in Indianapolis. Susan O'Neal married Harvey 
Sebern in 1839. Kitty, another daughter of Lewis 
O'Neal, married Eli Maston and removed to Ken- 
tucky. 

James Pool emigrated from Ohio to Marion 
County, Ind., in 1828, and settled on forty acres of 
land which he afterwards sold to William Faulkner, 
and he to David Brumley. 

Benson Cornelius came to this township in 1827. 
He was assessed on no land in 1829, but he settled 
on an eighty-acre tract, which he sold to Henry 
Childers about 1840. Childers sold to Haven- 
ridge, and he to John Hill, who is the present owner. 

Israel Jennings made his settlement in this town- 
ship in 1827. He was not assessed on any lands in 
1829, but he became the owner of the eighty-acre 
tract on which he settled. About 1840 he sold it to 
Isaac Collins, the present owner. 

John Messinger came from Decatur County, Ind., 
to Franklin township about 1824. He was not a 
land-owner in 1829, but became such immediately 
afterwards, and built on his land the mill known as 
the Messinger mill. In 1840 he sold his property 
in this township and removed to Iowa. 

John Miller came to Franklin township about 

1826, and located on lands which he purchased three 
or four years later. In 1853 he sold out to William 
Miller, who afterwards sold the land to Thomas 
Porteus. 



FKANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



523 



Josiah B. Toon settled in this township in 1828. 
His name appears on the assessment-roll of 1829, but 
he was not at that time assessed on any real estate. 
M. S. Toon came to the township in 1830, and his 
father, John Toon, in 1831. The first wife of M. S. 
Toon was a daughter of James Davis, one of the 
earliest settlers in Warren township. 

Willis Smither (who also married a daughter of 
James Davis, of Warren township) came to Franklin 
township in 1827. The assessment-roll of 1829 
does not show that he was then a land-holder, but 
when he came to the township he took up and settled 
on the land on which he now lives. His brothers 
John and Lewis had come to this township some time 
before him, but neither of their names appear as 
land-holders in 1829. John Smither bought the 
farm of William Adams (son of Reuben Adams), 
and afterwards sold it to Samuel McGaughey. 

William P. Smith settled in this township, near 
New Bethel, in 1826. In 1829 he paid no tax on 
real estate, but was assessed only on one horse and 
one silver watch. Only four other persons in the 
township were the owners of silver watches at the 
time, viz., Jeremiah Burnet, Maj. John Belles, 
George R. McLaughlin, and James B. McLain. Mr. 
Smith was one of the first school-teachers in the 
township. He afterwards became the owner of lands 
which he sold to David Marrs. Marrs sold the farm 
to Knowles Shaw, whose widow still owns and 
occupies it. 

John Leeper came from Dearborn County, Ind., 
about 1832, and settled in this township at the 
" Pigeon Roost," on land now owned and occupied 
by Isaac Golden. Joseph Leeper, son of John, set- 
tled on land now owned and occupied by Oliver 
Holmes. 

Stephen Glasco migrated from Rush County, Ind., 
to this township about 1837, and settled on lands, a 
part of which are now owned by Jonas Hamlyn. A 
part of the Glasco tract passed to the ownership of 
John Maze. 

Richard Hamlyn came from England to America 
with his wife and children in 1849 ; located in Hamil- 
ton County, Ohio, remained there several years, and 
in 1857 came to Franklin township, where he bought 



the farm owned by George Dillender. He died about 
1865. His son Jonas came to this township from 
Franklin County, Ind., in 1860, and bought from 
William Leeper a tract of land which had been first 
located and settled on by Stephen Glasco. John 
Hamlyn, son of Richard and brother of Jonas, mar- 
ried Amanda Clark (half-sister of James Clark) in 
1859, and settled on the farm which his father had 
owned, and on which he (John) still lives. Elizabeth, 
sister of Jonas and John Hamlyn, is the wife of Isaac 
Golden, who owns and lives on the farm on which 
John Leeper settled at the " Pigeon Roost." 

Joseph Wheatley came to this township about 
1830, and located on a farm which had been entered 
by Marine D. West. The farm is still owned by the 
Wheatley family. 

George Eudaly, a native of Virginia, came from 
Kentucky to this township in 1830, and afterwards 
settled on what was known as the Nosseman farm, 
the land of which had been entered by a Mr. Chown- 
ing, and sold to John Nosseman, who came here from 
Virginia. Neither Chowning, Nosseman, or Eudaly 
appear on the assessment-roll of 1829. The land 
which they owned in succession is now owned and 
occupied by Henry Laws. 

William Beckley came to this township from Ken- 
tucky in 1832, and lived for about one year on the 
David Morris farm ; then bought from James Grif- 
fith the farm he now lives on. 

Joseph Perkins came here in an early day, and set- 
tled on and owned the farm where Joseph Clark now 
lives. Alexander Perkins, son of Joseph, married a 
daughter of William Griffy. 

George Hickman was a settler who came from 
Ohio in 1836, and bought a tract of land extending 
from the eastern border of Franklin township across 
the eastern line into Hancock County. It was in 
that county, on the eastern part of his land, that he 
first built his cabin, but he soon afterwards made his 
residence on the west part of his tract in this town- 
ship, where he is now living at the age of sixty-eight 
years. 

Jacob Springer, a carpenter by trade, came from 
Ohio in 1833, and settled on the old Michigan road 
near New Bethel. His two sons, John J. and David, 



524 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



are now living in the township. John J. Springer 
own8 and occupies the land which Bphraim Fray re- 
ceived as his portion of the estate of his father, who 
settled on a tract of one hundred and sixty acres on 
Buck Creek in 1828. The farm of the elder Fray 
was divided between his son Ephraim and his daugh- 
ter, Susan Fray. 

James Clark came here from Jennings County, 
Ind., in February, 1835, and settled on the same 
farm that he now occupies. The land had been 
entered in 1832 or 1833 by John Van Cleve. 

James Turner came from Kentucky in 1828, and 
settled one hundred and sixty acres of land on Little 
Buck Creek, and on the line of the Morgan trace, 
now the Indianapolis and Shelbyville road. 

Nehemiah Smith came from Kentucky in 1830, 
and settled a half-section of land on Little Buck 
Creek. He died about 184u. 

Abraham Hendricks was married in Kentucky in 
1825 to a daughter of Nehemiah Smith. He moved 
to this township in 1830, and settled eighty acres of 
land on Little Buck Creek, and now owns and lives 
on the same, being in the eighty-seventh year of his 
age. 

Nimrod Kemper came from Kentucky in 1832, 
and settled one hundred and sixty acres of land on 
the line of the Morgan trace. He died about 1867. 
Nimrod Par and Nimrod Kemper, his grandchildren, 
now live on his old homestead farm. 

Stephen K. Tucker came from Kentucky in 1834, 
and bought out Hampton Bryan, who then returned 
to Kentucky. Mr. Tucker still lives on the land 
which he bought of Bryan. 

W. W. White came from Kentucky in 1824, with 
his mother and her family, and settled on Lick Creek, 
in Perry township, where he remained until 1833, 
■when he married and moved to this township, and 
settled on the eighty acres of land which he still 
owns and occupies. 

James McLain came from Kentucky in 1828, and 
settled on Little Buck Creek, on one hundred and 
sixty acres of land which he purchased a year or two 
after his settlement. He erected a horse-mill, which 
cracked corn for the neighboring farmers for a num- 
ber of years. After his death his sons James B. 



and John came in possession of his lands, John hav- 
ing the north half, and James B. the south. The 
latter removed West and sold his farm here, which is 
now occupied by Mrs. Wolcott. John McLain died 
in 1872. His son John now lives on the farm. 
Another son, Moses G., served in the Seventieth In- 
diana Volunteer Regiment in the war of the Rebel- 
lion, losing a hand in the service. He is now clerk 
of Marion County. 

George B. Richardson emigrated from Kentucky 
in 1831, and settled eighty acres of land, and re- 
mained on it until 1834, when he moved to New 
Bethel, Franklin township, where he went to work 
at his trade of blacksmith. He remained there until 
1837, when he bought eighty acres of land of Patrick 
Catterson, and remained on it several years, after 
which he sold to Brown, and he to Thomas Schooly, 
who resides there at the present time. G. B. Rich- 
ardson moved back to the land on which he first 
settled, and is still living there. 

Samuel Smith came from Kentucky to Fayette 
County in 1820 with his father. He moved into 
Rush County in 1821, and remained there until 
1834, when he married, and moved to this town- 
ship, and settled on the fractional quarter-section of 
one hundred and fifteen acres where he now resides. 

William Powers came from Kentucky to Rush 
County in 1821, and remained there until 1834, 
when he came to this township and settled eighty 
acres of land, and lived on it until his death, about 
1870. Samuel Smith now owns the land. 

Jacob Mathews came from Ohio in 1833, and set- 
tled on eighty acres, where he lived until his death, 
about 1872. He was the father of Harvey R. 
Mathews, of this township. 

James Tolen came from Ohio in 1833, and settled 
on eighty acres of land, where he lived until his 
death, about 1873. It is now owned by Andrew 
Collins. James Tolen, son of Jacob, settled eighty 
acres adjoining his father's farm, and now lives on 
the same. 

Nathaniel Smith emigrated from Kentucky to 
Rush County in 1821, and came to this township 
in 1834. He was married to a daughter of Patrick 
Catterson, and settled on Little Buck Creek, where 



PEANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



525 



he commeDced a tannery, and carried it on until 
about 1854, when he closed out and removed to 
Brazil, Ind. 

John Graham came from Pennsylvania in 1821, 
and settled on Lick Creek, in Perry township, where 
he died in an early day, leaving a wife, two daugh- 
ters, and four sons, of whom William M. Graham 
was the oldest. He was born in December, 1824; 
was married to Emily Kelley, of Perry township, in 
1848, and moved into Franklin township in 1850, 
and settled on eighty acres of land entered by Patrick 
Catterson in 1833, and sold by him to Charles B. 
Watt in 1834. Graham is now living on the same 
land. 

Ethelbert Bryan settled in 1836 on the farm now 
owned by Shepler Fry, who came here in 1854, and 
purchased from Bryan. Mr. Fry's farm is the most 
thoroughly underdrained and the best cultivated of 
any in the township. 

William Morris came in 1834, and settled on the 
farm since well known as the David Morris farm. 

Thomas B. Moore came from Kentucky in 1834, 
and settled on the farm where his son Daniel now 
lives. 

William C. Adair came to Franklin township in 
1836, and settled on land now owned by John 
Fike. 

Morgan Bryant, a comparatively early settler in 
this township, located on the land now owned and 
occupied by William McGregor. 

Thomas Craft made his first settlement in this 
township on land which had been previously entered 
by James Fisk. John Craft, son of Thomas, now 
owns a part of the tract. 

Jacob Smock came to Marion County from Jeffer- 
son County, Ind., Jan. 1, 1837. He at first located 
in Perry township, where he remained two years, 
and in 1838 came to Franklin township, and entered 
the land on which he now lives, and which was the 
last tract entered in Marion County. 

New Bethel, a village of one hundred and fifty 
inhabitants, situated in the northern central part of 
the township, was laid out by J. H. Messinger for 
Mary Adams in the year 1834, the town plat 



being recorded on the 24th of March in that 
year. 

The first store in the village was opened by 
Davis & McFarland, who were followed in the busi- 
ness successively by Greer & Toon, Patrick Catter- 
son, Samson Barbee. Lewis B. Wilsey, the last 
named commencing in 1850. Another store was 
opened by Richard O'Neal and W. G. Toon, who 
sold out to Wilson, who was succeeded by Harlan & 
McMullen, and Harlan & Silvers, who continued till 
1863. J. C. Van Siokel commenced merchandising 
about 1865, and continued till 1869, when he sold 
to L. B. Wilsey and John Wilson. In 1872 Wilsey 
sold his interest to Wilson, who in 1875 sold to 
David Brumley, who in 1876 sold a half interest to 
Henry Brown. In 1877 Brumley sold his remain- 
ing interest to A. Helms, and he in 1879 sold to 
Henry Brown, who is still in trade. The other store 
of the village at the present time is carried on by 
John Wilson and Henry Bond. 

The pottery business was established by Patrick 
Catterson at the commencement of the village in 1834. 
Mrs. James Pool now has a jar made by Catterson in 
1836. The first blacksmith of the village was George 
B. Richardson. The first wagon-maker was Jacob 
Springer. A saw-mill was built at this place in 
1835 by John Smither, Lewis O'Neal, and Jacob 
Springer. 

The first physician of the village was Dr. Lawrence. 
Then came Drs. Hoyt, Orsemus Richmond, and Wil- 
liam Presley. The last named practiced in New 
Bethel and vicinity from 1845 to 1847, after which 
he moved to Indianapolis. During the last year of 
his practice in New Bethel he was associated in 
partnership with Dr. S. M. Brown, who has from 
that time to the present remained in practice as the 
physician of the village and surrounding country. 
In 1852, Dr. Brown was married to Mahala Brady, 
who died in 1867. She was a daughter of Henry 
Brady, Esq., a pioneer settler of Warren township. 

Poplar Grove is a cluster of five or six houses 
located on the railroad in the northwestern part of 
the township. There was once a post-office there, 
but it was discontinued, and now the place has no 
pretensions to the name of a village. 



526 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Gallaudet is not a village, but merely a post-office 
and station on the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis 
and Chicago Railway. 

The village of Acton is situated in the southeastern 
part of Franklin township, on the line of the Cin- 
cinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago Railway. 
The land which forms the site of the village is a part 
of the tract originally owned by the pioneer settler, 
Peter Carbery, but which in 1852 was owned by 
Thomas Wallace. The village was laid out in that 
year by John E. Stretcher, surveyor, for Thomas 
Wallace and Thomas Ferguson, the town plat being 
recorded October 22d in the year named. There 
would probably never have been any village at that 
point but for the building of the railroad, which was 
at that time approaching completion, and which was 
opened for travel in September of the following year. 
The original name of the town was Farmersville, 
which was afterwards changed to Acton, to avoid 
confusion in the mail service, as there was already a 
post-office named Farmersville in the State. 

Upon the establishment of the post-office at Acton, 
John Daily was appointed postmaster ; and his suc- 
cessors in the office have been (in the order named) 
Joseph Pierson, Samuel Rosengarten, Reuben Con- 
way, Joseph Brenton, George W. Morgan, N. T. 
Parker, George W. Vaughn, D. W. Pierson, John 
Foley, and (again) D. W. Pierson, who is the present 
incumbent. 

The first merchants of the village were John Al- 
bright and William Duval, who opened their store in 
a log building in 1852. The next was John Daily, 
who opened in 1853, and continued until 1855, when 
he sold to Joseph Pierson and William Leeper. The 
latter sold his interest in the store to Pierson, who 
carried on the business until 1858, when he sold out 
at auction and removed to Iowa. 

Salathiel T. Pierson commenced merchandising at 
Acton in 1853, and continued till his death in Sep- 
tember, 1855. Dugald McDougall commenced in 
1854, and continued about one year. James Morgan 
and Peter Swigart commenced at about the same time. 
John Threlkill commenced in 1855, and continued in 
trade about three years. N. J. Parker commenced 



about 1858 and continued till 1864. Rev. Thomas 
Ray was a merchant in Acton from 1858 to 1860, 
and Warren Stacy from 1860 to 1866. The three 
general stores of the village at the present time 
(January, 1884) are carried on respectively by D. 
W. Pierson, George W. S wails, and James W. S wails. 
The first physician of Acton was Dr. William Scott, 
who came in 1855, and remained but a short time. 

Dr. Johnson located in the village in the fall of 

1855, and remained about one year. Dr. Samuel Mo- 
Gaughey, who was reared and educated in Franklin 
County, and married a daughter of Madison Morgan, 
of Shelby County, Ind., located in Acton in 1856, 
and has remained in practice in the village and vicinity 
until the present time. Dr. T. N. Bryant came about 
1857. He was in partnership with Dr. McGaughey 
for about a year, after which he removed to Illinois, 
but returned to Marion County and located in Indian- 
apolis. Dr. Philander C. Leavitt, who resided at 
Pleasant View, Shelby Co., at the opening of the war 
of the Rebellion, entered the service of the United 
States as a private soldier, was promoted to surgeon, 
and soon after the close of the war located in Acton, 
where he remained in practice till his death in 1882. 
Dr. J. W. Spicer, who is now in practice in Acton, 
located in the village about 1879. 

Acton is now a village of about three hundred and 
fifteen inhabitants, and has four churches (three Prot- 
estant and one Catholic), one school-house (built in 
1876, at a cost of sis thousand dollars), one graded 
school, three physicians, three general stores, one boot- 
and shoe-store (by Henry Baas), one drug-store (by 
John Curry), two wagon-shops (by Daniel Gillespie 
and Hamilton Brothers), two blacksmith-shops, a 
steam saw-mill (built in 1853 by John MoCoUum & 
Sons, and now operated by A. H. Plymate), a steam 
flouring-mill (built about 1860 by Jacob Rubush, 
John Ferrin, and Solomon Hahn, and now operated 
by Mr. Hahn), a Masonic lodge, and a lodge of the 
order of Odd-Fellows. 

Pleasant Lodge, No. 134, F. and A. M., was 
organized at Pleasant View, Shelby Co., in May, 
1852, with eight members. About four years after 
the organization it was removed to Acton, where a 
frame building, twenty-five by fifty feet in size, was 



FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



527 



erected, and the upper story fitted and furnished as 
a lodge-room, while the lower story was rented for 
store purposes. In 1873 the building was destroyed 
by fire, with a total loss of the furniture and records 
of the lodge. In 1875 a brick building, twenty-four 
by sixty feet in size, was erected on the same site, at 
a cost of four thousand one hundred and sixty dollars. 
The lower story is occupied as a store by D. W. 
Pierson, and above it is the Masonic Hall. The 
lodge has now a membership of fifty. The present 
officers are William Cooper, W. M. ; William T. 
Cummins, S. W. ; John Hanahan, J. W. ; Austin 
Daugherty, Sec. ; Solomon Hahn, Treas. ; George 
Clover, S. D. ; Dr. J. W. Spicer, J. D. ; John Means, 
Tiler. 

Acton Lodge, No. 279, I. 0. 0. F., was instituted 
June 20, 1867, with the following-named members : 
J. C. P. Stage, E. T. Wells, Joseph Fittsgeval, C. C. 
Weaver, Charles J. Phemister, J. G. Clark, Allen 
Drake, S. Rosengarten, John A. Johnson, William 
C. Nicholas, Joljn Porter, James H. Clark, Joseph 
R. Johnson. 

The lodge now has fifteen past grand officers, 
sixteen active members, and property valued at about 
one thousand dollars. The hall is in the second 
story of the building, over the store of George W. 
Swails. The present officers of the lodge are : John 
Craft, N. G. ; James Matthews, V. G. ; J. Swails, 
Sec. ; G. W. Swails, Treas. ; Charles C. Weaver, 
Per. Sec. 

The grounds of the Acton Camp-Meeting Associa- 
tion, adjoining the village of Acton on the northwest, 
being the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter 
of section 16, township 14, north of range 5 east, 
were purchased of the Rev. John V. R. Miller 
for about one thousand dollars, and laid out and 
buildings erected for camp-meeting purposes about 
1859. The buildings were destroyed by fire about 
1863 ; were rebuilt, and again burned about three 
years later, when the present buildings were erected. 
The camp-meetiogs held yearly on this ground are 
very largely attended, as many as forty thousand 
people having sometimes been present in a single 
day. 

The Union Agricultural Fair Association of Frank- 



lin township was first organized as a grange associa- 
tion, and its name afterwards changed to the present 
one. Hitherto the fairs of the association have been 
held on grounds (about twelve acres) rented for the 
purpose on the farm of John P. Overhiser, about 
three miles west of Acton ; but this arrangement was 
not intended to be a permanent one, and the fairs 
will be held in future on grounds adjoining the 
village. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Acton was 

first organized at the house of William Rector, on 
the northeast quarter of section 10, township 14, 
range 5 east, about the year 1827. It was formed 
by the following-named members : William Rector 
and wife, George Tibbitts and wife, John Walden and 
wife, Jeremiah Burnett and wife, with William Rector 
and George Tibbitts as leaders. About 1830 they 
built a house of worship on the land of William Rec- 
tor, which was twenty-eight by thirty-six feet, and 
constructed of hewn logs, as was the custom in that 
day. The church was served by the following-named 
preachers or pastors (in what order cannot be given) 
Revs. James Havens, Francis McLaughlin, Elijah 
Whitten, David Burt, Jacob Miller, John V. R. 
Miller, Landy Havens, George Havens, David Hav- 
ens, James Corwin, Baherrell, and Greenly 

McLaughlin, with William Rector as exhorter or 
local preacher. 

About 1846, William Rector moved to Iowa, and 
the class began to decline and became quite weak. 
In 1852 they organized a class at the school-house, 
one and one-half miles southwest, where the village 
of Acton was laid out in the same year. They con- 
tinued to hold their meetings in the school-house 
until the fall of 1855, at which time they had a 
church edifice sufficiently near completion to hold 
their services in, but it was not dedicated until June, 
1856. In the fall of 1853 they held the quarterly 
meeting in the warehouse of John Daily, in Acton. 
After the class was moved from Rector's chapel to 
Acton, John Daily, William Crosson, Henry Mc- 
Roberts, David Rayburn, Joseph Brenton, and C. C. 
Butler were class-leaders up to 1860. 

They had for pastors or preachers the Rev. George 



528 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLTS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Havens for 1853, Rev. Thomas Ray for 1854-55, 
Rev. John V. R. Miller for 1856, Rev. John Brouce 

for 1857, Rev. Chivington for 1858, Rev. 

Patrick Carlin for 1859, Rev. Elijah Whitten for 
1860, Rev. F. S. Potts for 1861, Rev. R. Roberts 
for 1862-63, Rev. M. Mitchell for 1864, Rev. A. 
Lotten for 1865-66, Rev. J. H. Tomlinson for 1867 
-68, Rev. Henry Wright for 1869, Rev. B. F. Mor- 
gan . for 1870, Rev. Thomas W. Jones for 1871-72 
(number of members at this time, sixty-five), Rev. F. 
S. Turk for 1873-74 (number of members at this 
time, eighty). Rev. E. S. Spencer for 1875-76 (num- 
ber of members at this time, one hundred and twelve). 
Rev. P. S. Cook for 1877-78, Rev. William Nich- 
ols for 1879-80, Rev. R. L. Kinnear for 1881, Rev. 
Albert Cain for 1882-83. Present number of mem- 
bers, one hundred and thirteen. The church building 
was burned Dec. 24, 1879, the fire being caused by 
a defective flue. They commenced to rebuild is 
May, 1881, and completed the building so that it 
was dedicated on the 31st of July of the same year. 
The building is a brick structure, thirty-four by forty- 
eight feet, and cost three thousand dollars. 

The ofiicers of the church at this time are : Trus- 
tees, Jonas Hamlyn, David Rayburn, Frederick Doke, 
and Jacob Tolen ; Secretary, Austin Daugherty. Jonas 
Hamlyn was class-leader from 1875 to 1881. David 
Rayburn is the class-leader at the present time. The 
present stewards are James Copeland, Herbert E. 
Hamlyn, Charles Doke, W. S. Clover. Connected 
with the church is a Sunday-school having an aver- 
age attendance of seventy. Jonas Hamlyn has been 
for five or six years and is at present the superin- 
tendent. 

The New Bethel Baptist Church was organized 
on the 7tb of April, 1827, with eight members, as 
follows : James Greer, Lewis O'Neal, David Woods, 
James Davis, Elizabeth Greer, Achsah Woods, 
Catharine O'Neal, and Elizabeth Davis. The Rev. 
Abraham Smock was called to the pastorate of the 
church, ■'and served until December, 1832, during 
which time there was a number added to the church. 

In the year of the organization (1827) they built 
a hewn-log house, twenty-four by twenty-eight feet, 
with a large fireplace and split slabs for seats. In 



this they felt they had a comfortable place to worship 
God. 

In January, 1833, the Rev. John Richmond was 
chosen pastor for one year. In February, 1834, the 
Rev. Thomas Townsend became pastor for one year. 
In June, 1835, a council met with the church and 
ordained Ebenezer Smith to the ministry. From 
1835 to 1838 they were without a pastor. Town- 
send and Smith (being members of the church) 
supplied them alternately. In 1838 they called 
Townsend and Smith to supply the pulpit on al- 
ternate Sabbaths, and they served until 1848. 

In 1842 the church by a council ordained John 
Ransdell to the gospel ministry. In 1843 the 
church built a frame building, thirty-six by forty- 
eight feet, at a cost of one thousand dollars. In 
1848 the Rev. Madison Hume was called to the 
pastoral care of the church, and continued until 
1852, when the Rev. Michael White was called to 
the pastorate. In May, 1853, Rev. James S. Gil- 
lespie was called to the pastorate, and he continued 
his services until 1859, when the Rev. J. H. Razor 
was called to the care of the church. In 1860, Rev. 

Stewart became their pastor. In 1863, Rev. J. 

H. Razor was again called to the care of the church. 

In 1866 the Revs. James M. Smith and A. J. 
Essex held a meeting of two weeks, at which meet- 
ing ninety-three were added to the church, seventy- 
eight of them by baptism. At the same time the 
Rev. James M. Smith was called to the pastoral 
care of the church. While he was pastor they 
erected a new church building of brick, thirty-six by 
fifty feet, at a cost of four thousand dollars. 

In 1869 the Rev. F. M. Buchanan was called to 
the pastoral care of the church, and served them 
until 1880. The Rev. N. Harper was pastor in 
1881 and 1882. In 1883 the Rev. T. J. Conner 
was called to the pastorate. The membership at this 
time is one hundred and seventy-three. The Sun- 
day-school has an average attendance of seventy-five, 
with John Grames us superintendent. 

The Baptist Church at the Forks of Little 
Buck Creek was organized on the 8th of June, 
1833, at the house of Nehemiah Smith, by a council 
from the following-named churches : Lick Creek 



FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



529 



[ 



Church, Abraham Smock, Thomas TownseDd, Thomas 
Bryan, Jacob Smock, and Luke Bryan ; Bethel 
Church, Joel Kemper, Lewis Smither, and John J. 
Belles ; Pleasant Run Church, John Perry and Wil- 
liam Herring. The council was organized by electing 
Abraham Smock moderator and Thomas Townsend 
clerk, after which they adopted articles of faith, 
which were signed by the following-named constitu- 
ent members : Elijah Vise, Susan Vise, Nehemiah 
Smith, Sarah Smith, William Forsythe, Sarah For- 
sythe, Edmond Lovitt, Mary Lovitt, Abraham Hen- 
dricks, Susan Hendricks, Frank Smith, Rebecca 
Perkins, Elizabeth Vise, Susan Vise, Francis Vise, 
Nathaniel Vise, Polly Vise, Benson Cornelius, Debo- 
rah Cornelius, Thomas McFarland, Betsy McFar- 
land, and Sarah Wikoff. 

The first pastor of the church was the Rev. 
Thomas Townsend, who served them for two years ; 
then Rev. Abraham Smock served them for two 
years ; then Ebenezer Smith. (Here the records are 
missing.) Since 1868 the following-named ministers 
have served the church as pastors, viz. : Peterson K. 
Par, Daniel Caudle, and Robert Thompson. P. K. 
Par and Robert Thompson are now serving the 
church alternately as pastors. Services are held 
once a month. The church has now thirty-six mem- 
bers. Nimrod Par is church clerk. 

The Presbyterian Church at Acton was first 
organized in Perry township. On the 30th of 
March, 1833, a few Presbyterians met at the house 
of Mrs. Blary Sebern, one and one-half miles north 
of where Southport now stands, and, after a sermon 
preached by the Rev. Dr. Woods, from Proverbs 
xxviii. 4, the New Providence (now Acton) Presby- 
terian Church was organized. John S. Sebern and 
Otis Sprague were the first elders, and Samuel 
Brewer the first deacon. They were all ordained 
and installed on the 31st of March, 1833, having 
been elected on the preceding day. 

The church at its organization consisted of twenty- 
four members, set apart by the Indianapolis Presby- 
tery from the Greenfield (now Greenwood) Church, 
and one by letter from the only Presbyterian Church 
in Indianapolis at that time. The following are the 
names of those forming the organization : Samuel 



Brewer, Eleanor Brewer, Thomas C. Smock, Rachel 
Smock, Ann Smock, Abraham V. Smock, Simon 
French, Mary French, Eliza McFarland, Benjamin 
McFarland, Mary McFarland, John A. Brewer, 
Lemma Brewer, Phannel Graham, Paulina White, 
Jane E. BIcCollum, Mary Sebern, Phebe Sebern, 
Samuel Sebern, John Sebern, Deborah W. Sebern, 
Andrew C. Mann, Sally Mann, and Otis Sprague. 
Of this number the following now survive : Samuel 
Brewer and Eliza McFarland (now Thomas). 

In 1838 a division took place in the church, and 
twenty members, including one elder, went with this 
branch, and seventeen, including two elders, went 
with the New School branch. There was no hostile 
feeling manifested by either. 

From 1838 to 1844 the church had been irregu- 
larly supplied with preaching, having had only one 
regular supply (Rev. Sayers Gaglay) for about two 
years. In 1845 the church (then numbering forty- 
five members) elected and called their first pastor 
after the division. He was the Rev. B. F. Wood, 
who continued to serve them one-half the time until 
1850. 

In 1845 and 1846 they built a house of worship 
on the farm of Joseph Wallace, one and one-half 
miles east of Southport. The house was twenty- 
eight by thirty-six feet, a wooden structure, and cost 
about five hundred dollars. In 1851, Rev. Henry 
Coe served as pastor one-half his time. In 1852 
there were but thirty-nine members, and in this same 
year there was a division of the church for the sake 
of convenience, one portion going west to the Blufi" 
road, in Perry township, and forming the Union 
Church, and the other portion (seventeen members) 
going east to Acton, in Franklin township, and 
forming what is known as the Acton Presbyterian 
Church. 

The first pastor at Acton was Rev. William A. 
Holliday, who gave one-half hia»time. In 1856 the 
church building was moved from the Wallace farm 
to Acton. It was refitted, and in it they held their 
church services until 1870, when they built a brick 
church building, thirty by forty feet, at a cost of four 
thousand five hundred dollars. 

In 1856, Rev. P. R. Vanetta served them as pas- 



580 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tor, and the membership was eighteen. The Rev. 
John Gilchrist served the church from 1857 to the 
close of 1859 as pastor (membership increased to 
thirty-nine) ; Rev. A. C. Allen served as pastor till 
the close of 1861, at which time he enlisted in the 
United States volunteer service (membership, forty- 
two). In 1863 the Rev. James Gilchrist supplied 
the pulpit. In 1864, L. G. Hay served the church 
one-half the time. In 1865, James Gilchrist again 
became pastor of the church one-half of his time, 
and served until the close of the year 1867. The 
Rev. L. G. Hay became pastor in 1868, and con- 
tinued to the close of 1870. The Rev. James Wil- 
liamson was pastor of the church from 1871 until 
1882. Rev. L. B. Schryock was called and accepted 
the pastorate for 1884. The membership at this 
time is ninety-six. 

In 1873 the membership had increased to seventy. 
A Sunday-school was organized in 1857; with Jacob 
Smock as superintendent. Jacob Rubush has been 
superintendent of the Sunday-school the greater por- 
tion of the time from 1870 to 1884. The average 
attendance is eighty. 

The following are the names of the officers of the 
church from its organization : Elders, John S. Seb- 
ern, Otis Sprague, Simon Smock, Samuel Brewer, 
Peter Smock, James Clark, William H. Boyd, Syl- 
vester Ellis, Samuel S. Sebern, Jacob Smock, Thomas 
L. Clark, Samuel Potter, Jacob Rubush, A. H. Ply- 
mate, and William Cooper; Deacons, Samuel Brewer, 
Andrew C. Mann, Samuel Moore, Jacob Smock, Wil- 
liam J. Colley, Henry Baas, Malcomb A. Lowes, 
William Hutchinson, William R. Lowes, John N. 
Clark, John M. Clark, and William P. James ; 
Trustees, John V. Sebern, Andrew C. Mann, 
Thomas C. Smock, Samuel Moore, Jacob Smock, 
William J. Colley, Thomas Wallace, Samuel Mc- 
Gaughey, Jacob Rubush, Jehu, John, and William 
H. Smock. 

The present officers are : Elders, James Clark, 
Jacob Smock, Jacob Rubush, A. H. Plymate, Wil- 
liam Cooper, and Thomas L. Clark ; Deacons, John 
N. Clark, William R. Lowes, and John M. Clark ; 
Trustees, Jacob Rubush, Samuel McGaughey, and 
William H. Smock. 



The Big Run (Anti - Missionary Baptist) 
Church was organized at the house of Knowles 
Shaw, one-half mile east of the village of New 
Bethel, on the 11th of February, 1848, with ten 
members, viz. : Willis Smither, Hester Smither, 
Lewis Smither, Obadiah Davis, Mary Davis, Caleb 
Belles, Mary Belles, Albert Hickman, Amanda Hick- 
man, and James Tolen. They called the Rev. Em- 
mons Hurst to the pastorate of the church, and he 
was the only regular pastor until 1853, at which time 
the Rev. Erasmus D. Thomas became pastor, and has 
continued in that capacity to the present time with- 
out any interruption. They have regular services 
once a month. 

This church used school-house No. 5 (known as 
the township house) as a meeting-place until the fall 
of 1849, when they had a house of worship erected. 
It was a frame structure twenty by thirty feet, and 
cost one thousand dollars. As time passed this build- 
ing became too small for the increasing congregation, 
and in 1871 they built a more commodious house of 
worship. It is a brick structure, thirty-six by fifty- 
four feet, and cost four thousand three hundred dol- 
lars. The membership at this time is ninety-two. 

The Buck Creek Christian Church was organ- 
ized on the 21st of August, 1860, at Murphy's 
school-house (No. 7), with the following-named mem- 
bers, viz. : James Eaton, Sarah Eaton, Alexander 
Helm, Elizabeth Helm, George B. Richardson, Sarah 
Richardson, Ashley Sutherland, Elizabeth Suther- 
land, King Parrish, Maria Parrish, Zerviah B. An- 
derson, William H. Richardson, Catharine Helm, 
Isabelle Hall, Sarah Hittle, Nancy Mathews, and 
Nancy J. Baker. Their pastors have been John 
Brown (one year), Butler K. Smith (one year), J. H. 
McCullough (two years), Amzi Atwater, Charles 
Shoat (one year), J. L. Parson (one year), W. H. H. 
Blark (one year), Elijah Goodwin (two years), M. T. 
Hough and H. T. Buff (alternately, one year), W. R. 
Lowe (one year), M. T. Hough (two years), H. T. 
Mason (one year), A. H. Carter (one year), John A. 
Mavity (one year), W. R. Couch (two years), W. H. 
Boles (one year), J. M. Camfield (three years), and 
C. W. Martz, the present pastor, who is now on his 
second year of service. 



FEANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



531 



Their first place of worship was the school-house 
where they first organized. In 1861 they built a 
house of worship on the northwest corner of the east 
half of the southeast quarter of section 28, township 
15 north, range 5 east, — a frame structure, thirty-two 
by forty-four feet, which cost one thousand dollars. 
In 1880 they built their second house of worship on 
the same grounds. It is a brick building thirty-two 
by forty-two feet, and cost two thousand eight hundred 
dollars. 

The present membership of the church is one 
hundred and twenty- four. Meetings are held once a 
month They have a good Sunday-school, with 
seventy-five scholars in attendance, and sessions are 
held every Sunday the year round. The superin- 
tendent is John TVI. Toon. The present officers of 
the church are: Trustees, Henry J. Toon, Joseph 
Harris ; Elders, Henry J. Toon, Joseph Harris, and 
James E. Greer ; Deacons, Ebenezer Smith, Obadiah 
Eaton, and John M. Toon. 

The Acton Baptist Church was organized at 
Acton on the 13th day of January, 1866, with 
twenty-five members, viz. : John N. Eades, Elisha 
Baily, Mary Baily, William Everett, William Mor- 
gan, Nancy Morgan, Sarah Morgan, Mrs. Everett, 
Mahala Everett, Susan Morgan, Nancy Phemister, 
John Morgan, John T. Phemister, Sr., James M. 
Smith, Elizabeth J. Smith, Joseph C. Smith, George 
W. Crossen, Mary Crossen, Thomas Poster, Permelia 
Foster, Martha Baas, DeUla Jenkins, Jane Keeler, 
Cumi Keeler, Nancy Leavitt. At the same time the 
Revs. James M. Smith and A. J. Essex held a meet- 
ing of some two weeks' duration, and added thirty- 
four to the church, the Presbyterians giving them 
the use of their house of worship for the meeting. 
At the close of this protracted effort the church 
called Rev. James M. Smith as their pastor, who 
continued to serve the church half his time until 
June, 1869, when Rev. F. M. Buchanan was called 
to the pastorate, and continued half his time until 
January, 1873. 

The Rev. H. C. McCaleb was pastor half his time 
for the years 1873 and 1874 Rev. T. J. Murphy 
was pastor for the year 1875, and the Rev. D. D. 
SWindall in the same way for 1876. In the year 



1877 the church had no pastor. The Rev. C. King 
was pastor in 1878 and 1879. The church was 
without a pastor in 1880. The Rev. James M. 
Smith was again called to the pastorate, and served 
one-fourth of his time for the years 1881 and 1882. 
The Rev. F. M. Buchanan was again called to the 
pastorate, and is now acting as such ODe-fourth of 
the time. The present membership is ninety-nine. 
Sabbath-school sessions are held every Sabbath. The 
number of scholars in attendance is fifty-two. T. J. 
McCollum is superintendent of the Sunday-school, 
and has been since 1868 except one year (1875). 
The trustees of the church are William McGregor, 
L. F. Montague, and Henry T. Craig ; Deacons, T. 
J. McCollum and J. F. McCollum; Clerk, L. F. 
Montague. 

The Mount Zion Methodist Episcopal Church 
was organized as a class in the year 1832, at the 
house of James McLain, with about fifteen members, 
principally of the families of McLain and Perkins. 
In 1836 they built a log meeting-house on James 
McLain' s land, and this was used as a house of worship 
till about 1853, when they erected a frame building, 
in which they continued to hold their services for 
about twenty years, when the church organization 
ceased to exist. The location of this church is near 
the west line of the township, and near its centre 
from north to south. 

The Methodist Chapel, so called, of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church is located in the northwest corner 
of Franklin township. The first class at this place 
was organized about 1838, at the house of Nathaniel 
Owens, its members being principally of the fami- 
lies of Owens, Reyburn, McLaughlin, Stoops, and 
Arnold. Soon after the organization, they built a 
log church on land then owned by Simon Peters (now 

by Cottman). About 1860 this old building 

gave place to a frame church, which was erected on 
the same site. In this they worshiped about ten 
years, after which the organization went down, and 
services were discontinued. The church building is 
still standing, and although no preaching is held 
there, it is used as the meeting-place of a flourishing 
Sabbath-school of about fifty scholars, not under 
charge of the Methodist denomination, but under 



532 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the patronage and superintendency of a daughter of 
F. M. Churchman, Esq. 

The Church of the United Brethren, which wor- 
shiped in a church building located near the centre 
of the township, was organized about 1855, at the 
house of Isaac Collins. The greater part of its 
members were of the Collins family. Their first 
meetings were held at Collins', and in the school- 
house for a year or two, when they erected a frame 
church building which is yet standing, though the 
church organization became dismembered and ceased 
to exist several years ago. 

The oldest burial-ground in Franklin township 
was opened on land of William Rector, at the place 
where the Rector Chapel was built. It is not now 
known who was the first person interred in this 
ground. It is not used now, no burials having 
been made in it for several years. 

In the graveyard at New Bethel the first inter- 
ment was that of Reuben Adams, on whose land the 
burial-place was laid out. It was at first a plat of 
about one acre, which has since been increased to 
about two acres. The ground is now nearly filled 
with graves, and contains some handsome monu- 
ments. 

At the Methodist Chapel in the northwest corner 
of the township is a burial-ground of about one 
acre, which is well filled with graves though not 
crowded. One of the first interments in it was that 
of the wife of Simon Peters. 

The graveyard at Mount Zion Church, near the 
west line of the township, contains about one acre, 
and is only partially filled. The first interments here 
were made about 1835. 

At the Little Buck Creek Church is a burial- 
ground still in use, which was laid out on land 
entered by Nehemiah Adams. The first burials in 
this ground were made about 1833. 

A burial-ground was opened on the David Morris 
farm in 1835, and is still in use. It is not in con- 
nection with any church, and there is no house of 
worship near it. 

The cemetery at Acton is a ground of about two 
acres, a part of the old Leeper farm, purchased from 



William Leeper, and laid out as a cemetery in 1866. 
The lots in this cemetery are all sold, and many fine 
monuments have been erected in it. Improvements 
are constantly being made in the ground, though it is 
yet far from being completed in accordance with the 
design, which is based on the modern idea of cemetery 
embellishment. 

Schools. — Very soon after the pioneer settlers had 
established themselves and their families in their rude 
log cabins, and cleared a sufficient space of ground to 
raise crops enough to insure them a subsistence, they 
took measures (inefficient though they were) to pro- 
vide for their children the means of acquiring some 
of the rudiments of education by opening primitive 
schools, which were usually taught by persons who 
were employed at farm labor during the summer, 
and who during the winter taught school for a term 
of six weeks to two months, receiving a mere pittance 
for their services. The first schools were taught in 
the east part of the township in the Buck Creek 
settlements, but others were opened very soon after- 
wards in other parts, as soon as enough settlers had 
come in to form a neighborhood school. Thomas 
Townsend and William P. Smith were the first two 
persons who taught school in Franklin township, but 
it is not certainly known which of these was the 
pioneer. Peter Townsend, Abraham Smock, and 
Price N. Batts (son-in-law of Reuben Adams) were 
among the other early teachers of the township. The 
first schools were usually taught in deserted cabins 
which had been built by " squatters" who, after a 
temporary occupation, had deserted them and moved 
away. Where log buildings had been built as places 
of worship, they were also invariably used for schools. 
And as the township became a little more thickly 
settled, each neighborhood of two or three miles' 
radius had its school-house. They were all nearly 
the same, — a low log building of about eighteen by 
twenty-two or twenty-four feet in size, with a log cut 
out on two sides, leaving openings which, when 
covered with greased paper in place of glass, formed 
the windows of the house. In one end of the school- 
room was a fireplace plastered with clay or mud, 
sometimes communicating with a " stick chimney" 
on the outside, and sometimes having no chimney at 





e^^n.^:^-€r^.^zf 



FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. 



533 



all, except a hole in the roof. The floor was of 
puncheons, the seats and benches of split logs, 
with the split sides dressed to comparative smooth- 
ness. A high, rude, and uncomfortable writing-desk 
(or more properly shelf) was formed in a similar 
way. None of the requisites or equipments of the 
modern school-room were found in these houses. 
Everything was rough, uncomfortable, and discourag- 
ing to both pupil and teacher, yet the schools taught 
amid such surroundings were the best that could be 
had in those days, and in them many a child acquired 
the rudiments of education, and laid the foundation 
of an honorable career. 

About 1836, under the Congressional townsnip 
school system, rather better school-houses were built 
on about each four square miles of territory through 
the township. These houses were built by the peo- 
ple of the neighborhood, while the fund derived from 
the sale of the school lands aided in maintaining in- 
diflFerent schools in them for short terms. Upon the 
establishment of the present system, Franklin took a 
place abreast of the other townships of the county in 
the improvement of its schools. 

Franklin township has now eleven school districts, 
and the same number of school-houses (seven frame, 
and four brick). Schools are taught in all the 
houses, and two of them are graded schools. There 
are also four private schools taught, with an average 
attendance of forty -four. In 1883, fourteen teachers 
(nine male and five female) were employed in the 
public schools. Six teachers' institutes were held in 
the township during the year. The average total 
daily attendance of scholars was 371 ; whole number 
of scholars admitted to the schools, 625 ; average 
length of school terms in the township in 1883, 114 
days; valuation of school-houses and grounds, $14,500. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



THOMAS SCHOOLEY. 

John Schooley, the grandfather of Thomas, was of 
English extraction and a resident of Massachusetts. 
His children were James, William, Sewell, and David. 
James, the first named, was born during the year 



1792, in Massachusetts, and early removed to Dela- 
ware, where he married Ruth Hobson, a native of 
Philadelphia, Pa. To this marriage were born chil- 
dren, — John, James, Thomas, Daniel, and Andrew. 
Mr. Schooley removed later to the State of Mary- 
land, where he became a successful merchant. His 
son Thomas was born Feb. 22, 1830, in Cecil County, 
Md., and in early youth removed to Zanesville, Ohio, 
and in 1840 to Indianapolis, where his father died 
soon after the arrival of the family. Thomas re- 
mained until fifteen with his mother, and then 
sought employment as assistant to various farmers 
of Marion County, being meanwhile, for a brief time, 
a pupil of the Indianapolis Seminary. In 1851 he 
married Miss Rachel Blue, of the same county, 
whose only son, Frank, died July 15, 1869, at the 
age of fifteen. In 1852, Mr. Schooley having left 
his wife at the home of her father, crossed the plains 
en route to California (where he remained three years), 
in Placer County, engaged in mining and the profita- 
ble business of hotel-keeping. Returning in 1855, 
he purchased a farm north of Indianapolis, and his 
wife having meanwhile died, he, in June, 1855, 
married Miss Esther, daughter of Madison Hume, 
one of the earliest Baptist clergymen in the county. 
Their children are Flora (Mrs. H. J. Brown) and 
Minnie. Mr. Schooley, in 1862, sold his farm and 
removed to Indianapolis, where he engaged in com- 
mercial pursuits. Having determined to return again 
to country life, he, in 1869, purchased his present 
home in Franklin township, and has since engaged 
in general farming and speculating. In politics he is 
a Republican, but not an active worker in the political 
field. The cause of education has ever found in 
him an earnest advocate and friend, and all measures 
for the promotion of education receive his cordial en- 
couragement. He is in religion a supporter of both 
the Methodist Episcopal and the Baptist Churches, 
Mrs. Schooley being a member of the latter church. 



MARTIN S. TOON. 
Henry Toon, the grandfather of Blartin S., and a 
German by birth, resided in Kentucky. He was united 
in marriage to a Miss Bryant, and had children, among 



534 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



whom was John, a soldier of the war of 1812, and a 
native of Delaware, who removed with his parents to 
Kentucky when a youth, and during his lifetime en- 
gaged in the labor incident to a farmer's life. He 
married Malinda Stafford, of Kentucky, and had chil- 
dren, eleven in number, as follows : Letitia, Martin S., 
Drusilia, Henry, William G., Charity, Wesley, Lewis, 
Josiah, Elizabeth, and Dorcas, the latter of whom 
died in childhood ; seven of this number are still liv- 
ing. Martin S. was born on the 12th of June, 1815, 
in Owen County, Ky. His youth was, like that of 
most farmers' sons, passed in labor, with such opportu- 
nities of education as were afforded by the subscription 
schools of the period. Mr. Toon married Miss Mary 
Jane, daughter of James Davis, to whom were born 
two sons, — William H., who died while a soldier in 
the war of the Rebellion, and John J., who served with 
credit during the whole conflict. He was again mar- 
ried in November, 1842, to Miss Mary Jane, daughter 
of John Ross, of Marion County, and has children, — 
Lewis C, Martin, Dorcas, Mary Anice, Melinda Alice, 
George G., Charles W., Richard 0., William S., and 
Lydia Jane. Mr. Toon during a short period resided 
in Indianapolis, and assisted in drawing the brick for 
the State-House, and at twenty-seven he rented a farm 
in Franklin township which for ten years he continued 
to cultivate. He then purchased his present home, 
embracing eighty acres, which has since been increased 
to two hundred and twenty acres, and which his son 
George G. assists in cultivating. He has, aside from 
his labors as a farmer, engaged in threshing wheat by 
machine, his own thresher having been the first in 
the township. Mr. Toon is in politics a Republican, 
but not active in the political field, preferring his 
daily routine of labor to the excitements of a public 
career. Both he and Mrs. Toon are members of the 
Baptist Church, in which he is a deacon. 



CHAPTER XXIIL 

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 

This township is situated in the extreme north- 
eastern portion of the county, and is seven miles 
square, containing forty-nine square miles, or thirty 



thousand eight hundred and nineteen acres of land. 
It is bounded on the north by Hamilton County, on 
the east by Hancock County, on the south by Warren 
township, and on the west by Washington township. 
The surface of the country is generally level, except 
along the streams, where it is somewhat broken, and 
in some localities hilly. The soil is well adapted 
to the culture of wheat, corn, rye, barley, and most 
vegetables, but the culture of fruit has proved to be 
unprofitable during the past few years, though in a 
few localities this branch of agriculture has yielded a 
good revenue. About thirty-five years ago immense 
crops of peaches were raised, but the peach crop has 
been almost an entire failure during the last twenty 
years. The soil is principally clay, but consists of 
four grades, viz. : white clay, or beech flats ; black 
loam of the flats ; limestone or clay hills ; and bottom- 
land, or dark chocolate loam intermixed with sand. 
Originally the township was covered with a heavy 
growth of timber, consisting principally of walnut, 
sugar, poplar, ash, beech, hickory, sycamore, lime, 
buckeye, oak, and hackberry. In the lowlands, the 
primitive forest abounded with grape-vines, frequently- 
growing to an enormous height. Beneath the forest 
and the net-work of vines grew pawpaws, leather- 
wood, prickly-ash, black haw, and other underbrush. 
At the Lawrence district fair, September, 1883, John 
Johnson exhibited fifty-four natural varieties of tim- 
ber of the township. Nearly all the valuable timber 
was recklessly destroyed in the clearing of the land, 
or has since been sold in the market. In an early 
day the level lands were covered with immense sheets 
of water, quagmires, and ponds. 

From its first settlement the township has con- 
stantly increased in wealth, as the wilderness disap- 
peared before the march of civilization. The taxable 
wealth of the township in 1883 was as follows: 

Farming and wild lands $1,041,196 

Improvements 83,075 

Lots 13,858 

Improvements 20,885 

Personal property 544,995 

Total valuation $1,704,009 

In 1883 there were in the township two hundred 





^--^T^^-vH?^ ^^ ,^^^^t-er-t-^ 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



535 



and twelve miles of drainage (mostly tile), and the 
value of its manufactured goods in the year 1882 was 
twenty thousand eight hundred and seventy-five dol- 
lars. In the year 1883 there were cultivated five 
thousand four hundred and fifteen acres in wheat, 
five thousand nine hundred and sixty-seven acres in 
corn, and one thousand and sixty-eight acres in other 
staple grains and in vegetables. There were two 
thousand two hundred and seventy-one acres in 
timothy meadow, and two thousand and eleven acres 
in clover. 

The following is the number of head of live-stock 
in the township in the year 1883 : 

Horses 934 

Milch-cows ■. 723 

Other cattle 879 

Mules 49 

Sheep 2184 

Hogs (fatted in 1882) 3340 

The lands bordering on the creeks and rivulets are 
well supplied with springs, which aiFord a plentiful 
supply of water for stock, and the lands produce a 
luxuriant growth of blue-grass, and thus the town- 
ship contains quite a number of valuable stock farms, 
not excelled elsewhere in the county. 

In many portions of the township is found lime- 
stone, and in the peat swamps stratified rooks are 
found. Deposits of gravel and sand are found along 
the bluffs of Fall Creek, and in numerous mounds 
scattered promiscuously throughout the township. 
Probably the most peculiar rock in the township is 
upon the farm of Mr. Jonah F. Lemon. It is about 
four feet in length by two feet each in width and 
height. The rock is composed entirely of very small 
stones, of almost every imaginable shape and color, 
and of adamantine hardness. Mr. Lemon prizes it 
very highly, and has refused an ofier of one hundred 
dollars for it. A most peculiar limestone rock is 
found in the edge of a peat swamp on the farm of 
Mr. Robert Johnson. The stone rises above the 
ground to the height of ten feet, and in length ex- 
tends thirty feet ; the width is unknown, as the rock 
extends back into a hill fifty feet in perpendicular 
height. The stone contains many curious holes or 



crevices, no two of the same size or shape, while out 
of many water oozes continually. 

Fall Creek, Mud Creek, Indian Creek, and the 
tributary brooks afford thorough drainage for the 
lands embraced in 'the township. Fall Creek is so 
named from the falls at Pendleton. Mud Creek was 
so named by Elisha Reddick, from the fact that in 
the first settlement of the country the water at its 
mouth was always muddy. Subsequently the name 
was changed, and it was called Walnut Creek, and 
was so recorded, but it is called by the original name. 
Indian Creek at first was called Indian Branch by 
Elisha Eeddick, because Indians were found en- 
camped at various points along the stream. After- 
wards it gained the name of Indian Creek, and was 
so recorded. Fall Creek, the principal stream, enters 
the township one half-mile west of the northeast cor- 
ner, flows about a mile in a semicircle, and leaves the 
township. It re-enters about one and three-fourths 
miles west of the northeast corner, and flows in a 
southwesterly direction through the township, and 
leaving it at a point one and three-fourths miles north 
of the southwest corner. Mud Creek flows into the 
township at a point three and one-half miles west of 
the northeast corner, and flows in a direction bearing 
west of south, and empties into Fall Creek about 
three-fourths of a mile west of the centre of the town- 
ship. The source of Indian Creek is in the swamps 
in Hancock County, and it enters the township one 
mile north of the southeast corner, and flows in a ser- 
pentine course, with a general direction towards the 
northwest for a distance of several miles, and empties 
into Fall Creek about three-fourths of a mile north- 
northeast of the centre of the township. Three fine 
covered wooden bridges, costing eight thousand seven 
hundred and ten dollars each, span Fall Creek at 
convenient points; and Mud Creek is supplied with 
one covered wooden and one iron bridge, all built by 
the county. Since the country has become mostly 
cleared and drained these streams have become sub- 
ject to frequent damaging freshets, causing great de- 
struction to crops and property in the valleys almost 
annually. The freshets of June and August, 1875, 
were the most damaging in the history of the town- 
ship, although the one of January, 1847, was much 



536 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



the highest. The freshet of November, 1883, did a 
great amount of damage. 

Lawrence township was erected April 16, 1822, by 
order of the board of county commissioners, and on 
the same day and by the same authority it was joined 
to Washington for purposes of township organization 
(neither township being sufiSciently populous to be 
organized separately). This union of the two town- 
ships as one continued ^intil Sept. 4, 1826, when the 
board of justices ordered that Lawrence be taken 
from Washington and separately organized, and that 
an election be held on the first Saturday in the fol- 
lowing October at the house of John Johnson for 
choice of a justice of the peace for Lawrence, Alex- 
ander Wilson to be inspector of said election. The 
election was held as ordered, and resulted in the choice 
of Peter Casteller as justice of the peace. The fol- 
lowing is a list of officers of the township from its 
erection to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
William D. Rooker, June 22, 1822, to Dec. 2, 1826. 
Joel Wright, June 22, 1822, to Sept. 6, 1825 ; resigned. 
Hiram Bacon, Oct. 16, 1825, to Deo. 2, 1826. 

(The three preceding served for Washington and Lawrence 
while they were joined as one township.) 
Peter Castetter, Dec. 15, 1826, to Dec. 15, 1831. 
John Bolander, Feb. 19, 18.31, to October, 1832; resigned. 
William J. Mcintosh, April 17,1832, to January, 1835; re- 
signed. 
Joseph Johnston, Dec. 13, 1832, to Dec. 13, 1837. 
Daniel Sharts, April 18, 1835, to April 18, 1840. 
Joseph Johnston, Jan. 3, 1838, to Aug. 4, 1838; resigned. 
Madison Webb, April 20, 1840, to April 20, 1845. 
John Emery, Feb. 1, 1843, to Feb. 1, 1848. 
Madison Webb, April 26, 1845, to April 26, 1850. 
Travis Silvey, July 14, 1848, to July 11, 1853. 
James W. Perry, April 26, 1850, to March 9, 1852; resigned. 
Milford H. Vert, April 19, 1852, to April 19, 1856. 
Levi A. Hardesty, April 20, 1852, to April 20, 1856. 
Charles Faussett, July 16, 1853, to Nov. 24, 1854; resigned. 
Cornelius B. Wadsworth, April 23, 1856, to April 18, 1860. 
Moses Craig, May 1, 1856, to April 18, 1860. 
John Thomas, May 5, 1856, to April 18, 1860. 
John W. Combs, April 18, 1860, to April 18, 1868. 
John G. Downing, April 18, 1860, to April 18, 1868. 
John Thomas, April 20, 1860, to April 18, 1864. 
John Thomas, May 21, 1864, to March 8, 1867 ; resigned. 
Ozro Bates, April 22, 1865, to April 17, 1869. 
Thomas M.Elliott, April 20, 1867, to April 13, 1875. 



John W. Combs, April 21, 1868, to Sept. 7, 1875 ; resigned. 
Cornelius B. Wadsworth, April 17, 1869, to April 16, 1873. 
Charles Faussett, Sept. 15, 1875, to April 21, 1876. 
Robert Johnson, Oct. 2, 1875, to Oct. 2, 1879. 
John A. Chapman, Oct. 30, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
Cornelius B. Wadsworth, Oct. 25, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
William Roberts, Nov. 19, 1880, to Oct. 30, 1884. 
Moses C. Hamilton, April 15, 1882, to April 15, 1886. 

TRUSTEES. 
William F. Combs, April 9, 1859, to April 14, 1860. 
Samuel Cory, April 14, 1860, to Oct. 24, 1874. 
George W. Stanley, Oct. 24, 1874, to April 14, 1880. 
William B. Flick, April 14, 1880, to April 15, 1884. 

ASSESSOKS. 
William McIIvain, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 7, 1828. 
Peter Castetter, Jan. 7, 1828, to Jan. 4, 1830. ' 
Daniel R. Smith, Jan. 4, 1830, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
Peter Castetter, Jan. 2, 1832, to Jan. 7, 1833. 
Jacob Schenkle, Jan. 7, 1833, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
Robert Wells, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 
Jacob Sehenkle, Jan. 6, 1840, to Dec. 6, 1841. 
James Hinds, Jr., Dec. 17, 1852, to June 5, 1854. 
Jacob McCord, June 5, 1854, to Nov. 29, 1856. 
Joseph Badgley, Nov. 29, 1856, to Nov. 24, I860. 
George W. Teal, Nov. 24, 1860, to Nov. 28, 1862. 
Moses Craig, Nov. 28, 1862, to Nov. 21, 1866. 
Cicero Vanlaningham, Nov. 21, 1866, to Oct. 29, 1868. 
Abel M. Wheeler, Oct. 29, 1868, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Abel M. Wheeler, March 27, 1875, to April 11, 1878. 
John W. Combs, April 11, 1878, to April 14, 1880. 
George W. Church, April 14, 1880, to April 10, 1882. 
George N. Kesselring, April 10, 1882, to April 10, 1884. 

When the fisrt settlers came into the township 
large numbers of Indians were encamped here, prin- 
cipally on Indian Creek. They were of the Delaware 
and Miami tribes, with a few Pottawatomies, and 
were in charge of three chiefs named Big Otter 
Skin and Old Buckwheat and a nearly deaf Indian 
(name unknown) aged about one hundred years. 
The Indians were very friendly to the new settlers, 
and made frequent visits to their cabins. There 
were three Indians living near the cabin of Elisha 
Reddick, and they always expressed the warmest 
friendship for him, visiting him often, and in divers 
ways showing great attachment towards him. About 
the time Hudson, Sawyer, and Bridges were hung at 
Pendleton for the murder of Indians the redskins in 
this township became furiously enraged at the whites, 
and the latter became much alarmed. However, soon 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



537 



afterwards (about the year 1826) the Indians departed 
from their hunting-grounds here never to return. 
Many Indian relics have been found in the township, 
principally upon the lands adjacent to the streams. 
These curious and interesting stones consist of darts, 
axes, hoes, pestles, etc. 

Many of the early settlers in this township came 
from Brown and Clermont Counties, Ohio. The 
families of Plummer, Hoss, Chapman, Johnson, and 
John Bolander came from Brown County ; those of 
Cory, Apple, Peter Bolander, Emry, Perkins, Helt- 
man, Smith, Lewis, Bragdon, Marshall, McCord, 
Wilmington, White, Reddick, Collous, Fred, and 
Brown (James P. and William), from Clermont. 
Other settlers emigrated from various localities, as 
hereafter mentioned. 

Following is a list of resident tax-payers in Law- 
rence in 1829, as shown by the assessment-roll of 
that year, viz. : 



Christopher Beaver. 

William Beaver. 

James Ballenger. 

Isaac Ballenger. 

Peter Castetter. 

John Clark. 

Samuel Con. 

Andrew Clark. 

Leonard Eller. 

David Eller. 

Adam Eller. 

Andrew Eller. 

Nathan Essary. 

Robert Ellis. 

John Flannigan. 

James Flannigan. 

James Giles. 

William Graves. 

Robert Hewstin. 

Samuel Harrison. 

James Hines. 

Henry Hardin. 

John Johnson. 

Fountain Kimberlin. 
35 



George Long. 
Robert Large. 
Samuel Morrow. 
John McConnel. 
Alexander McClaren. 
William McClaren. 
Ephraim Morrison. 
John Negley. 
Samuel North. 
William North. 
Joseph North. 
John North. 
Heirs of Thomas North. 
James North. 
Jeremiah Plummer. 
William Reddick. 
Joshua Reddick. 
Alexis Riley. 
Conrad Ringer. 
David Ringer. 
Abraham Sellers. 
Jacob Shinkle. 
Daniel Speece. 
John Shinkle. 



Alexander Smith. 
Daniel Shurts. 
John Setter. 
Christopher Sellers. 



John A. Tuttle. 
Jeremiah Vanlaningham. 
Robert Warren. 



Elisha Reddick was the first settler in the town- 
ship. He is a son of William and Margaret Reddick, 
and was born Jan. 9, 1797, in Pennsylvania. At an 
early age he went with his parents to Kentucky, and 
remained there until sixteen years of age, when he 
went to Clermont County, Ohio, where he married 
Elizabeth Johnson, daughter of John Johnson, in 
the year 1821. He came from there to this town- 
ship with his wife and son, James Milton, and settled 
near the " correction line," one-half mile east of Fall 
Creek, on the 18th day of October, 1823. He 
entered one hundred and thirty-two acres of land and 
subsequently purchased one hundred and eighty 
acres more. He lived on that farm fifty-one years, 
and has been absent from the township (in Boone 
County, Ind.) only three years from 1873 since 
1823. Mr. Reddick came here in an old Pennsyl- 
vania wagon, the bed of which would hold seventy- 
five bushels of corn. He brought with him two 
yoke of oxen, two horses, twenty-five hogs, two 
milch-cows, and twelve sheep. The wagon was 
loaded with provisions and household goods. The 
last four miles of his journey was accomplished with 
great difficulty, as he was compelled to cut his way 
through the timber and thick underbrush. For 
several months after his arrival at his new home Mr. 
Reddick did little but protect his stock from the 
wolves, wildcats, and other wild animals. Soon 
after his arrival at his new home he had a desperate 
encounter with a large catamount weighing not far 
from one hundred pounds. The reception was not a 
pleasant one, but after a fierce struggle he succeeded 
in dispatching it with his axe, but not until it had 
nearly killed his two dogs and severely injured him- 
self Mr. Reddick states that it was the most 
dangerous encounter he ever experienced. He killed 
no less than fifty wild-cats on his farm in the early 
years of his settlement, and with the assistance of his 
brother Joshua succeeded in killing three black bears. 
He says that when he first came to his new home the 



538 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



bottom-lands were exceedingly wet, and abounded in 
bayous and swamps and dense thickets, into which it 
was almost impossible to penetrate. Mr. Reddick 
was on the most intimate terms with the Indians ; j 
he received them as visitors at his cabin, went hunt- 
ing, ran races and shot at marks with them, and in 
perfect contentment lived in their midst for three 
years, — until their departure. ] 

The first cabin raised in the township was that of 
Elisha Reddick, on the tract of land entered by him. 
He raised it in November, 1823. After he had his i 
logs prepared he called upon .the Indians in camp 
on Indian Creek to assist him. Their chief, " Big 
Otter Skin," promised the required help, and many 
of the Indians were ready to offer their assistance 
and help Mr. Reddick raise his wigwam, as they 
called it. Not an Indian came at the appointed time ; 
however, but they sent three squaws, who came riding 
up to the selected site for the cabin at the time fixed 
for the raising. Mr. Reddick told them to remain and 
help his squaw get dinner. They did so, and remained 
until evening. BIr. Reddick then, with the assistance 
of Alexander Smith, John McConnel, and John John- 
son, who were in the township prospecting for a 
location, and Charles Johnson, a boy seventeen years 
of age who had helped him move to the township, 
raised the cabin in two days' time. 

As an incident of pioneer life we will relate that 
Mr. Reddick once upon a time carried on horseback 
a grist of two and one-half bushels of corn sixty 
miles before he could get it ground. He first went 
to William Conners', near Noblesville, and got the 
corn. He took it to the falls of Fall Creek, and, 
being unable to get it ground there, he took it to 
Linton's Mill, on White River, near Indianapolis, 
then operated by Seth Bacon. He left it there and 
returned for it in one week. In time of high waters 
the early settlers used the " hominy-block" to make 
their meal. They would cook the coarsest of the 
meal for the grown folks and the finest for the 
children. Mr. Reddick states that for some time 
after he came into the township he was compelled to 
work all day and hunt raccoons nearly every night ; 
would frequently have three or four skins stretched 
before breakfast. They brought twenty-five cents 



each, and were considered a cash article, while corn, 
wheat, pork, chickens, etc., were exchangeable for 
dry-goods and groceries only. 

Mr. Reddick endured all the hardships and trials 
of a pioneer life, and witnessed the new country in 
which he so many years ago cast his fortune emerge 
from a wilderness to its present state of civilization. 
He is a member of the Universalist Church at Oak- 
land, and has been for twenty-five years. In his 
early settlement the latch-string was always hung 
out at his door, and the weary pilgrim cordially wel- 
comed within. He never refused the hungry food, 
the weary shelter, or the oppressed assistance. He 
has always been ready to nurse the sick, comfort the 
dying, and help bury the dead. His memory is 
good, his health fair, though his age is nearly eighty- 
seven years. He is a ready thinker, and delights to 
relate the incidents of his early pioneer life. He 
has been a farmer all his life, and cleared a large 
farm. His wife was also a member of the Univer- 
salist Church, and died in that faith a few years ago. 
Since her death Mr. Reddick has been living with 
his children. In all he had fourteen children, six of 
whom died in their infancy. 

James Milton, his eldest son, was born in Ohio, 
and came into Lawrence township with his parents. 
He served in the Fiftieth Indiana Regiment, and 
died in Louisville, Ky., in 1862, of typhoid fever. 

William Perry and John Newton (twins), the next 
eldest, were the first white children born in the town- 
ship. The former served in the Twenty-fifth Indiana 
Regiment, and was killed in 1862 at the battle of 
Prairie Grove, Ark. The latter is a farmer, and 
lives on his farm one mile northeast of Lawrence. 

Margaret Ellen lives in Augusta, Ind., is the 
widow of Michael Day, and has two children. 

Charles was born in 1831, left the township in 
1872, and has since lived near Sheridan, Ind. 

Lucinda died of spotted fever in this township in 
1862. Her husband, Jesse Herrin, and two sons, 
Aldus and Fernando, both of age, all live in this 
township. 

Augustus Harrison served nearly four years in the 
Union army (in 1861 to 1865) ; was severely wounded 
at Munfordsville, Ky. He is a resident of this town- 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



539 



ship, and has lived here since his birth, except one 
year in Missouri and three years in Boone County, 
Ind. 

Elisha Taylor, the youngest son of Elisha Reddick, 
has been a resident of this county all his life except 
two years. He now lives in Indianapolis. 

William Reddick was born in Ireland about 1762, 
came to America with his parents when eleven years 
of age. While in Ireland he was bound to an older 
brother to work at the weaver's trade, and when they 
arrived in America he was rebound to a weaver in 
Pennsylvania. At the age of thirteen years he ran 
away and enlisted in Wayne's division, and served in 
the Revolutionary war six years and seven months. 
At the close of the war he returned to near Lebanon, 
Pa., where he married Margaret Trump. He lived 
in Pennsylvania nineteen years after his marriage, 
and then went to what was called the " backwoods" 
in Virginia. In one year he returned to Pennsylva- 
nia. In 1805 he went to Bracken County, Ky., 
where he lived ten years. He then went to Ohio, 
and lived there until the latter part of November, 
1823. During the war of 1812 he kept ferry at the 
mouth of Bull Skin, forty miles above Cincinnati, in 
Clermont County. He came to this township in the 
fall of 1824. He entered for his son Joshua one 
hundred and sixty acres of -land just northwest of the 
mouth of Mud Creek. He lived on that farm until 
his death, in October, 1831, at the age of sixty-nine 
years. He laid out and set apart the first graveyard 
in the township. He was a Methodist nearly all his 
life, and was a moral and strictly honest man. Circuit 
preaching was held at his house for years, and minis- 
ters were always welcome at his abode ; in fact, no 
person ever failed to receive hospitable treatment at 
his hands. He was a class-leader in the church and 
a true Christian. The first sermon ever delivered in 
the township was at his cabin. His wife lived nearly 
forty years after his death, and died in Clinton 
County, 111., of milk sickness, at the age of ninetj- 
three years. She also was a consistent member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church from childhood. 

The number of their children was ten, two of 
whom never came into this county, and but three 
are now living. Margaret lived here twenty years, 



married, went to Missouri, and died, aged eighty-two. 
Polly married James Giles. Died about 1831. 
Katie lived in this county forty years ; married 
James Gittleman. Died in Kansas in May, 1883, 
of apoplexy, at the age of eighty-nine. Elisha (first 
settler in Lawrence as before mentioned). Joshua 
(noticed elsewhere). Helen married Alexander 
McClaren. Died two years ago in Illinois, at the age 
of seventy-two. Lived in this county thirty years, 
and was thirty-five when she left. Lucinda lives 
at Lathrop, Mo. She lived in this county forty 
years. Rachel married Moses McClaren, and lives 
in this county, one mile west of Castleton. She was 
fourteen years old when her parents came to this 
county, and has lived here ever since. Aged seventy- 
three. 

Joshua Reddick, son of William and Margaret 
Reddick, was born in Washington County, Pa., 
May 20, 1804. He went with his father on his 
various journeys till the last of November, 1823, 
when he came to this township. He raised a small 
crop in 1824, and in the fall of that year he went to 
Ohio and brought his parents and sisters to this new 
country. He settled on the farm now known as the 
Elijah Fletcher farm, and one hundred and sixty 
acres of which was entered for him by his father in 
1825. Mr. Reddick lived there about twenty-three 
years. He sold the farm in 1848 and went to Clin- 
ton County, 111., where he resided until October, 
1859, when he died of milk sickness. Mr. Reddick 
and three of his grown children died within two 
weeks' time. His wife died of the same disease in 
the following April. Mr. Reddick married Elizabeth, 
daughter of Adam Eller. Mr. Reddick was a farmer, 
and in religious belief a Universalist. He took a 
great interest in all public improvements, and gave 
all his children a good education. He had eight 
children, — seven were born in this township and 
one in Illinois. Six of the children went to Clin- 
ton County, 111., with their parents. Catharine, the 
youngest, married George Church, and lived here 
until her death in 1878. Three of the other 
children are dead. 

Samuel Morrow was born in Westmoreland 
County, Pa., about 1789, of Irish descent. Married 



540 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAEION COUNTY. 



Agnes Anderson. In 1821 or 1822 himself, wife, 
two sons, Adam Kerr, and his son, Samuel Kerr, 
took passage on a flat-boat, and landed at Cincinnati, 
Ohio, with a span of horses and two "tester" bed- 
steads. They went from there to near Brookviile, 
Ind., and remained till the fall of 1824. Through 
the solicitation of John Johnson, his cousin, he came 
to this township in November, 1824. He entered 
eighty acres of land Aug. 25, 1824. It is known as 
a part of the Webb farm, and joined John Johnson 
on the west. Immediately after his arrival he cleared 
a spot of ground for his cabin, and erected it on the 
north side of Fall Creek. He brought into the town- 
ship with him two horses, one yoke of oxen, and two 
milch-cows. Thirteen persons landed in the township 
with Mr. Morrow, and remained with him in his 
cabin during the following winter. Tlie cabin erected 
was eighteen feet by twenty feet, without floor. The 
roof was made of clapboards, and having no nails to 
nail the boards on, they were weighted down with 
poles, and thus kept in place. The room was divided 
in sleeping apartments by hanging quilts for partitions. 
As soon as Mr. Morrow had his cabin completed he 
began clearing his land. The Indians called fre- 
quently at his cabin, and camped quite a while on 
his farm. A great deal of sickness prevailed at the 
cabin of this new settler. His son, Jacob A., and 
his two daughters, Elizabeth and Thersa, as well as 
Jacob Anderson, who was there on a visit, and Adam 
Kerr, all died there about the same time, and were 
buried in the Joshua Reddick graveyard. His phy- 
sicians were Dr. Isaac Coe and Dr. Mears, of Indian- 
apolis, the nearest doctors. He was a member of 
the Presbyterian Church, and his family used to ride 
horseback to Indianapolis, and attend church at the 
Presbyterian meeting-house on Pennsylvania Street, 
north of Market. He was a moral, upright man, 
sociable, neighborly, and exceedingly popular. He 
was a farmer all his life, and did an immense amount 
of hard work. He experienced all the hardships 
and privations of pioneer life, and stood up bravely 
against them all. He was a voter at the first election 
in the township, and was elected supervisor. When 
he first came to the township he had to go to Con- 
ner's, near Noblesville, and get corn, and then take it 



to a mill on Fall Creek, near where the Crawfords- 
ville road crosses the stream, to get it ground. It 
took two days to make the round trip horseback with 
a two -bushel grist — distance ten miles — from his 
cabin. That was the nearest mill at that time, and 
the nearest school-house was six miles. He lived in 
the township until about 1831, when he went to 
Washington township, this county, and thence to 
Morgan County, Ind. He lost an arm while there, 
and then went to near Colfax, Jasper Co., Iowa, 
where he bought a pre-emption right, and subse- 
quently entered the tract, on which he died in the 
year 1850. His son John died in Iowa. Two 
daughters, Martha Plummer and Margaret Griggs, 
are living, the former in Iowa. 

The following are the names of the thirteen who 
came from Brookville, Ind., to this township to- 
gether : 

Samuel Morrow. 
Agnes Morrow, his wife. 
John Morrow, his son. 
Jacob A. Morrow, his son. 
Robert Ellis. 
Martha Ellis, his wife. 
Elizabeth Ellis, his daughter. 
John Ellis, his son. 
Samuel Stewart Ellis, his son. 
Samuel Johnson Black. 
William M. Black. 
Adam Kerr. 
Samuel Kerr, his son. 

Of the thirteen but three are living, namely : 
Samuel S. Ellis, at Leavenworth, Kan. ; Elizabeth 
Moore, at Des Moines, Iowa ; William M. Black, at 
Indianapolis, Ind. 

Robert Ellis was born in New York State. He 
came on flat-boat from Westmoreland County, Pa., 
to Cincinnati, Ohio, going thence to Brookville, 
Ind., in May, 1824. He brought with him his wife 
(formerly Martha Morrow) and his daughter Eliza- 
beth, and two sons, John and Samuel Stewart, and 
also Samuel Johnson Black, who was living with him. 
In the fall of the same year the party came to this 
township with Samuel Blorrow, and lived with him 
in his cabin for six months. He then settled on 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



541 



Congress land ; farm now owned by Eobert Johnson. 
He raised a cabin, and lived there till about 1830, 
and then went to Hamilton County, Ohio. In 1832 
he went to Marietta, Ohio, to visit a sister, took the 
cholera, and died. The heirs failed to pay for the 
land he had bought in Hamilton County, and lost it. 
His wife was a Presbyterian, and, after her husband's 
death, moved to various places, finally to Iowa, and 
died there at the house of her daughter, Elizabeth 
Moore, in Des Moines. Of the three children who 
came into this township with their parents two are 
living. Elizabeth married S. P. Moore, and lives in 
Des Moines, Iowa ; Samuel Stewart lives in Leaven- 
worth, Kan. ; John went to Illinois years ago, and 
died there. There were four other children born 
after Mr. Ellis and family came here, viz. : James, 
who died in the army ; Margaret, who lived in Iowa 
at last accounts ; Mary J., who lives in Chicago with 
her daughter ; William B., who lives in Franklin, Ind. 

Samuel Johnson Black came to the township at 
the age of twelve years, and lived with Robert Ellis 
about five years. He then began learning the tan- 
ner's trade with Abraham Sellers, in this township, 
worked three years, and then went to Indianapolis 
with Blythe and Noble. He died in Newton, Jasper 
Co., Iowa, about 1853. He was one of the party of 
thirteen who came here together in the fall of 1824. 

Adam Kerr came to the township with Samuel 
Morrow, his brother-in-law, from Pennsylvania, at an 
advanced age, and lived here until his death, which 
occurred Aug. 27, 1828. He was buried in the 
Roddick graveyard. 

Samuel Kerr came to this township with his 
father, Adam, and Samuel Morrow. He was a boy 
thirteen years of age in the year 1824. After his 
father's death he continued living with Samuel Mor- 
row and with Hiram Bacon until a young man ; 
learned the blacksmith trade with Thomas Long, 
worked at journey-work awhile, and then began busi- 
ness for himself near where Millersville now stands. 
He married Caroline Ringer, and after her death he 
married Catherine Easterday. He carried on his 
trade for several years, where Glen Ethel now is, 
and died there in 1861. He was a member of the 
Masonic fraternity, a moral, industrious citizen, firm 



in his convictions, and his word was as good as his 
bond. He experienced all the trials incident to 
pioneer life. 

William M. Black, son of Thomas R. and Sarah 
Black, was born in Erie County, Pa., on the waters of 
French Creek, Jan. 1, 1811. He was taken by his 
uncle, Samuel Morrow, on horseback when quite a 
small boy to Westmoreland County, Pa. He came 
from there with Robert Ellis and family to near 
Brookville, Ind., in May, 1824, aod iu the fall of the 
same year came to this township, being one of the 
party of thirteen. He lived with Samuel Morrow 
till Jan. 18, 1827, and helped him clear land. Mr. 
Morrow gave him the privilege of remaining with 
him till of age and receiving an eighty-acre tract of • 
land or learning a trade. He chose to learn the tan- 
ner's trade. He learned it with Yandes & Wilkins 
in Indi-anapolis. He lived with John Wilkins in a 
house that stood where the station-house now stands. 
Apprenticed five years, after which he worked at 
journey-work till March, 1833. He then entered 
into a partnership with Yandes & Wilkins, himself 
owning a half interest, and bought a tan-yard of John 
G. Kline at Mooresville, Ind. In 1839, Mr. Black' 
sold his interest and moved to Indianapolis, and has 
lived there ever since, following various occupations. 
On July 4, 1833, he married Frances Hard wick, 
daughter of John and Sarah Hardwick. They have 
had nine children, six of whom are living, — Sarah and 
John H. live in Indianapolis, Martha J. lives at home 
with her parents, Nancy L. lives in Morgan County, 
Thomas S. is in Virginia, and Elizabeth lives in 
Washington Territory. Mr. Black is an ardent Free- 
mason, and is tiler of every lodge, chapter, council, 
and eommandery, both subordinate and grand, that 
meets in the Masonic Temple. He has been tiler of 
Marion Lodge since 1867, and of the Grand Lodge 
since 1869. When the old Masonic building was 
torn down in 1874 his name was found recorded on 
papers found in the corner-stone, showing that he was 
a member when that building was erected. His name 
is also deposited in the corner-stone of the new build- 
ing. He was raised a Presbyterian, but is now a 
Methodist. He saw the first engine and first steam- 
boat, " General Hanna," come to Indianapolis. 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Robert Warren was born in Kentucky in 1797, on 
Clinch Mountain, at the head of Big Sandy, and with 
his wife and two children, William and Matilda, came 
to this county in 1821, and lived near where Millers- 
ville now is till the year 1824, then came to this 
township, and entered eighty acres of land just north 
of and adjoining the land known as the Elisha Reddick 
land. He lived there seven years and then went to 
Crawfordsville, where he lived five years, and moved to 
Michigan, and subsequently to Iowa, where he was 
living at last accounts. He was a great hunter and a 
crack shot. He killed a large number of deer ; his 
gun furnished most of the meat for the table. He 
was a member of the Methodist Church when he 
lived in this county ; he afterwards became a Univer- 
salist. Mr. Warren was a kind and good neighbor, 
and a skillful nurse of the sick. He was very healthy 
and robust. When he left this county six children 
and his wife left with him. Nothing further is known 
of their history. 

John Sellers was born in Kentucky, on Clinch 
Mountain, at the head of Big Sandy, about the year 
1797. He came to this county in 1821 and settled 
near (east of) where Millersville now is. Lived there 
three years, and then entered eighty acres in what is 
known as the Ringer Settlement in this township. 
He cleared a portion of the tract, and about 1840 he 
sold out and went to Illinois, where he died about 
1871. 

Christopher Sellers was born about 1804, on Clinch 
Mountain, in Kentucky. He married a daughter of 
Nathan Essary about 1827. He came to this county 
in 1822, and into this township about 1825. He 
went to Hamilton County, Ind., about 1829, and died 
there about 1880. 

Daniel Sharts came to this county with a colony of 
Lutherans in the year 1824, and with his wife and 
four children settled on a farm now owned by Anna 
C. Pressly, two miles south of Millersville. He 
entered a tract of land there and lived upon it until 
he died, about ten or twelve years ago. He was a 
Lutheran all his life, and took an active part in all 
church affairs. He was a justice of the peace for some 
years, and was a good citizen. Of the children that 
came with him, Hanson was raised in this township, 



and is now living in the county. Joseph died in 
California about 1850. He was drowned in the 
American River. Rebecca went to Illinois about 
1855, and lives there now. William died in Hamilton 
County, Ind., three years ago. 

Fountain Kimberlain was born in Kentucky. He 
came to this county in 1820, and first settled about 
half a mile north of where AUisonville now is. He 
lived there seven years. In 1827 he came to this town- 
ship, and entered the eighty-acre tract of land now 
owned by his heirs. On that land he lived until his 
death, in 1864. He followed, farming all his life. He 
built a saw-mill on Fall Creek about 1835, but 
tore it down in about five years. The election was 
held at his house for several years from about 
18.37. In 1827 he married Elizabeth Shenkle. He 
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
nearly all his life, — a conscientious, upright, moral 
man. There were born unto himself and wife ten 
children, three of whom are living, namely : Marion 
and John Wesley, farmers, and residents of this town- 
ship ; and Julia Ann, wife of John Thorp, a resident 
of this township. 

Christopher Beaver was born in North Carolina, 
and emigrated to this township about 1824, and 
settled near where the Salem Lutheran Church now 
stands. He came to this country with two six -horse 
teams, following an Indian trail for more than twenty 
miles. His wife died in Butler County, Ohio ; and 
six children came from there to his new home here 
with him. He died here after a continuous residence 
of thirty-one years. He was a farmer all his life. 
He spent all his spare time hunting deer for years 
after his arrival here, and he was a dead shot. He 
never swore, drank, or gambled. He was a strict 
Lutheran for several years prior to his death. Polly, 
the oldest daughter, came to the township in 1824 
with her husband, Samuel Harrison, and three chil- 
dren. She died here about twenty years ago. Wil- 
liam, born in North Carolina, came to this township 
with his father, and died here about 1859. Sarah, 
born in North Carolina, came to this township with 
her father, and died in Oakland, Marion Co., about 
1873. Mary, born in North Carolina, came to this 
township with her father, and died in Hamilton 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



543 



County, Ind., fourteen years ago. Henry, Moses, Ann, 
and Elizabeth were born in Ohio, and came to this 
township with their father. They all lived here until 
their deaths. Henry died eight years ago ; Moses 
died forty years ago ; Ann died fifteen years ago, at 
the age of thirty years ; Elizabeth married James N. 
McCoy, and died at the age of sixty-one years only a 
few years ago. 

Samuel Harrison was born in North Carolina, and 
with his wife and three children came from Butler 
County, Ohio, to this township in 1824 with his 
father-in-law, Christopher Beaver, and lived on his 
farm eight years. He then went to Hamilton County, 
Ind., and died there about twenty years ago. He 
was a blacksmith by trade. He took a lease and 
cleared a large tract of land in this township. He 
followed farming the latter part of his life. He 
was a moral man, — a member of the Campbellite 
Church. 

Samuel North was born near Stillwater, Ohio, and 
from there came to Lawrence township in 1825 with 
his wife, formerly Mahala Brooks, and one daughter. 
He entered the eighty-acre tract of land now owned 
by V. T. Malott, one mile west of Lawrence. He 
lived there two years, and moved into Washington 
township, this county, and died near AUisonville 
many years ago. He was a farmer. 

William North was born near Stillwater, Ohio. 
He came here in 1825 with his wife and one child. 
He lived here four years, then sold out, and returned 
to Ohio. He subsequently went to Missouri. 

Joseph North came here from Little Troy, Ohio, at 
an early date, and owned forty acres where John 
Newhouse now lives. In or about 1850, he returned 
to Ohio. 

John North was born in North Carolina. He was 
a Tory during the Revolutionary war. Prom Nortli 
Carolina he went to Ohio, and in the spring of 1827 
he came here. There were high waters nearly the 
whole of that year, and he had a terrible time getting 
to his destination. He entered the eighty acres of 
land now owned by James McHaffey. Mr. North 
was a farmer, and both himself and wife lived to 
be about ninety years of age. They both died on 
the old homestead many years ago. 



James North was born in North Carolina. He 
emigrated to Stillwater, Ohio, and thence here in the 
year 1821. After his arrival he married Mary Flan- 
nigan, and three sons and one daughter were the 
number of their children. He lived here about 
thirty-five years, until his death, in 1860, He never 
owned any land, though he was a farmer. 

Thomas North came to this township from Still- 
water, Ohio, in the year 1824. He entered eighty 
acres of land, now owned by Samuel Cory ; he was a 
farmer, and died in 1826. His daughter, Matilda, 
married Richard North, and went to Missouri about 
1838. His son, Alexander, returned to Stillwater, 
Ohio, about 1838. 

David Ringer was born in Maryland in 1790. 
Himself and family, consisting of wife (Susan Darr) 
and two children, came with the Lutheran colony to 
this county in 1824. He located at once on the 
land now owned by James Pressly, and lived there 
the remainder of his life, — about forty-one years He 
died June 25, 1865. He was one of the prominent 
members of the colony, and identified with the Lu- 
theran Church nearly all his life. He was a farmer 
and a good citizen. He was married three times ; his 
last wife died at the age of eighty-nine years. His 
son Peter died at New Britain, Ind., in 1859; lived 
in this township twenty-seven years. His daughter 
Delana is the wife of Leander Harper, a prominent 
citizen of Lawrence township. 

Conrad Ringer was born in Washington, Md., in 
1792. Himself and family, consisting of wife (Mary 
D. Bower) and four children, came from Maryland to 
this State with the colony of Lutherans, and located in 
this township in 1824, about one mile southeast of 
where Millersville now is. He entered two hundred 
and forty acres, and lived upon the land until his 
death, in 1851. The land is now owned by six dif- 
ferent persons. He followed farming all his life. He 
was a member of the Lutheran Church long before 
he came to this county, and was a leading member at 
the time of his death. He was an earnest encourager 
of all laudable enterprises, a good citizen and a Chris- 
tian. The names of the children who came with him 
to this county are Caroline, Joseph, Jacob J., and 
Emma E. The first named married Samuel Kerr, 



544 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and died December, 1844. Joseph was a farmer and 
blacksmith ; died about 1857 ; lived in township 
twentj-eight years. Jacob J. lived in this county 
about twenty-nine years ; now lives in Cass County, 
Ind. Emma B. married John C. Hoss, and has lived 
in this county since 1824. Mr. Ringer had five chil- 
dren born in this county, — three boys and two girls. 
Two are living, Harrison and Ann, both in this town- 
ship. 

Jeremiah Vanlaningham was born in Fleming 
County, Ky., in May, 1801. He assisted his father 
in clearing a farm in Bath County, Ky. At the age 
of eighteen he went to New Orleans as a hand on a 
flat-boat, returning home on foot. He drove hogs to 
Washington City in 1821, and returned to Kentucky 
on foot. In 1822 drove hogs to South Carolina, and 
returned on foot. In 1823 drove hog.s to North 
Carolina, and returned home on foot. In 1824 drove 
hogs to Petersburg, Va., and returned home on foot. 
In fall of 1824 he came to Indiana and selected land 
in this township, upon which he moved with his wife 
and two children in the fall of 1828. The farm is 
situated on Indian Creek, one mile southwest of Oak- 
land. He settled in the woods and cleared a farm, 
and resides upon it now. His wife (Nancy Denton), 
to whom he was married in 1822, died about seven 
years ago. Mr. Vanlaningham is a highly respected 
and prominent citizen of the township. He has 
endured many privations and trials, but has triumphed 
over them all. Of the two children who came to the 
township with, him but one (Woodford) is now alive. 
He has lived in the township fifty-five years. The 
other child (Jane) lived in the township seventeen 
years ; married James McClain, and is now dead. Mr. 
Vanlaningham had eight children born here ; six are 
living. Ellen lives in Hancock County, Ind., and John 
lives in Texas ; the remainder live in this township. 

Alexander Smith came into this township in 1825 
and entered forty acres on Indian Creek, near its 
mouth. In 1827 he married Betsy McConnell. He 
was a shoemaker by trade, but followed farming also 
for a livelihood. He lived on that forty acres about 
twelve years, and then moved to the Indian reserve 
in this State, where he lived about twelve years until 
his death. 



John Shenkles was born in Ohio in 1803 ; was 
married to Isabel McConnell in Brown County, Ohio, 
in 1822. In 1824 they came to this township and 
settled on Indian Creek, two and a half miles south 
of where Oakland now is. He remained there about 
twenty-two years, and emigrated with his family to 
Illinois, and subsequently to Iowa, where he died 
about 1877. He was a farmer, and a member of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church for thirty years 
previous to his death. His wife also belonged to 
the same church. 

John Mock was born June 1, 1820, in Butler 
County, Ohio. At the age of three years he went 
with his father to Ripley County, Ind. ; lived there 
three years, and returned to Ohio ; remained there 
till 1831, in which year he came to this township 
with his father. He has resided here since 1831. 
His mother died when he was but seventeen months 
old. Mr. Mock has lived on his farm adjoining Oak- 
land during the past thirty-two years, and in the 
township fifty-two years. He laid ofi' an addition to 
the town of Oakland several years ago. He has been 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church about 
twenty-five years. He has been married twice. His 
first wife's maiden name was Leah Klepfer, and that 
of his second wife was Mary Ann Lingle. Mr. Mock 
is a Freemason, a Democrat, and a good citizen. 

Alexis Riley was born in Maryland about 1802. 
At the age of eleven years he went to Clermont 
County, Ohio, and in the year 1824 he came to this 
county. He worked two years for Peter Negley, 
near Millersville, this county, and in 1826 bought 
forty acres of government land about two miles south- 
west of where Oakland now is. He came into the 
township with his family, consisting of wife (Nancy 
Moore) and four children. He was a farmer and great 
stock-raiser. He was raised a Catholic, but never pro- 
fessed any religion. He was a great promoter of the 
public schools and the cause of education. At one 
time he operated a little mill on Indian Creek for 
about ten years. In all he had ten children, — two by 
his second wife (Jane Davis). Of the four children 
who came into the township with him, two, John 
and Oliver, are dead, and Elias L. went to Illinois 
about 1856, and lives there now. Ellen has never 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



545 



left the township, and is now the wife of Joseph N. 
Day. Of the children born here, Charles J. and 
George N. are dead ; Stephen P., Wesley, Lavinia, 
and William have lived here since their birth. 

Stephen P. Riley is a son of Alexis and Nancy 
Riley, and was born in this township in 1832, and 
lived in it ever since. He lives half a mile west of 
Oakland on a farm. He married Lizzie Bolander, 
and has four children, — one son and three daughters. 
He is a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd-Fellows, and Free and Ac- 
cepted Masons. He is one of the most influential 
citizens in the township. He takes a great interest 
in politics, and always votes the Republican ticket. 
He takes great delight in encouraging every worthy 
public enterprise. 

William Lakin came here from Clermont County, 
Ohio, about 1833, and took a lease. Afterwards he 
traded the lease for forty acres where Daniel Jordan 
now lives. He took an active part in the building 
of the first church in this township, and was a 
prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church for nearly half a century. He was a class- 
leader and an exhorter, and took a great interest in 
church afiairs. He moved to Jennings County, Ind., 
about 184Y, and died two years ago. His widow 
lives in Indianapolis. One of his children lives in 
Ripley County, Ind. One of his daughters married, 
and lives in Grant County, Ind. Another lives in 
this township, and is Anderson Hamilton's widow. 

Alexander Mock was born in Butler County, Ohio, 
in 1815. He came to this township in 1831, and is 
one of its prominent and successful farmers. 

James Hines, Sr., came from Lawrenceburg, 
Ind., to this township in 1826 with a wife, two 
sons, and one daughter. He herded fifty head of 
cattle for Gen. Hanna for some time, and the 
general gave Mr. Hines a forty-acre tract of land, 
entered by him, situated one-half mile southwest of 
where Oakland now is. He was a farmer and a great 
hog-trader. His three children are all dead. James 
was killed accidentally at the Methodist Episcopal 
Church building in Oakland ; Lovey married John 
Hoss, and died the mother of six children ; Clark died 
in Hancock County, Ind., about 1881. He lived 



here about forty years. James Hines, Sr., died 
about 1850. His wife is also dead. Thus not one 
of the family of five that came here together is living 
to-day. 

Andrew McDonald was born in North Carolina. 
He came from Clermont County, Ohio, with a wife 
and several children to this township in 1826, and 
entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in 1827. 
Mr. G. McLain is the present owner of the tract. 
Mr. McDonald was a farmer ; remained here only a 
short time. 

William Callon was born in Kentucky May 16, 
1799. He went to Clermont County, Ohio, with his 
parents at the age of four years. There he married 
Ruth Wells, and in the year 1828 he emigrated with 
his family — wife and two children — to this township. 
He entered sixty-three acres three-fourths of a mile 
north of where Lawrence now is ; was a farmer, and 
a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 
forty years. He died Jan. 7, 1867. His wife 
died June 6, 1880. William and Leonidas were the 
children that came here with the father and mother. 
William died at the age of eighteen years ; Leonidas 
went to Iowa in 1868, and now lives there. There 
were eight other children, all born in this township. 

James Giles and family came from Bracken County, 
Ky., in 1824, and entered eighty acres where 
Joseph IS". Day now resides, — near the mouth of 
Indian Creek. His wife's maiden name was Mary 
Reddick, whom he married in 1818. He lived here 
until 1835, and then went to Tipton County, and died 
in May, 1875. He was a farmer, and a fine man. 
He had two sons and four daughters. William, the 
oldest son, died while working on the Wabash and 
Erie Canal, in Hamilton County, Ind. ; James and 
Sallie live in Tipton County ; Lettie in Missouri ; 
Marie lives near Perkinsville, Ind., and Catharine is 
dead. 

Robert Huston came from Brown County, Ohio, 
to this township about 1827, and worked on the farm 
of Elisha Reddick one year, raising five acres of 
corn. The next spring he went to Rush County, 
Ind., where he had left his family, and brought them 
here. He resided for several years on the farm east of 
the Mcllvain farm and north of Fall Creek, and then 



546 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



moved to wbat is known as the McCormick farm. 
Here he lived until about 1848, when he died at the 
age of fifty-eight years. He married Barbara 
Shengles. She has been dead thirty years. Mr. 
Huston was a Methodist seven years ; was constable 
for ten years, and was serving as such when he died. 
He had five sons and two daughters, — William, 
Jacob, Joshua, George, Fountain, Betsy, and Polly. 
Fountain and William live in Bracken County, Ky. ; 
Jacob and George are dead, — the former died here 
at the age of thirty, and the latter died about 1873, 
and his family lives in Washington Territory ; Joshua 
lives in Boone County, Ind. ; Betsy and Polly both 
died unmarried before 1861 in Warren township, 
this county. 

Henry Hardin came from Lawrenceburg, Ind., to 
Lawrence township in the fall of 1825, and settled in 
the woods on one hundred and forty acres of land that 
hehad entered from thegovernment. He raised a cabin 
upon his land, on a spot near where Jonah F. Lemon 
now resides. He cleared about forty acres of the 
fractional quarter-section. His wife's maiden name 
was Ludwick. He was converted at a prayer-meeting 
at the house of William Reddick about 1828, and 
shortly afterwards began preaching. He lived in 
this township twenty years, and then moved to Iowa. 
He was a moral, upright, conscientious man, and a 
kind, generous neighbor. 

Ephriam Morrison came to this township in the 
year 1825 from Lawrenceburg, Ind., bought the farm 
of one hundred and forty-two acres owned by William 
McClaren, and settled upon it. At that time fifteen 
acres was cleared. The farm is now owned by H. M. 
and J. E. Hunter. In 1845 he went to Iowa, and died 
there after a residence of five years. His sons, Wil- 
liam and Perry, went to California after their father's 
death, but subsequently returned, and took their 
mother (who was a sister to Henry Hardin) and the 
rest of the family to California. 

William McClaren was born in Manchester, Ohio, 
in 1791. He emigrated in 1824 with his wife and 
two children to this township, and entered the 
fractional quarter-section subsequently owned by 
Ephraim Morrison, but now owned by H. M. and J. E. 
Hunter. He lived there only one year, sold to Mor- 



rison, and purchased the ninety-one-acre tract now 
owned by D. Leatherman. He lived there about ten 
years, and went to Bloomington, Iowa, where he died. 
His family are all dead except his son Andrew. Mr. 
McClaren had four children when he left this county. 
He was a great trader, and made his living mostly in 
that way. He was an intelligent man, and one of the 
shrewdest in this township in those days. He was a 
good pettifogger, and practiced considerably before the 
justices of the peace. 

Robert Wells was born in Mason County, Ky., in 
1804. Emigrated with wife and son Aaron to this 
township about 1827, and bought the fractional quar- 
ter-section now owned by John Newton Reddick, 
where he lived for twenty or twenty-five years. He 
then sold the farm to Robert Walpole and went to 
Stringtown, Ind., where he lived two years, thence 
moved to the Twelve-mile Prairie, thence to Ander- 
son, and since the war of 1861—65 went to 
Illinois, where he died about 1875. His wife died 
when he lived on the Twelve-mile Prairie. He was a 
farmer while he lived here, but subsequently became 
a shoemaker and a dealer in harness and saddlery. 
He and his wife were both members of the United 
Brethren Church, and they died in that faith. For 
four or five years that denomination held preaching 
at his house. He took a great interest in improving 
the public highways, in advancing the cause of edu- 
cation, and, in fact, in all laudable public enterprises. 
He was regarded by all who knew him as a model 
gentleman, and by his emigration the township lost 
one of its best citizens. He had six children when 
he left here. His son Aaron lives in Illinois. 

John Johnson was a native of Ireland, but was 
raised in Kentucky. He went from there to Ohio. 
From there he came to this township, arriving on 
New- Year's day, 1824. He entered in all seven 
hundred and twenty acres of land in the vicinity of 
where the correction line crosses Fall Creek. He 
erected his cabin about half a mile southeast of the 
hill known as the Johnson Hill. There he lived 
until his death in 1849, aged sixty-seven years. His 
wife's maiden name was Jane McConnel. She died 
four years before him, at the age of sixty-three years. 
He was an elder in the Presbyterian Church, and 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



547 



took great interest in church affairs. His wife and 
the most of his children died in that faith. He 
built a mill on Fall Creek in 1825, and operated it 
for years. The first election ever held in the town- 
ship was at his cabin, and he was one of the thirteen 
electors. He was instrumental in bringing quite a 
number of new settlers into the township shortly after 
his arrival. He was a farmer and miller, — industri- 
ous, persevering, and moral. He had two sons and 
five daughters. Charles, the oldest son, came to the 
township with Elisha Reddick in October, 1823. 
When twenty-one years of age his father gave him 
eighty acres of land. Charles grubbed three acres. 
He went in swimming the day after he was twenty- 
one years old, took the fever, and died four days 
thereafter. John Calvin died two years after his 
father's death. Elizabeth married Elisha Reddick 
in Ohio in 1822, and died in this township March 
11, 1872, at the age of sixty-eight years. Isabel, 
Mary, and Jennie are also dead. Nellie married 
John Newkirk, moved to Carlisle, 111., about 1850, 
where she now resides. 

Robert Large came into the township about 1825. 
He owned no land, but lived on the farm now owned 
by Philip Miller ; lived there eight years and went to 
Washington township, this county, and subsequently 
died there. His vocation was fishing, and he did 
little else. 

James Ballenger came to this township about 1825. 
He lived on Daniel Ballenger's land, half a mile east 
of where Millersville now is, about eight years, then 
wont to Washington township, this county, and died 
there. 

George Long was a native of England. He came 
to this township with his family about 1827, and 
entered one hundred and sixty acres, now owned by 
Dr. Jonathan Conkle. He lived there ten or twelve 
years and went to Missouri, where he now resides. 
He is a tailor by trade, but was a farmer when 
here, and cleared a large farm. Two of his daugh- 
ters live here. Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph Swarm, 
lives in Centre township, and Ellen, the widow of 
Simeon Mock, lives near Germantown. 

Alexander McClaren was born near Portsmouth, 
Ohio, in 1 804. He went to Kentucky when a mere 



boy, and from there came to this township in 1824. 
He was married here to Helen Reddick. daughter of 
William Reddick. He bought eighty acres, the farm 
now owned by John Sargent, in 1828. He was a 
shoemaker, and worked at his trade evenings. He 
was a very industrious man, and prospered. He and 
his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and he improved every opportunity to ad- 
vance the interest of that denomination. He was a 
leader in the building of the Hopewell Methodist 
Episcopal Church. He sold his land here about 
1850 and went to Clinton County, 111. He died 
about 1859. He had six sons and four daughters. 
His wife died in 1881. Five of the sons lived in 
Clinton County, 111. Andrew died more than twenty 
years ago. 

Moses McClaren was born in Adams County, Ohio, 
Nov. 15, 1810, and went to Kentucky with his parents 
about 1820. From there he came to Marion County 
in the fall of 1823, and in 1832 settled in this town- 
ship, half a mile above the mouth of Mud Creek. 
That year he married Rachel, daughter of William 
Reddick. He lived in this township twelve years, 
following farming. He and his wife now live half a 
mile east of Allisonville, this county, where they have 
lived during the last fifty-one years. He has been 
a member of the Allisonville Methodist Episcopal 
Church since 1849. He is a Republican in politics. 
His residence of sixty-three years in the county has 
given him an opportunity to become acquainted with 
the first citizens. He is now in the "sear and yellow 
leaf" of life, and is honored and respected by all 
who know him. His children, nine in number, are 
all dead. 

John Gillam entered one hundred and sixty acres 
in 1828, the same now owned by John F. Sterrett. 
He was a farmer, and a hard-working man. He 
raised quite a family of children, and taught them 
all to believe in witches and witchcraft. He sold his 
land here, and went to Illinois with his family in 
1840. 

John Collins came to this county from Mason 
County, Ky., in 1820. He was in Washington 
township a few years, and in 1824 or 1825 he came 
into this township, where he lived about twenty years. 



548 



HISTOKY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



He followed hunting for a living, was in the woods 
nearly all the time, and strolled from place to place. 
No person knows whither he went from this town- 
ship. 

Adam EUer came from Stillwater, Ohio, with 
family (wife and six children) in a very early day. 
He entered one hundred and sixty acres, a part of 
which is now owned by Philip Miller. Mr. EUer 
was a farmer, and died there forty years ago. His 
wife also died several years ago. His daughters were 
Elizabeth, Lucinda, and Nancy, and they all moved 
to Illinois years ago. His sons were David, Andrew, 
and Leonard. 

David Eller came from Stillwater, Ohio, with his 
father, Adam. He entered the farm now owned by 
Ettie Newhouse, and married Lucinda Reddick. He 
was a farmer and also a carpenter. He was a great 
and noted hunter. About 1854 he went to Kirks- 
ville. Mo., and died there in 1875. He was in Cali- 
fornia during the gold fever about 1849. 

Leonard Eller came from Ohio with his father, 
Adam. He went West at the age of twenty years. 

Andrew Eller, son of Adam, came here with his 
father at a very early date. His first wife was 
Martha, daughter of John McConnell. Mr. Eller 
entered eighty acres, now owned by Josiah Day. He 
moved upon it in 1835, and in 1840 he moved on 
the farm now owned by Christopher McConnell. In 
about 1853 he moved on the John Johnson place. 
His second wife's maiden name was Elizabeth Flanin- 
gan. She only lived three years, and he then mar- 
ried the widow of John Calvin Johnson. In 1859 
he went to Missouri, but returned to this county 
during the Rebellion on account of the troubles in 
Missouri. At the close of the war he returned to 
Missouri. In the early settlement of the country 
he was a great deer-hunter. He was a good citizen 
and a kind neighbor when in this county. 

Edmund Newhouse was born near Charlestown, 
Va., about 1796, and came here in 1832. He 
entered one hundred and sixty acres about three- 
fourths of a mile west of where Lawrence now is. 
He followed farming for a livelihood until a few 
years ago. He is now eighty-seven years old, and 
lives on the old homestead with his children. He 



has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church about fifty years, and was one of the 
founders of the Lawrence Methodist Episcopal 
Church about the year 1838. He and his children 
and grandchildren are among the best and most 
highly respected of Lawrence township's citizens. 

Jacob Shenkle came here from Brown County, 
Ohio, with his wife, two sons, and a daughter. He 
entered one hundred and sixty acres of land on 
Indian Creek, — now owned by Lewis Hossenfans, — 
and was assessor of the township by appointment 
many years. He sold his farm in 1841 and left the 
county. His son John went to Illinois, and Benja- 
min moved West. His daughter Elizabeth married 
Fountain Kimberlain in 1827. 

William Dickerson came from Kentucky to this 
county in 1825 with his wife, three sons, and five 
daughters. He lived three miles east of Indian- 
apolis for five years, and then came to this township 
and entered eighty acres, being the east eighty- 
acre tract now owned by John D. Louden. He was 
a farmer, and died on the above eighty-acre tract 
in the year 1851. Merritt, his second son, was 
killed by a railway train, in 1850, at the crossing of 
Indian Creek. The other two sons are dead. The 
five daughters went to Pana, 111. 

Abel Swords came from Ohio about the year 
1827, and entered the west eighty-acre tract now 
owned by John D. Louden. His wife, four sons, 
and two daughters came here with him. He died 
in Washington township, this county, about 1861. 
His wife died on the old homestead. His sons, 
William and Robert, live in this township. 

Daniel Speece was born Jan. 10, 1802, in the 
State of Kentucky. From there he came to this 
township in January, 1828. He was married, 
March 9, 1825, to Elizabeth Fidaman. They emi- 
grated here with two children, Franklin and Fred- 
erick M. Mr. Speece was a farmer. He was a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church since 
the oldest member of the family can remember, and 
he died in that faith at an advanced age. His 
widow is still living, although very feeble. Mr. 
Speece, if not the first, was one of the first teachers 
in the first log school-house built in this township. 



LA WHENCE TOWNSHIP. 



549 



Their son Franklin died in 1852, and Frederick M. 
emigrated to Kansas. Thirteen other children were 
born to these old pioneers, eight of whom are dead. 
William H. lives at home with his mother ; George 
lives at Glenn's Valley, this county ; Thomas B. J. 
lives in this township ; Joseph is in Missouri ; and 
Martha Ann in Kansas. 

John Thomas was born June 20, 1805, near Red 
Stone Old Fort, Pa. He lived in Hamilton County, 
Ohio, from June, 1806, till 1815, when he went to 
Clermont County, Ohio. His mother died in the 
year 1810. Mr. Thomas was married to Harriet 
Bradbury on the 9th of March, 1828. On Sept. 
16, 1832, he came here and settled in the woods 
near and east of Minnewan Springs. He made 
shelter for his family out of brush until he could 
raise a log cabin. After his cabin was in order, he 
and bis wife began clearing the eighty-acre tract 
upon which he now resides and which they had 
previously entered. Two children, Elizabeth and 
Benjamin, emigrated to the township with their 
parents. These old pioneers had seven children 
after they arrived here. They raised all these chil- 
dren to be full-grown men and women. Six of them 
are dead and three are living. His wife, Harriet, 
died in March, 1863. The following children are 
living : the two who emigrated to this township with 
their father, and John M., the next to youngest 
son. 

Mr. Thomas was a school-teacher for several years 
during the first settlement of the township. He 
cleared and improved the farm upon which he now 
resides. He was elected captain of the Indiana 
militia in Lawrence township, March 23, 1833, and 
held that commission for five years and then re- 
signed. He was elected justice of the peace in 1856, 
and re-elected twice in succession, but resigned after 
eleven years' service. He has served as supervisor 
and as school trustee several terms. He served one 
term as clerk of the board of township trustees. He 
has been a member of the Universalist Church con- 
tinuously since 1840. He has led an active and 
industrious life, and takes rank as one of the best 
citizens of the township. He has always encouraged 
every commendable public enterprise. He is now 



seventy-eight years of age, and is living with his 
second wife, whom he married April 9, 1876. 

Abraham Sellers was born Jan. 25, 1805, in North 
Carolina. He served three years as an apprentice, 
and learned the tanner's trade in Clermont County, 
Ohio. In the year 1827 he came to this township. 
In order to reach his destination he was compelled to 
cut his way through the brush and timber during 
the last four miles of his journey. He entered eighty 
acres, now owned by his heirs, and he subsequently 
purchased an additional eighty acres. He married 
Lydia Rumple when in Ohio, and he, his wife, and 
two children (Susan and Elizabeth) came to this 
county in a wagon. He cleared a large farm in 
this township, and followed farming for a living. 
He had a tan-yard on his farm for many years, and 
occasionally worked at his trade. He was a moral 
man, and used his influence for the good of society. 
He was a member of the Lutheran Church, and ser- 
vices were held at his house for years before any 
church was built in the neighborhood in which he 
lived. He built a saw-mill on Fall Creek about the 
year 1853, and sold it after operating it two years. 
Mr. Sellers died March 10, 1875. His first wife, 
Lydia, died in 1850. The two eldest children are 
also dead. Seven children v^ere born unto Mr. Sel- 
lers after he came to the township, two of whom are 
dead. 

Amos Hanway came to this county from Vin- 
cennes, Ind., in the year 1821. He came into this 
township in 1824, and lived till his death on the 
farm now owned by his son Samuel. Mr. Hanway 
came to this county on a flat-boat up White River. 
He brought his wife and three children, — Mary, 
Amos, and Ann B. The last-named married James 
Crigler, April 24, 1836. Mr. Crigler was a member 
of the Lutheran Church. He is now dead. His 
widow is living, aged sixty-five years. Mary Han- 
way married Isaac Doty, and died one year there- 
after. Amos Hanway, Jr., is still living, and is a 
leading member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Francis Flannigan was born in Maryland. He 
moved to North Carolina, and married there Mary 
Eller. He moved to Miami County, Ohio, and 
thence to this township in October, 1824. He en- 



550 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tered eighty acres about one and a quarter miles 
southeast of where Millersville now is. His children 
were : James, located east of where Millersville now 
is ; John, located near where No. 4 school-house now 
is; Elizabeth, located north of where John located; 
Sarah, located near same place ; Peter, married in 
Lawrence township to Nancy Mock, located north 
of the Marion County line, in Hamilton County ; 
Leonard, married in Lawrence township to Amelia 
Mitchell, located in Hamilton County, afterwards 
moved back to Marion County, and located on Mud 
Creek ; Francis F., lived one year and three months 
in Marion County, then died, age not known. Mr. 
Flannigan's widow married James North, and died 
in 1863, aged eighty-one years. The first school at- 
tended by the children was in an old log house on 
the Smay farm, one mile south of where Millersville 
now is. It was taught by Samuel Burns. / 

John Flannigan, the second eldest child of Francis 
Flannigan, came to the township in October, 1824:, 
and located on eighty acres now owned by John 
Johnson. He afterwards married Elizabeth North, 
farmed four years, and worked in the saw-mills at 
Millersville, Germantown, Cicero, and other places. 
He died at Jesse Klepfer's, in this township, about 
1860, aged fifty-seven years. He was buried at 
Hopewell. He had eight children, — four sons and 
four daughters. Three of the former and one of 
the latter are living. 

Jam.es Flannigan (born May, 1804), eldest child 
of Francis Flannigan, came to this township in 1824, 
with his wife, Susannah Bracken, daughter of John 
Bracken, of Tennessee. Mr. Flannigan first located 
east of where Millersville now is, and subsequently 
just north of where his brother John located, where 
he continued to reside until his death, in 1876. His 
aged wife also died the same year. Mr. Flannigan 
was a farmer, and cleared a large farm, and raised a 
large family of children, five of whom are now living. 
He endured all the trials incident to a pioneer life, 
and died respected by all who knew him. 

Peter Bolander was born in Pennsylvania. He 
emigrated to this township in 1833, and entered the 
one hundred and sixty acres upon which the village 
of Oakland is situated He was a farmer. He died 



several years ago, and his wife died three years after- 
wards. They had five children, one of whom, An- 
drew, is still living in the township, aged sixty-four 
years. 

John J. Mollenkopf, Sr., was born in Germany, 
Sept. 24, 1794; came to America in 1821 ; located 
in Baltimore County, Md. ; engaged in the manufac- 
ture of paper; moved to Wayne County, Ind., in 
1836, and to this township in 1839 ; married Juli- 
anna Painter in 1825 in Maryland. There were born 
unto them nine children ; eight are living. Mr. Mol- 
lenkopf died aged seventy-nine years. Mrs. Mollen- 
kopf died aged sixty-four years. He engaged in 
farming after coming to Indiana. 

John Negley, one of the pioneers of this township, 
was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, Dec. 20, 1804. 
He was raised there, and at the age of nineteen years 
came with his parents to this county. In the year 
1825 he married Isabella, a daughter of John John- 
son, and had born to him seven children, three of 
whom are living. He worked with his father-in-law 
one year after his marriage, and then located on what 
is now known as the McCormick farm. His wife 
died in 1842. He was married in September, 1844, 
to Mary Ann Sheets, and by her had eleven children, 
five of whom are living. In 1845 he removed to 
Warren County, Ohio, where he lived six years. He 
then returned to this county, and located adjoining 
Millersville, where he lived until his death, which 
took place Aug. 30, 1878, aged seventy-three years, 
eight months, and ten days. He was a consistent 
member of the Lutheran Church. From the spring 
of 1823 till his death he was absent from the county 
only six years. He endured all the trials and hard- 
ships of a pioneer life ; was an industrious and influ- 
ential citizen. He was a voter at the first election 
ever held in the township, and was an encourager of 
all worthy public enterprises. For more than twenty- 
five years prior to his death he was a Master Mason 
in good standing, and no craftsman ever labored more 
zealously in the cause of Masonry than he. His loss 
to the fraternity was most keenly felt. In the im- 
provement of the public highways and the promotion 
of the cause ol' education, and in the advancement of 
the cause of religion, no person evinced greater in- 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



551 



terest. He lived respected, and his loss to society 
was regretted by all who knew him. 

William Orpurd, an old pioneer of Lawrence town- 
ship, was born in Frederick County, Md., Nov. 9, 
1793. He served in the war of 1812 from com- 
mencement to close, and after discharge from the 
army he emigrated to Indiana. He came to this 
county in 1821, and located on what is known as the 
Metzger farm, on White River. In the year 1830 
he entered eighty acres about one mile southwest of 
where Castleton now is, and resided upon it until his 
death, which occurred Aug. 5, 1871. On Aug. 18, 
1824, he was united in marriage to Nancy Allison, 
who came to this county with her parents in 1819, 
and who walked every rod of the way from Ken- 
tucky to where AUisonville now is. Mr. Orpurd was 
a farmer. During his early residence here his living 
was made by clearing land and hunting deer. Dur- 
ing the last twenty-five years of his life he was a 
pious man, and believed in the doctrines of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church. He was strictly moral 
and temperate in all his habits. The first school 
attended by his children was in a log cabin, just 
south of AUisonville. His wife survives him, living 
on the old homestead of eighty acres, and holds the 
old patent for the property, signed by Andrew Jack- 
son. She joined the Methodist Episcopal Church 
when nineteen years of age, and although nearly 
eighty-seven now, she has not let her faith be shaken. 
During the past four years she has been afilicted 
with almost total blindness. The number of children 
born unto these pious people was six, three of whom 
are now living, viz. : Lavica, Calvin, and Marion. 
Lavica, now in her fifty-seventh year, was never mar- 
ried, and lives with her mother. Marion is a widow, 
in her forty-eighth year, and resides with her mother. 
Calvin went to Missouri fourteen years ago, and in 
1883 moved to Kansas. 

John Newhouse was born in Kanawha County, W. 
Va., Dec. 21, 1804. When thirty years of age he 
and his wife came to this township, on horseback, 
with nothing but a very limited supply of clothing. 
He located and bought the land on which he now 
resides. He has cleared a lai-ge tract of land, and 
by his industry and good management succeeded in 



accumulating a large amount of property. He mar- 
ried Catharine Squires, May 22, 1834. They have 
four sons and four daughters, all living. Their 
oldest son lives in Virginia. Two daughters live 
near Lebanon, Ind. Three sons and one daughter 
reside in this county. 

Robert White was born in Clermont County, Ohio, 
in April, 1802. He came to this township in Sep- 
tember, 1833, and located in the woods on the eighty 
acres now owned by him . He cleared the land, and has 
always followed farming. Four children came to the 
township with Mr. White and his wife, viz. : Mary 
Jane, John, Joseph, and Elizabeth. Joseph is dead, 
the other three are living. Mr. White is now living 
with his second wife. 

Daniel Smay was born in Maryland. He came 
here with the Lutheran colony in 1824, at the age of 
fifty-four years, and located in the southwest part of 
the township, and finally bought the farm entered in 
1827 by John North, where he lived until his death, 
in 1854. He was a farmer, and a member of the 
Lutheran Church for forty or fifty years. He was 
one of the leading members in the Ebenezer Luth- 
eran Church for thirty years, and took an active part 
in all church alFairs. He was a pious, moral, honor- 
able man, and a good citizen. Four children emi- 
grated here with Mr. Smay and his wife, viz. : Joseph, 
who lived here forty years, went to Iowa and died. 
Polly, who married David Ringer, and died in the 
township. Absalom, who went to Story County, Iowa, 
twenty-eight years ago. David, who went to Story 
County, Iowa, in 1862. 

David Hoss was born in North Carolina, 1790. 
He married Nellie Trout, and moved to Rrown 
County, Ohio. While there his wife died, leaving him 
nine children. He was married, in Ohio, to Martha 
Plummer, and by her had two children. Mr. Hoss 
came to this township in September, 1829, and 
entered land about one mile southwest of where 
Oakland now is. He lived there till his death, in 
July, 1882. He built a saw-mill on Indian Creek, 
on his land, in the year 1836, and operated it about 
fifteen years. Farming was his chief occupation, 
and he cleared a large tract of land. The first 
school to which he had the privilege of sending his 



552 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



children was in an old log cabin once used as a dwell- 
ing-house. Jeremiah Wells was the first teacher. Mr. 
Hoss' second wife, Martha, is deceased. Of the 
nine children who came here with him, five are dead. 
William lives in Perry township, this county. Chris- 
tian lives in Pike County, 111. Sarah is the wife of 
Henry Apple, and lives one mile south of Oakland. 
Eliza J. married Nelson Hoss, and lives in Perry 
township, this county. One of his children by the 
second wife is dead, and Benjamin is an inmate of 
the Hospital for the Insane at Indianapolis. 

Isaac Hartsock was born in Maryland, and emi- 
grated thence to Kentucky. In November, 183-1, 
he came to this township with his wife and four 
children. He located on an eighty-acre tract entered 
by William McKinster. The first school to which 
he sent his children was on the Smay land. John 
Hutcheson was the teacher. Mr. Hartsock followed 
farming all his life. Peter, the oldest son, is a farmer, 
and resides in this township. Eliza married Isaac 
Hensley, and died, aged thirty-five years. Wilson 
C. died in 1874. Emily married William P. 
Hensley. 

William S. Thomas was born in Nicholas County, 
Ky., Oct. 25, 1805. He emigrated to Rush County, 
Ind., in November, 1828, and lived there four years. 
In 1831 he was married to Polly Hensley. In 1833 
they removed to this township with one child, named 
Elizabeth, who died in July, 1862. Mr. Thomas is 
an honest, upright citizen. One of his sons was 
killed in the army duri-ng the late Rebellion, and two 
died of disease contracted while in the army. In all 
he has had nine children, only two of whom are 
living. 

Robert Johnson was born in Scotland ; time of 
birth not known. He emigrated to Ireland at the 
age of seventeen years ; learned the weaver's trade at 
the age of twenty-one ; was drafted as a soldier to 
serve the British government for four years. He 
found a favorable opportunity and came to America, 
leaving behind his British uniform, and became a 
citizen of Pennsylvania. He set up a loom in Phila- 
delphia, and engaged in weaving for some time. He 
then married Sarah Guthry, and shortly moved to 
Morgan County, Ohio, locating there on eighty acres 



of land. He remained until November, 1836, when 
he sold and removed to Lawrence township, Marion 
Co., Ind., taking with him his family and six chil- 
dren His children, all born in Ohio, were James, 
who died at the age of twenty years ; Margaret, 
married Thomas P. Silvey ; John, born Aug. 21, 
1828; married Nancy Thomas. He has raised a 
large family, and takes an active interest in the wel- 
fare of his township, county, and country generally. 
Robert, born Aug. 31, 1831 ; married Mary H., 
daughter of George W. Deford. He is a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Masonic 
fraternity, and takes rank as one of the leading citi- 
zens of the township. Richard, born Jan. 17, 1834; 
has lived a bachelor; George G., born Aug. 18, 
1836; married Nancy Day. 

Mr. Johnson being a man of firmness and steady 
aim, as well as a foreigner by birth, was not greatly 
admired by his pioneer neighbors, who spent their 
Sundays hunting, and seemingly no moral influence 
existed. He did not rebuke them, but engaged the 
services of a minister of the gospel of his choice to 
preach at his house. For some ten or twelve years 
preaching was held there, until a church edifice was 
erected. Mr. Johnson lived a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church ever since any of his children 
can remember. In his last days he told his pastor 
that he felt that his time spent in his religious de- 
votion was not in vain. He felt that he was like a 
sheaf of corn fully ripe, ready for his Master's garner. 
He died at the age of seventy-eight years. 

John Herron, his wife, and two children emigrated 
from near Crab Orchard, in Kentucky, to this town- 
ship in 1828. He entered eighty acres, now owned 
by Robert Johnson, and died of typhoid fever about 
1853. He was a farmer. His wife and daughter, 
Polly, are dead. Jane married William Sigmund, 
and lives in this township. 

Peter Castater came from Ohio to this township 
about 1824 with wife and four children. He entered 
eighty acres, known as the Stoops farm, and improved 
it. He was a voter at the first election ever held in 
the township; was elected justice of the peace in 
1825, and served as such for several years. About 
1837 he moved to Hamilton County, Ind. 



LAWKENCE TOWNSHIP. 



553 



Samuel Conn and family came here from Ohio 
about 1827 or 1828, and lived here about one year, 
and then moved to Pike township, where he died. 

Lewis Hossenfaus was born in Ohio in 1834, and 
came to this county with parents in 1846. He lives 
one and a half miles west of Oakland. At the age 
of twenty-one he married Catharine Baker. He has 
two children living and two dead. Mr. Hossenfaus 
is an industrious and enterprising citizen. 

Edward P. Day was born in North Carolina, Aug. 
6, 1788. He emigrated to Ohio, and thence, in the 
fall of 1830, to this township. He located in the 
woods, on the land where " Male" Emery now lives, 
where he resided until his death. He was a farmer. 
His wife (formerly Elizabeth Williamson) and six of 
the eight children came here with him. Joseph N., 
Josiah W., and Evaline live here now ; Nathaniel W. 
is dead ; Jonathan W. went to Kansas several years 
ago, and John E. lives in Illinois. 

William Mcintosh came here about 1828, a single 
man. He married Sallie, daughter of Peter Negley, 
about 1830. He was a minister of the gospel, and 
called himself a Dunkard Baptist. By trade he was 
a stone-mason. He moved to Illinois, west of Vin- 
cennes, Ind. 

Moore Mcintosh, with his wife and family, came 
here about 1830, and lived in the Highland neigh- 
borhood. He was justice of the peace for four 
years. 

John Cory was born in New Jersey, May 9, 1792. 
He emigrated to Clermont County, Ohio, and. thence 
to this township, arriving here Sept. 10, 1834, with 
his wife, Mary, and six children. He located on 
eighty acres near Indian Creek, a quarter of a mile 
northwest of where Oakland now is. He lived there 
until his death, June 26, 1872. He was a farmer, 
and built and ran a saw-mill on Indian Creek for sev- 
eral years. His wife died two months subsequent to 
his death. He was a member of the Universalist 
Church for thirty-four years preceding his death. He 
belonged to the first society of Universalists organ- 
ized in the township, which was about the year 1838. 
He was constable of the township two terms. But 
two of his children are living, viz., Samuel and An- 
drew F., both prominent citizens of the township. 
36 



Samuel Cory was born in what is now Hancock 
County (then Brooke County), W. Va., Jan. 4, 1818. 
At the age of three years he went to Highland 
County, Ohio, lived there eight years, and moved to 
Clermont County, Ohio. From there he emigrated 
with his parents to this township in September, 1834. 
He taught the first public school ever taught in the 
Oakland district, commencing October, 1837, and con- 
tinuing six months. He taught school during each 
subsequent winter till the winter of 1 849. He worked 
on the farm and at his fathers's saw-mill when not 
teaching. He served as school officer for nine years, 
and in 1849 was elected one of the associate judges 
of Marion County, serving in that capacity from 
April, 1850, to November, 1851. The office was then 
abolished by the new State constitution. He was 
then appointed by Governor Wright probate judge 
of Marion County, and filled the vacancy occasioned 
by the death of Adam Wright. He served as such 
until the office was abolished by an act of the Legis- 
lature, which act transferred the business of that 
court to the Court of Common Pleas. In April, 
1853, he was elected one of the township trustees 
for Lawrence township under the new school law ; 
was re-elected from time to time, and served till 
1874 (except for the year 1859). In October, 1874, 
he was elected county commissioner for Marion 
County, and served as such for three years, during 
which time the new court-house was completed. He 
has settled a large number of estates of deceased 
persons and acted as guardian for a number of 
orphan children. In the mean time he has lived on 
the farm and labored there, and raised a family of 
three sons and six daughters. He served for thirteen 
and a half years as Worshipful Master and eight 
years as secretary of Millersville Lodge, No. 126, F. 
and A. M. He has been a member of that lodge 
since May, 1853. He belongs to no church, but in 
sentiment is a Universalist. In politics he is a Dem- 
ocrat, and looked upon as a leader of that party in 
Lawrence township. He is a moral, honest, consci- 
entious citizen, positive in his views, and temperate 
in his habits. A better or more honorable citizen 
never lived in the township. 

Andrew F. Cory was born in Highland County, 



554 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Ohio, April 21, 1821. He emigrated to this county 
and township with his parents in 1834. He lived 
with his father on the farm until eighteen years of 
age, and then learned the carpenter trade. He worked 
at that trade three years and then studied medicine. 
In the year 1844 attended lectures at the Eclectic 
College in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received the degree 
of M.D. in 1846, and has practiced medicine ever 
since. He has a good farm near Oakland. He was 
treasurer of the township for several years, — as long 
as it had three trustees. He served over seven 
years as Worshipful Master of Oakland Lodge, No. 
140, F. and A. M., and three years as secretary of 
that lodge. He is a prominent Democrat and an in- 
fluential citizen. He has three sons and two daugh- 
ters. 

Jeremiah Plummer was born in Kentucky about 
1776, and emigrated from Brown County, Ohio, to 
this township in 1826 with wife and seven children, 
and entered two hundred and forty acres on Indian 
Creek, now owned by John Smith and Chris. McCon- 
nell. His wife's maiden name was Monica Chapman. 
He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
and took a great interest in all affairs of the church. 
About the year 1835 a class was organized at his 
house, and preaching held there regularly every four 
weeks for two or three years. He was the leading 
spirit in the formation of Wesley Chapel, Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and in the building of the first 
church in the township, long known as the " Plum- 
mer Church." He had five sons and two daughters. 
The two daughters are dead, also two sons. Mr. 
Plummer died about 1853. His wife is also dead. 

John McConnell was a native of Ireland. When 
he first came to this country he settled in Pennsyl- 
vania, and subsequently moved to Brown County, 
Ohio. While there he enlisted and served eighteen 
months in the army during the war of 1812, at the 
close of which he was discharged, and he returned 
to Ohio. Betsy Brown was his wife's maiden name. 
He, together with his family (wife and nine children), 
emigrated to this township Nov. 17, 1824, and entered 
eighty acres about three miles southwest of where 
Oakland now is. The land is now owned by Chris. 
McConnell. He continued to reside there until 1837, 



when he died. He was a blacksmith, but his princi- 
pal occupation was that of a farmer. While in the 
township on a prospecting tour in the fall of 1823 he 
assisted at the raising of the first cabin ever raised by 
a white man in the township. The first barrel of salt 
bought by him cost twelve dollars and fifty cents, 
and two and one-half bushels of wheat furnished all 
the flour his large family ate during the first year of 
his residence here. The first school privilege was a 
subscription school, taught for eighteen days only, in 
the kitchen of Peter Negley, — distance six miles. 
His family had to go seven miles to church in the 
early days of their residence here. Mr. McConnell 
was an honorable, conscientious citizen, and being 
one of the very first settlers of the township, was com- 
pelled to endure many privations and hardships. His 
companion has long since passed from this earth, and 
of their nine children only two remain. Four of 
the children died in 1855 at about the same time. 
Isabel lived here about twenty years ; married John 
Sbenkle, and died in Iowa in 1880. Betsy married 
Alexander Smith ; lived here till 1837, when she died. 
Martha married Andrew Eller ; located on Indian 
Creek, and lived there till her death, in 1850. John 
L. died about 1855 ; lived here thirty-one years. 
Thomas died about 1855; lived here twenty-nine 
years. William died about 1855 ; lived here twenty- 
six years. Hiram died about 1855 ; lived here 
twenty-four years. Washington lived here twenty- 
two years, and went to Missouri thirteen years ago. 

Charles McConnell, the third child of John and 
Betsy McConnell; was born in Brown County, Ohio, 
in 1808, and came to this township with his parents 
Nov. 17, 1824, and remained with them until twenty- 
one years of age. He assisted in grubbing and grad- 
ing the National road for several miles east of Cum- 
berland, this county, at thirteen dollars per month, 
and thereby saved enough money to buy the eighty- 
acre tract of land upon which he now lives with his 
son-in-law, Mr. Barr. At the age of twenty-three 
he married Barbara Hoss, with whom he lived forty- 
one years, until her death. By this marriage there 
were born unto them nine children, eight of whom 
are living, and seven of whom live in this township. 
He has been a member of the Universalist Church 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



555 



for thirty years, and has been a believer in that faith 
all his life. He has always been liberal in his dona- 
tions towards all churches and for all purposes. The 
public highways and schools always received great 
encouragement from him. By his perseverance, in- 
dustry, and economy he has accumulated quite a for- 
tune. He is now seventy-five years of age, and is 
one of Lawrence township's best citizens. He fol- 
lowed farming most of his life, but has now retired. 
In politics he is a Democrat. 

John Bolander was born in Pennsylvania, Jan. 11, 
1791. He emigrated to Brown County, Ohio, and 
thence to this township, arriving here in October, 
1828, with his family, consisting of a wife and eight 
children. He located on Indian Creek, two miles 
southwest of where Oakland now is. He entered 
there two hundred and forty acres of land, and lived 
upon it until his death, June 16, 1865. He farmed 
all his life, and was a member of the Universalist 
Church many years. His children were Samuel, 
died November, 1875, never left county to live ; Levi, 
lives in township ; Irena, died June, 1881, never left 
county to live ; Elizabeth, died May, 1880, never left 
county to live; Joseph, died May, 1878, never left 
county to live ; Solomon, lives in county, has lived 
in Iowa and Illinois; Noah, died in 1848, never left 
county to live ; Polly, died about twenty-two years 
ago, in township. Three children were born after 
their parents came to this county, viz. : Christina, 
died about 1858, aged twenty-three ; Catherine, mar- 
ried Joseph Apple, lives in township ; Rebecca, lived 
here until she moved to Hancock County, Ind., four 
years ago. 

Levi Bolander was born in Brown County, Ohio, 
October, 1815, and came to this township with his 
parents in October, 1828. He has lived here ever 
since, and now owns seven hundred and twenty-three 
acres of as fertile land as there is in the township. 
He resides two miles northeast of Lawrence. He 
has been a great enoourager of the public schools, 
and has freely given his money and time towards the 
improvement of the public highways. He is treas- 
urer of the Lawrence District Fair Association, an 
Odd-Fellow, a granger, and a member of the Law- 
rence Township Horse Company. He has fourteen 



children living, all of whom reside in this county ex- 
cept two. He has been married three times, and is 
now living with his third wife (Mary J. Badgley), 
whom he married twenty-three years ago. He is 
known throughout the county as one of Lawrence 
township's most substantial, influential, and valuable 
citizens. He votes the Democratic ticket. 

George H. Negley, son of Peter and Elizabeth 
Negley, and a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, 
came to this county with his parents in the year 
1823. He located in this township about 1830. 
He was a Methodist preacher for years, a farmer, and 
a true Christian, — moral, temperate, and industrious. 
At the time of his death he owned four hundred 
acres of land in this township. At an early age he 
married Elizabeth Ludwic, who survived him thirty- 
three years, and who raised a large family of children 
by her own industry, economy, and good management. 
Rev. Negley died April 23, 1848, aged thirty-seven 
years and two months. They had twelve children, — • 
two died in infancy and ten are now living. Three 
sons and three daughters reside in this county. One 
son lives in Frankfort County, Ind., one daughter in 
Kansas, one in Ohio, and the youngest daughter in 
Sheridan, Ind. 

William McCoy, a native of Pennsylvania, emi- 
grated to this county Dec. 21, 1826, with his wife 
and ten children, and located half a mile west of 
Malott Park. He moved to this township about 
1830, and bought the farm now owned by the Bash 
heirs. He followed farming. He and his wife both 
died in this township. The following are the names 
of their children that came to this township : Rebecca, 
married John Collins, died after a residence of six- 
teen years; Elizabeth, married, went to Illinois and 
died there ; John, lived in township twenty years, 
died in Illinois ; William, lived in township thirty 
years, died here about 1870 ; Clarrisa, lived in town- 
ship thirty-five years, been dead eight years ; Hannah, 
been dead twenty-two years, died here ; James N. 
has lived in county fifty-seven years ; Murdock, went 
to Wabash County, Ind., forty years ago; Morris, 
died four years ago, lived in county fifty-three years ; 
Nancy, married James Ballenger, lives in Grant 
County, Ind., been there twenty-five years; Louis 



556 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



and Polly were born in this county, and are both 
dead. Four children died before Mr. McCoy came 
here. 

James N. McCoy, son of William McCoy, was 
born in 1816. The first school attended by him in 
this county was half a mile west of Malott Park, and 
was taught by James Blackaby. The first church 
attended by him was at his father's house, early in 
the year 1827. He suffered all the trials and hard- 
ships of a pioneer life, and has been a very hard- 
working, industrious man. He has been a member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church for fifty years ; 
has held numerous positions of trust and honor in the 
church at different times. In early times he was 
compelled to go horseback to Pendleton to get corn 
ground into meal, and during the time of high waters 
resorted to the use of the "hominy-block." His first 
wife was named Elizabeth Beaver, daughter of Chris- 
topher Beaver. 

Hilary Silvey was born in Prince William County, 
Va., July 27, 1798. He emigrated with his parents 
to the Twelve-Mile Purchase near Brookville, Ind., 
in the year 1812. He married Patience Williams in 
Franklin County, Ind., and in 1832 moved with his 
wife and five children to this township. He entered 
one hundred and sixty acres near the centre of the 
township, land now owned by William K. Sproul. He 
lived there five years, and then moved into Washing- 
ton township, this county, and bought one hundred 
and sixty acres of Francis Holland, upon which he 
has since lived. He has been a farmer all his life, 
and has done an immense amount of labor. He has 
been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church 
for fifty-nine years. During his residence in this 
county circuit preaching was regularly held at his 
cabin. During the past few years he has been totally 
blind, and his usefulness is thus somewhat impaired. 
His wife is still living, and on the 27th day of No- 
vember, 1883, they had been married sixty years. 
In all there were born unto them thirteen children. 
The five who came here with them were Thomas P., 
lived in Lawrence township till his death, two years 
ago ; Martha, died in Indianapolis in 1872 ; Sarah, 
married Joshua Houston and lives in Zionsville, 
Ind. ; William A. is a farmer in Washington town- 



ship, this county ; John Wesley was drowned in a 
spring when a baby. Several of the other children 
live in this county. 

Travis Silvey was born in Prince William County, 
Va,, in 1796. He emigrated with his parents to the 
Twelve-Mile Purchase, near Brookville, Ind., in 1812. 
He married Elizabeth Powers, and in 1834 moved, 
with wife and three children, to this township, and 
entered two hundred acres of land, now owned by his 
heirs. He lived there until his death, in April, 1878. 
He followed farming all his life, and was a useful 
member of the community in which he lived. He 
was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for 
forty-five years ; was an exhorter, and took a great 
interest in all matters of religion. His wife survives 
him. The three children who came here with him 
were Mary Jane, married Jordan Hendricks, went on 
the Wabash, and died there ; William, lives in Mis- 
souri, went there five years ago ; Martha, went to 
California four years ago ; is a widow. 

Henry Bell, a native of Kentucky, came to this 
township when sixteen years of age (in 1835), and 
located where he now resides, two and one-half miles 
south of east of Lawrence. He worked in Indian- 
apolis nine years. He has followed farming nearly 
all his life. During the past thirty years he has fol- 
lowed auctioneering. He was married in 1843 to 
Elizabeth Brown. They have had seven children, of 
whom two sons and two daughters are living. He 
has been a member of the Masonic fraternity for a 
quarter of a century, and evinces a great interest in 
its prosperity. He has been a good farmer and a suc- 
cessful man. 

Jacob Fred was born in Virginia Sept. 29, 1794. 
He emigrated to Clermont County, Ohio, with his 
parents at the age of five years. He and his family 
moved to this township in 1833, and settled in the 
woods one and one-half miles southeast of where 
Lawrence now is. He entered one hundred and sixty 
acres of land, upon which No. 11 school-house now 
stands, and lived there until his death, in January, 
1863. His wife died in 1866. He was a blacksmith 
by trade, but followed farming aTter he came here. 
During his lifetime he cleared seventy acres of heavy 
timbered land. Of the eight children who came (o 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



557 



the township with him but four are living, as follows : 
James B., lives on a part of the old homestead ; Israel, 
lives in McCordsville, Ind., left here about 1843 ; 
William W., lives on the west ninety acres of the old 
homestead; Hulda, married Samuel Groves, and went 
to Illinois in 1866. She lived here thirty-three years. 

John W. Combs was born Jan. 25, 1825, in Dear- 
born County, Ind. He came to this county with his 
parents in 1828, located on Pennsylvania Street, in 
Indianapolis, his father building a residence on a lot 
known as Switcher property, opposite where the new 
Denison Hotel now is. In 1837 he moved five miles 
west of Indianapolis, on the National road, where his 
father, Jesse Combs, bought a farm of eighty acres. 
John W. left home at the age of seventeen years, and 
engaged in the dry-goods business with his brother, 
William F. Combs, at Strawtown, Ind. He was there 
two years. In 1847 he was married, in Hamilton 
County, Ind., to Emma, daughter of Allen Cole. 
These two brothers then moved to this county, and 
engaged in the dry-goods business at Germantown till 
1852. They built the first store-house in Oakland, 
and moved there in 1852, and continued the business 
five years. John W. was agent of the " Bee Line" 
at Oakland for fourteen years. He served as justice 
of the peace in this township for sixteen years ; has 
been assessor of the township, and held many places 
of trust and honor. After retiring from the dry- 
goods business he purchased a farm near Oakland, 
and is now a farmer. He has three children,— two 
sons and one daughter. He has been a Master Mason 
since 1852, and served as Worshipful Master of Oak- 
land Lodge, No. 140, two years, and as secretary eleven 
years, and held many other places of honor and trust 
in that fraternity. He has been identified with the 
interests of Lawrence township for years, and is one 
of its most prominent citizens. He is a prominent 
local politician, identified with the interests of the 
Democratic party. He is a notary public. 

John Perry was born in Maryland about 1780. 
He married Druzilla Newhall when twenty-four years 
of age. He moved to this township in 1832 and 
entered the land on which John L. Brown now re- 
sides, one-half mile south of Lawrence. Mr. Perry 
lived there until 1862, and died. His wife died in 



1864. He and his wife were members of the Bap- 
tist Church for more than fifty years. Mr. Perry 
owned a store in Lawrence for several years, his son, 
Aquilla D., attending to the business for him. Mr. 
Perry was a useful member of society, moral, tem- 
perate, and upright. He brought seven children to 
the township with him, and another followed him 
soon afterwards, viz., Thomas, died in township 
twelve years ago. Ann died in Colorado in 1881 ; 
lived here until 1858, married Moses Winters ; Wil- 
liam was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, Feb. 1, 
1810. He emigrated to this township with his par- 
ents in 1832. At end of one year returned to Ohio, 
remaining there five years, and then returned to this 
county and bought the farm on which he has since re- 
sided. He was married Jan. 20, 1839, to Catharine 
Newhouse. He has been an industrious farmer all 
his life. John died in Iowa, lived here twenty years ; 
Rezen only lived here four .'years, lives in Pana, 111. ; 
Samuel lived in township about twenty-nine years, 
died in 1863 ; James, never absent from township 
since 1832 but three years. He died in Marshall 
County ; Aquilla D. lived here four years, died in 
Pana, 111., in 1873. 

Thomas P. Silvey was born in Fayette County, 
Ind., Nov. 6, 1825, and moved with his father's 
family to this township in 1832, where he lived till 
his death, Nov. 13, 1881. He married Margaret J., 
daughter of Robert Johnson, Sr., in October, 1846. 
She died Sept. 13, 1867. He had by this wife nine 
children, seven of whom, three sons and four daugh- 
ters, survive him. Two died in infancy. In June, 
1868, he married Lauvina Johnson, daughter of 
James Johnson, who died in March, 1869. In Jan- 
uary, 1870, he married Elizabeth E., daughter of 
John Calvin Johnson, who lived till June, 1875. 
By her he had three children, all of whom died in 
infancy. He again married in March, 1876, to 
Sally Ann Irwin, who survives, and by whom he had 
one child. When he was first married he lived on a 
rented farm near Millersville, this county, where he 
lived till 1852, when he bought a farm of eighty 
acres near the same village. On this farm he lived 
one year, when he sold it and bought what is known 
as the old Joshua Reddick farm, on Mud Creek. 



558 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Subsequently he purchased the Sheets farm, the Abe 
Anderson farm, and a part of the John Calvin John- 
son farm. He sold all of this to Elijah Fletcher in 
1872, and in the spring of 1873 bought and moved 
to the Ozro Bates farm, one-quarter of a mile east of 
Castleton. In 1874 he bought of David Macy the 
Gentry farm and Brown farm, in all about three hun- 
dred acres. He was a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church, and lived a consistent member 
thereof. He was an industrious farmer and a useful 
member of society. By his death the church lost 
one of its most prominent and valuable members. 
He was a member of the order of Odd-Fellows. 

William McClaren, Sr., was born in Ireland about 
1760. In the year 1831 he came from Kentucky to 
this township with his wife, five sons, and two daugh- 
ters, and entered three hundred and twenty acres of 
land, where the Mellvains and George G. Johnson 
now live. He lived there till his death, about the 
year 1850. He was a Universalist in sentiment, and 
a farmer by occupation. His wife, two girls, and son, 
John, are dead. 

William Hubbard was born in Morgan County, 
Ind., Jan. 25, 1839, raised upon a farm, and served 
in Company H, Eleventh Indiana Volunteers, till May 
23, 1863, when he was discharged to receive promo- 
tion as captain of Company B, Fifty-third United 
States Colored Infantry, he remaining in the service 
(participating in many engagements in and around 
Vieksburg, Miss.) until August, 1865, when he was 
honorably discharged. He returned to his old home, 
and engaged in the drug business. He came to 
Marion County in 1872, and at present is engaged 
in the drug business in Lawrence. In politics he is 
a National, — a leader in this township. 

Jesse Herrin was born in Pulaski County, Ky., 
March 10, 1801. He left home at the age of eighteen 
years, and from that time has made his own living 
in the world. He emigrated to Shelby County, Ind., 
with second wife and three children, about the year 
1831, and thence to this township in 1835. He 
moved on the McDonald land, now owned by Mr. 
McLain, and took a lease there, and cleared about 
thirty acres. He then entered eighty acres about 
one mile southeast of where Castleton now is, and 



built upon it, cleared it, and improved it. He has 
been a farmer through life. He has raised eight 
sons and two daughters to be men and women. Mr. 
Herrin still lives on the old homestead. 

Cornelius Wadsworth was born in Harrison 
County, West Va., July 5, 1800. He lived on the 
farm with his father until near the close of the war 
of 1812, when he enlisted, served sixty days, until 
its close. He left his parental roof at the age of 
eighteen years to seek a home in the far West. He 
went to Ohio, thence to Illinois, and thence to Mis- 
souri, but soon came to Indiana, stopping in Indian- 
apolis, and before there was a brick laid or a house 
of any importance on the streets of Indianapolis, he 
cut cord-wood and helped to clear away the brush 
and trees ofi' the ground where the prominent streets 
and business-houses now are. At the age of twenty- 
three he married Cassandra Legg. He purchased 
one hundred and sixty acres in this township, upon 
which he lived until his death, Aug. 19, 1882. There 
were born unto him five children, two of whom, to- 
gether with their mother, survive him. 

Mr. Wadsworth was a man of good moral charac- 
ter, true to his convictions, and respected and liked 
by his acquaintances. He followed farming all his 
life, cleared a large tract of land, and, besides being a 
man of industry and energy, was a truly good neigh- 
bor and friend and citizen. In politics he was a 
Democrat of the Jeifersonian faith. He was elected 
and served three terms as justice of the peace of 
Lawrence township. 

Christopher Apple was born in Clermont County, 
Ohio, April 28, 1807. At the age of twenty-two 
years he married Catharine Crumbaugh. Their 
parents were of German descent. He emigrated 
from Ohio to this township in 1837, and entered 
eighty acres, the farm now owned by his son, John 
W., near Oakland. He cleared and improved the 
eighty acres, and lived upon it until his death, Jan. 
24, 1871. He was an honest, industrious citizen, 
and his good wife shared with him in all the trials 
and hardships incident to pioneer life. For a number 
of years he was a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church. In 1866 he changed his relation to the 
Christian Church, and aided largely in building a 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



559 



house of worship in Oakland, Ind., for that denomi- 
nation. He lived a consistent and faithful Christian 
until his death. In politics he was a firm Democrat. 
His wife survived him five years, dying in January, 
1876. Mr. and Mrs. Apple were the parents of 
eight children, the youngest dying in infancy. The 
following are living in Marion County, except Mahlon, 
who lives in Hancock County, Ind., viz. : Eliza J., 
Mary, Peter, Phebe, John W., Mahlon, and William 
M. John W. lives upon the old homestead ; has 
been a successful teacher in the public schools of 
Marion County for a number of years, and in farm- 
ing (which occupation he follows") has been very 
successful. He is elder, trustee, and clerk of the 
Christian Church, and superintendent of the Sunday- 
school, and occasionally preaches very acceptably. 
He was born on the farm which he now owns Sept. 
7, 1841. 

John L. Brown, born in Brown County, Ohio, 
April 20, 1816, is the son of George Brown and 
Mary, his wife, both old Virginians. They had 
eight children, the oldest a daughter, who was the 
wife of James H. Wallace. Mr. Wallace was one of 
the leading men of JefiFerson County, Ind. He was 
a member of the Indiana Legislature for several terms, 
commencing about the year 1830 ; was regarded as 
the father of the " Internal Improvement System" of 
this State. Their seven boys in succession grew to 
be men ; their names were as follows : Thomas B., 
Lewis L., James W., George, Richard H., John L., 
and Daniel R. The subject of this sketch is a first- 
class farmer, having two good farms, which he works 
to good advantage financially. He was county treas- 
urer of this county, and the county lost not a cent 
under his faithful administration. His brother, 
Daniel R., the youngest of the family (a resident of 
Indianapolis), by his energy and industry, has accu- 
mulated quite a fortune. He is a physician by pro- 
fession, but has long since given up the practice. He 
has served as clerk of the court of Hamilton County, 
also senator for the counties of Hamilton and Tipton 
in the Legislature of this State. Richard H. was a 
hotel-keeper in the cities of Madison, Ind., and Cov- 
ington, Ky. George was a merchant ; was a very 
ardent Odd-Fellow. George Brown Encampment, 



No. 44, I. 0. 0. F., at Noblesville, Ind., was named 
after him. James W., Lewis L., and Thomas B. 
were farmers, having cleared the forest and made 
their farms in this county. 

This was a very remarkable family, all large, 
healthy men, with about one hundred and ninety 
pounds average weight, and what is yet more re- 
markable, no death occurred in the family under 
forty -seven years. The father, George Brown, was 
almost pure English. His father, Thomas Reeth 
Brown, was a native of Yorkshire, England, and 
came to Virginia about the year 1774. When the 
Revolutionary war broke out he enlisted as a soldier 
of his adopted country. He married Margaret 
Tacket, whose mother was a French lady and her 
father an Englishman. She was born and raised 
near Old Point Comfort, Va. All of their children 
were born and raised in Loudoun and Fauquier Coun- 
ties, Va. About the year 1800 they emigrated to 
Mason County, Ky., bringing with them their chil- 
dren. After a short residence in Kentucky they 
moved across the Ohio River and settled in Brown 
County, Ohio, immediately opposite to Mason County, 
where they remained the balance of their days. The 
father lived to the age of eighty-five years, and the 
mother survived him, and lived to the great age 
of one hundred and four years. Mrs. Elizabeth 
Thomas, daughter of these old people, died only a 
few years since, at the extreme age of one hundred 
and eight years. Mary (Lee) Brown, mother of 
John L. and the others of this family, was a de- 
scendant of the celebrated Lee family, of Virginia, 
being a relative of Gen. Robert E. Lee, of the Con- 
federate army. Her father was Lewis Lee, a brother 
of Gen. Harry Lee and Peter Lee. Her father, with 
his brothers, settled in Mason County, Ky., and for 
some time lived in a block-house, which was then 
called Lee's Station. They took up large tracts of 
land, which were called surveys. Some of those old 
titles are yet in the hands of the Lee family. The 
father and mother of the subject of this sketch were 
married in the year 1802, in Washington, Ky., and 
lived together for twenty-eight years, when the mother 
died in Maysville, Ky. In 1832 the father sold his 
farm in Ohio and emigrated to this county. The 



560 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



four unmarried sons, Thomas, Richard, John, and 
Daniel, came with the father, and settled in the 
woods, three-quarters of a mile north of where Law- 
rence now stands, paying one dollar and twenty-five 
cents per acre for his land. The next fall James 
came and settled near by. Lewis had preceded the 
family six years, and also owned land adjoining. 
This family furnished seventeen good soldiers (their 
own sons) for the Union army during the late Rebel- 
lion. Two of those lost their lives in battle. The 
father died in the spring of 1847. At that time all 
of his children were living, but now all but three are 
dead, leaving Lewis L., John L., and Daniel R. living 
at this date (Nov. 11, 1883). The wife of John L. 
was born in Brown County, Ohio. Her maiden name 
was Caroline D. Mason, daughter of John Mason and 
Mary, his wife. The mother is still living at the home 
of her daughter, in the eighty-sixth year of her age. 
Mary Mason was a daughter of Charles O'Connor, 
an Irishman by birth, who came to this country in 
the latter part of the last century. He was educated 
for a Catholic priest, but never entered upon the duties 
of the priesthood. John Mason was born in Adams 
County, Ohio ; was of English descent. His father 
was a soldier in the Revolutionary war under Gen. 
Francis Marion. John L. Brown and Caroline D. 
Mason were married in 1851, and are still living on 
one of the farms in Lawrence township. They have 
five children, — Mrs. C. Martin, who is now living with 
her husband, Reuben Martin, on their farm in Brown 
County, Ohio, the same farm where John L. and 
Daniel K. were born. Mrs. L. Hufi", the wife of A. M. 
HufF, living on their farm in Lawrence township. 
The other three — Clara, William, and Daniel — are 
living at home with their parents. John L. and 
Caroline Brown have also raised six orphan children. 
In politics the subject of this sketch is a Republican, 
as is also the whole family of Browns of this large re- 
lationship, most of them have been active and very 
decided in their political views. Mr. Brown says his 
experience in clearing up this country was a very 
laborious undertaking, but he has no regrets now. It 
is true, he says, they had many privations, but al- 
ways had plenty to eat, sometimes plenty of game, 
such as deer, tui'keys, squirrel, and pheasant, and al- 



ways certain of plenty of pork, with turnips and cab- 
bage, and, if the season was favorable, potatoes. In 
the summer wild plums, roasting ears, and pumpkins 
generally in abundance, especially after the first year. 
Corn bread always on the table, for the best reason in 
world, — they had no wheat to make flour, and if he 
bad there was no mill to grind and bolt it, only on the 
regular corn-stone, and had to bolt by hand, that 
made the flour dark and clammy ; but notwithstand- 
ing all the hardships and privations, if he knew of a 
county as good as this, he would be willing to try the 
same over again. 

The following is a list of early settlers, not previ- 
ously noticed, who came to Lawrence township about 
the year set opposite their names, viz. : 

Oliver Vanlaningham 1825 

Joseph Justice 1825 

Angel 1828 

Lamb 1828 

James Sigmund 1830 

Solomon Bowers 1833 

Richard Marshall 1833 

Benjamin Newhouse 1828 

Madison Webb 1834 

William McKenzie 1834 

Adam Miller 1834 

Lewis Tilyer 1832 

Benjamin Chapman 1835 

Paulser Sowers 1865 

Nathaniel Webber 1836 

Reuben Hunter 1836 

George J. Baker 1836 

James White 1836 

Joseph Heltman 1837 

Isaac Murphy 1827 

James H. Murphy 1837 

Jonah F. Lemon 1838 

James Hunter 1838 

Henry Klepfer 1838 

Zaehariah White 1838 

Mark Day Date unknown. 

William McKinster " 

Adam Clark " 

Frederick Sheets " 

Conrad Fertig " 

William Sigmund " 

James T. Wright came to the township with a large 
family at a comparatively late period, but it can be 
truly said of him that he accomplished as much for the 



I 



LAWKENCE TOWNSHIP. 



561 



morals of the people of the township as any other man 
that ever resided within it. He was a minister of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years 
labored zealously for the cause of Christianity and 
the welfare of his fellow-men. He was beloved by 
all who knew him, and the moral, temperate, Chris- 
tian influences by him spread among the people were 
lasting. He was the founder of the Castleton Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church, and for many years preached 
" without money and without price" to the people at 
various points in the townships of Washington and 
Lawrence. 

The first two white children born within the limits 
of the township of Lawrence were William Perry 
Reddiek and John Newton Reddick, twin sons of 
Elisha and Margaret Reddick. 

The first marriage in the township was that of 
David Cothran to Lucinda Reddick. They were 
married in May, 1825, by William Rooker, in the 
log house of William Reddick. 

The first white person known to have died in the 
township was the wife of a man named Canada, who 
had squatted on public land. She died and was 
buried on the farm now owned by Hettie M. and 
John E. Hunter. She was buried by James Ellis, 
Robert Warren, and John Sellers in a piece of an 
old canoe on the top of the high hill just west of 
the residence now upon the farm. This occurred in 
the fall of 1823, and so frightened Mr. Canada that 
he took his departure for Kentucky the day after 
his wife's burial. 

Silas Ashley was the first white man and the sec- 
ond white person buried in the township. His grave 
was dug within ten feet of the corner-stone now 
standing on the township line just west of the Mil- 
lersville Flouring-Mill. 

The first funeral sermon preached in the township 
was by a Presbyterian minister named Mooreland at 
the burial of Charles Johnson, in the Joshua Reddick 
graveyard, in 1827. 

The first burial-ground in the township was upon 
the farm known as the Joshua Reddick farm, and 
the ground was set apart as a burial-ground by 
William Reddick. The place is still used as a 



burial-place, and is better known as the Tom Silvey 
graveyard. 

The first physician who practiced in the township 
was Dr. Isaac Coe. His route was up and down 
Fall Creek. In the early settlement of the town- 
ship chills and fever were prevalent, and the doctor 
used to make the statement that frequently in mak- 
ing his trips he would find whole families down at 
one time with the then dreaded disease. The next 
doctors who came into the township were Drs. Jones 
and Dr. Stipp, who were successful practitioners. 

The early roads of the township were almost im- 
passable, and during the spring of the year many of 
the present ones are nearly so. The first road laid 
out in the township was what is now known as the 
old Pendleton State road, and which was at one time 
a noted Indian trail. This route was used before the 
settlement of the township by people traveling be- 
tween Indianapolis and Anderson. It was " cut out" 
by the voters of the township during the winter of 
1825-26. Before that time it was simply a track 
that wound around between the trees and brush. 
Samuel Morrow was the supervisor. Beginning at a 
point where the toll-gate stands northeast of Millers- 
ville, they worked in a northeasterly direction, and 
meet a gang of men engaged in a similar work, from 
Pendleton, at a point on the county line west of 
where Germantown now is. Several years ago the 
township received from the government what was 
termed the three per cent, fund, and with it cross- 
laid the highways wherever needed. 

The public highways of Lawrence have never been 
in good condition, though they have received great 
attention, and a very large annual outlay of money 
and labor has been made to maintain them in even 
a passable condition. There are one hundred and 
eleven miles of public highway in the township, nine- 
teen miles of which is turnpiked, and eight miles of 
that is free. The levy for road purposes for the year 
1883 is fifteen cents on one hundred dollars. 

The water-power of the township is, and has 
always been, chiefly derived from Fall Creek, though 
many years ago three mills were erected and operated 
for some time on Indian Creek ; but as the country 



562 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



became cleared the water-power diminished until 
they could be operated only a short time during each 
year, hence the business proved an unprofitable one, 
and the mills were abandoned. 

John Cory built a saw-mill on Indian Creek in the 
year 1836, just west of where Oakland now is. It 
was operated until about 1850, and then allowed to 
go down. David Hoss built a frame saw-mill on 
Indian Creek, two miles southwest of where Oakland 
now is, about the year 1836. It was operated about 
fifteen years, and then abandoned. About the year 
1833, Samuel Williams built a log grist-mill on 
Indian Creek, upon the land now owned by Ben- 
jamin Smith. It had one run of stone, upon which 
both wheat and corn were ground. Its capacity was 
two bushels per hour. The flour was bolted by hand, 
and the bolt consisted of two boxes so adjusted that 
one would slide upon the other. Every man had to 
bolt his own grist, and it required two hours' work 
to bolt the flour made from one bushel of wheat. 
Mr. Williams built the mill and dressed the stone 
out of granite rock, performing all the labor himself. 
For some time after the completion of the mill 
nothing but corn was ground. About the year 1837, 
Mr. Williams sold the mill to Alexis Riley, who 
operated it about ten years, and then abandoned it 
because of the lack of water in the creek in the dry 
season of the year. 

A grist-mill was built in the fall of 1825 on the 
east bank of Fall Creek, just north of what is 
known as the " correction line," and owned and 
operated it about two years. It proved to be worth- 
less, and he let it go down. He then hired 
Messrs. Cooney and Van Pelt, two millwrights of 
Pendleton, to build another mill (grist-mill and saw- 
mill combined). It was erected on the opposite side 
of the creek from the first one, and a dam seven feet 
in height with force-head was built. The mill was 
operated by various parties for twenty-four years, and 
was destroyed by fire in 1851, and never rebuilt. 
The capacity of the mill was eight bushels of corn 
and one thousand feet of lumber per day. 

Fountain Kimberlain built a saw-mill, about 1835, 
on Fall Creek, upon the land now owned by his heirs. 
It was torn down prior to 1840. 



Samuels & Son built a saw-mill, about 1837, on 
Fall Creek, at a point known as the Emery Ford. 
The fall being insufficient and the mill of not much 
account, it was torn down about the year 184:2. 

Abraham Sellers built a saw-mill on Fall Creek 
about 1853. He ran it two years, and sold out to 
James Hines. In 1855 or 1856, Mr. Hines built a 
grist-mill on the west side of Fall Creek, opposite the 
saw-mill. About the time of the completion of the 
grist-mill building Mr. Hines died. The property 
was then sold to Benjamin Chroninger, who in turn 
sold it to Leonard & Francis Chroninger. James 
Floor then bought the property, and completed the 
mill and put in the machinery. He failed to pay for 
it, and the ownership reverted to Leonard & Francis 
Chroninger. They owned and operated it till 1864, 
and then sold it to William Roberts, who has owned 
and operated it ever since. The mill is a good one, 
and is supplied with improved machinery. 

John Beaver, an old pioneer, erected a grist-mill 
in about the year 1832 on Fall Creek, about one-half 
mile below where the creek first enters the township. 
He owned it until his death, and his heirs sold it to 
William Bills about the year 1844. He sold it to 

Philip Dresher and Baughman about the year 

1862. Baughman lost his life by an accident re- 
ceived at the mill. In the year 1873 the ownership 
became vested in Enoch Hanna, the present proprie- 
tor. It is known as the Grermantown Mill, and did 
a good business prior to 1873 ; at present the ex- 
penses of operating it exceed the income. 

The mill built by Seth Bacon and Peter Negley in 
1824 on Fall Creek, near Millersville, also the mills 
on the same stream and near the same place owned 
by Daniel Ballenger, Noah Leverton, Jacob Spahr, 
William Winpenny, Tobias Messersmith, and others, 
are mentioned in the history of Washington township. 

Elections. — The Democratic party has ever held 
the ascendency in the township, and at present its 
majority is in the neighborhood of eighty. On the 
first Saturday in October, 1826, the first election 
was held in the township. A justice of the peace 
and a supervisor were elected. The polls were opened 
at the cabin of John Johnson, on Fall Creek, a short 
distance southeast of where the " correction line" 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



563 



crosses the creek. Thirteen votes were cast, and 
Peter Castater was elected justice of the peace, and 
Samuel Morrow was elected supervisor. The fol- 
lowing persons voted, viz. : 

Elisha Reddick. Peter Castater. 

Joshua Reddick. Samuel Morrow. 

William Reddick. Robert Warren. 

Thomas North. John Johnson. 

Samuel North. John Negley. 

Daniel Ballenger. John McConnel. 

James Ballenger. 

At the second election, which was held at the same 
place in 1826, there were present nearly forty voters 
Subsequently elections were held at Joseph John- 
son's blacksmith-shop, near where No. 5 school- 
house now stands ; at Fount Kimberlain's residence 
for several years (it was held there in 1840) ; at 
Baker's school-house for several years (it was held 
there in 1842 and 1843) ; at Andrew Bolander's 
blacksmith-shop and at his residence, situate on the 
east forty-acre tract of land now owned by William 
K. Sproul (the election was there in 1849) ; and at 
Spring Valley school-house No. 8, and was held 
there until three voting precincts were established. 
The election was then held at the residence of Henry 
Cronk, one mile east of Castleton, at Spring Valley 
school-house No. 8, and at William Hoss' residence, 
at the crossroads near the David Hoss farm, south- 
west of Oakland, until the township was divided 
into three precincts for election purposes and polls 
established at school-houses Nos. 3, 6, and 9, which 
are the present voting places, as follows : Precinei 
No. 1, at Oakland; Precinct No. 2, at Vertland^ 
Precinct No. 3, at Lawrence. < 'm'.i; 

Railroads, — Two railway lines pass through; ibe 
township. The Wabash, St. Louis and .fiaotfio 
Railroad enters it, from the southwest, atxa t^iot 
about three miles south of the northw^ oefrneV) 
passing through the township in a nerthe'itkt^cly 
direction a distance of three and one-half taides, »nd 
leaving it at a point one and three-quarter miles east 
of the northwest corner. The road was completed 
through the township in the winter of 1851. 
Castleton is the only station on the road in the 
township. 



The railway now known as the Bee Line was 
completed through the township in the winter of 
1850. It enters the township two miles east of the 
southwest corner, and passes across the southeast 
corner, a distance of eight and one-half miles, and 
leaves it at a point four and one-f(ffi);rter miles north 
of the southeast corner. The towns 'of Lawrence 
and Oakland enjoy the facilities offered by this 
railroad. .')i»St 

Minnewan Spring's.— +Tl|ese .'..fijjriBgs, situate 
upon the farm of Hezekitth ^'SmBrrt,- one and one- 
half miles northeast of -'tiie t»wn of Lawrence, are 
worthy of notice. These springs are situated in 
the midst of a grove. They came into public notice 
about the year 18fi6)' and were aipposed to contain 
valuable mineral priapertie8."'-/Gireat excitement pre- 
vailed and much eBmujentwaer indulged in upon the 
first announcement ofethe wonderful curative power 
of these spring ' but they have long since passed 
from public ilotice.< ..These springs, three in number, 
" rise perpeifdi^alar through blue clay to the surface, 
one hundred Jandf^BigJity feet above the water, in 
White Ri'VeTv-'atlltidiaiiapolis." Abraham Vines, the 
owner of .Ihet^pi^iises at the time of the discovery, 
sold d»feril;i-t.Oa-TAtig. 27, 1863, to the Minnewan 
Springe Gomijismyi, composed of speculators in Indian- 
apolfeiiv' 'The company erected a bath-house, fitted up 
the springs, und otherwise improved the property so 
aaoto- fttUy test the efficacy of the waters. Thomas 
Dfii.Woiiflll!: was the manager. For several years 
tWoreafteBi'the place became a favorite resort for 
|«9pl!»f<^1>to the city. The investment proved an 
uofffOStftBle one, as the springs, by careful chemical 
aM!lr;^8, were found to contain but little if any 
medieinal virtues; hence, on the 22d day of April, 
1851, the company — J. L. Hunt, James Maulsley, 
add Ruth Maulsley — sold the premises to Hezekiah 
Smart, the present owner. 

Post-Offices and Villages, — The following-named 
post-offices are located in Lawrence township, viz. : 
Castleton, Lawrence, and Oaklandon. At and from 
each of these offices the mail arrives and departs 
twice daily. Mail matter intended for Germantown 
is sent to Oaklandon, and that bound for Vertland 
goes to Castleton. 



564 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



The township has five villages, viz. : Glermantown, 
Lawrence, Oakland, Vertland, and Castleton. 

German town, situated in the northeastern part of 
the township, on Fall Creek, is the oldest, and was 
laid out by John Beaver, Solomon Beaver, and George 
Beaver, on Miux)k:1.i, 1834. A part of the town was 
in Hamiltoii'Goutity and a part in Marion County. 
It contains a atkv- sandi.grist-mill combined, and one 
country dry-goods stere. Anthony Snyder is the 
merchant, Wiill^m SalfTis the miller, and Harvey 
Smith the phyeiaBnti'-lTWeipopulation is about thirty. 

Lawrence was- laidnoubi.-ffeb. 27, 1849, by James 
White, in the ^soufKeast aMtfner of the northeast 
quarter of section. ii3( vtoiShship 16 north, range 
4 east, being soutki •§*, thfe tPehdIeton road. Mr. 
White platted the t^wn .aaiimneBville, and it was 
sometimes called Jameettnto;nraAier Mr. White. 
North Lanesville was nliicbtiftutil^Bi James White, 
Dec. 27,1850. Reuben ptntaul lai^^ out an addi- 
tion June 14, 1852, and «m'lNov.i5i^'.1856, Samuel 
Records made an addition-, .arijl lebbsiquently four 
more additions. William M)<Tyi«iorttB»:laiAt)ut an ad- 
dition north of the railroad, rawihlRobiDsao & Co. 
laid out an addition, just westiAftifiJojthrfLJhiesville, 
containing three hundred and (ffcJtty-eightiiidfeB and 
four blocks. The latter additioniwaBHtuadk earing 
the great real estate boom, and neBBrj balKfit«ilthe 
town. A post-office was establishedmat.^B'nefOse- 
roads south of the present town in ISJilbar'/liSiSswand 
James R. Beard was the first postmaster .'IBhe^anii 
of the office was Lawrence. Upon pethiAlv>^4tUd 
county commissioners about the year 1866ibbao!S|e^ 
the name of the village from Lanesville to BaWfWHeB^ 
so as to correspond with the name of the poa<i«^6i04. 
This action was taken to obviate the difficulti^»iiwiH 
tinually experienced in mail matters. Mail inteWfed 
for Lawrence would be taken to Lanesville, in Hai* 
rison County, and the Lanesville mail would ctJuB 
stantly be sent to Lawrence, thus continually creating 
a source of annoyance and confusion. The first mer- 
chant in old Lanesville was Elijah Knight. 

The town of Lawrence is situated nine miles from 
Indianapolis, in a direction north of east, on the 
Bee-Line Railroad. The streets are- well graded 
and graveled : the buildings are in good condition, 



and the village is a lively little place, and the prettiest 
in the township. No village of the size in Marion 
County outranks it in enterprising business men. 
The Western Union Telegraph Company have an 
office there, and it has telephonic connection with all 
important towns in Indiana. It has a graded school, 
a Methodist and Baptist Church, an Odd-Fellows' 
lodge, and a lodge of Knights of Honor ; two physi- 
cians (Dr. Samuel Records and Smith H. Mapes, 
M.D.) ; two general dry-goods stores, conducted by 
M. E. Freeman and H. M. Newhouse & Co., both 
doing a thriving business. William Hubbard has the 
oldest drug-store, is a man of the strictest integrity, 
and has an extensive trade. Mapes & White carry a 
large stock of goods, and although the firm is new, it 
is an enterprising one. Peters Brothers have a knife- 
manufactory. M. C. Dawson manufactures drain-tile, 
and does a business not surpassed by any firm in that 
line in the county. The population of the village is 
about one hundred and fifty. M. E. Freeman is the 
postmaster. 

The village of Oakland is situated thirteen miles 
from Indianapolis, on the Bee-Line Railroad. It 
was laid out June 18, 1849, by John Emery. The 
name Oakland was suggested by Dr. Moore. The 
streets have never been improved and many of the 
houses are in a dilapidated condition, and the village 
presents the appearance of age and decay. Subse- 
quent to 1849 John Mock, Andrew F. Cory, John 
W. Combs, and Enoch Hanna laid out additions. 
The first merchants were the firm of John W. & 
William Combs ; the first practicing physician was 
l^mes W. Hervey. The town has a population of 
about two hundred, and has a telephonic connection 
add al Western Union Telegraph office. The railroad 
oSiUfUlty recently completed a commodious depot, 
wlii)^.*dds greatly to the comfort of the traveling 
pK^Mlo iW^ present merchants are David G. Hanna 
:||^3Nadtiaa C. Plummer, both of whom are dealers 
kiifotAitilt ifeaohandise. Andrew F. Cory and Jeff. 
'Stfo KlfainMt? are the physicians, and Naaman C. 
]QQihfiiBK>i»Jtlie postmaster. The name of the post- 
offiee*. is Oaktandon. The town has three churches, 
—i»- Methodist^ a Christian, and a Universalist. The 
last two uanie^ have a large membership and are well 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



565 



attended. The first Darned, however, is in a precari- 
ous condition. The village contains a graded school, 
and the Masons, Odd-Fellows, and Grangers have 
lodges located there. 

Vertland is situated eleven and a half miles north- 
northeast of Indianapolis, on the Wabash, St. Louis 
and Pacific Railroad. It was laid out by Milford H. 
Vert, March 14, 1851, and given the name of Belle- 
fontaine. It was so called until June 13, 1853, 
when, upon petition of Milford H. Vert and seven 
other citizens of Bellefontaine, all voters of said town, 
the Board of County Commissioners ordered " that 
the name of said town be, and it is hereby changed 
to, Vertland ; which name it shall hereafter bear." 
Originally the town contained thirty-three lots, but 
many of them have been thrown back into farming- 
land, and no business of any kind has been carried 
on there for many years. The first merchants of the 
town were Hilary and Eaton Thomas. The Castle- 
ton Methodist Episcopal Church and the parsonage 
of the Castleton Circuit are located there. No. 3 
school-house is also located there and a graded school 
taught. James I. Rooker is the only physician in 
the place. The population of the town is about twenty- 
five. 

Eleven miles from Indianapolis, on the Wabash, 
St. Louis and Pacific Railroad, is situated the lively 
little town known as Castleton. It was laid out Feb. 
25, 1852, by Thomas P. Gentry, aud contained nine 
lots. On April 29, 1875, David Macy laid out an 
addition east of the railroad, containing sixteen lots. 
Lewis Drounberger was the first merchant. The 
present merchants are Peter L. Negley, Solomon 
Kleffer, and Wadsworth & Son, all of whom deal ex- 
tensively in general merchandise. Peter L. Negley 
is the postmaster, and A. W. T. Lyle and Hilaf^' Sil- 
vey are the physicians. The town has telephonic 
connection. The present population is about fifty, 
having improved considerably during the past eight 
years, prior to which time no ground could be ob- 
tained upon which buildings could be erected and the 
village enlarged. It is situated in the midst of a fine 
farming region. 



Societies and Associations. — There are five 
active secret and benevolent societies in the town- 
ship ; one dormant and one defunct grange P. of H. ; 
one fair association ; and a horse company, as fol- 
lows: 

Oakland Lodge, No. 140, F. and A. M., was in- 
stituted under a dispensation dated Dec. 8, 1852, in 
Oakland, Ind. The following were the charter 
members : B. G. Jay, W. M. ; John W. Combs, 
S. W. ; Nelson Bradley, J. W. ; James A. Harrison, 
Treas. ; James Hinds, Sec. ; Elias V. Kelly, S. D. ; 
Elias H. McCord, J. D. ; Enoch D. Hanna, Tiler ; 
James W. Hervey, Jacob Beatty, Clark Wait, and 
Nehemiah Brooks. 

The lodge was chartered by the M. W. Grand 
Lodge May 25, 1853. The following officers were 
elected under charter : Barzilled G. Jay, W. M. ; 
John W. Combs, S. W. ; Nelson Bradley, J. W. 

The following persons have served as Worshipful 
Masters of the lodge the number of years noted, viz. : 
B. G. Jay, 1 i years ; Nelson Bradley, 1 year ; John 
W. Combs, 2 years ; James W. Hervey, 2 years ; 
Thomas P. Hervey, 3 years ; Harvey Colwell, 4 years ; 
Joseph L. Harley, 1 year; Andrew F. Cory, 7i 
years ; Naaman C. Plummer, 1 year ; Charles J. 
Negley, 2 years ; George W. Bolander, 1 year ; 
George W. Stanley, 5 years. 

The following named have served as secretary the 
number of years noted, viz. : James Hinds, 2 years ; 
B. G. Jay, 1 year ; I. N. Craig, 3 years ; Jacob 
McCord, 5 years ; A. F. Cory, 3 years ; Martin V. 
McConnaha, 2 years; John W. Combs, 11 years; 
Jonathan Conkle, 1 year; George W. Stanley, 2 
years. 

The lodge held its meetings in the attic under the 
roof of Enoch D. Hanna's store building until 1857. 
About that time the trustees of the lodge and the 
township trustee jointly erected the building now 
used as a lodge hall, and occupied by the primary 
department of district school No. 6. The lodge has 
fifty members in good standing, and meets on the 
Wednesday evening of or preceding the full moon of 
each month. 

Oakland Lodge, No. 534, I. 0. 0. F., was insti- 
tuted by John W. McQuiddy, special deputy, on 



566 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



June 1, 1876, with six charter and six initiatory 
members. The following were the first officers : 
F. Fellows, N. G. ; G. W. Bolander, V. G. ; George 
W. Karer, Rec. Sec. ; G. W. Teal, Treas. 

The society meets every Thursday evening, and 
has about thirty-six members. The following officers 
were elected in June, 1883 : Thomas Shafer, N. G. ; 
Noel Bolander, V. G. ; William F. Combs, Sec; 
Stephen P. Riley, Treas. 

Castleton Lodge, No. 518, I. 0. 0. F., was insti- 
tuted by dispensation at Castleton, Dec. 21, 1875, 
by J. W. McQuiddy, P. G. Rep., special deputy. 
In the summer of 1881 it was consolidated with 
Broad Ripple Lodge, No. 548. The event was cele- 
brated on Saturday, June 11, 1881, by a picnic in 
the beautiful grove adjoining Broad Ripple. 

Lawrence Lodge, No. 375, I. 0. 0. F. On the 
28th day of June, 1871, W. H. De Wolf, Grand 
Master of the R. W. Grand Lodge of the I. 0. 0. F., 
granted a dispensation for a lodge at Lawrence, Ind., 
to be known as Lawrence Lodge, No. 375, 1. 0. O. F., 
on the petition of the following-named persons, who 
became charter members: W. M. Babcock, John 
Bills, William Morrison, Isaac Bills, and Sylvester 
Gaskins, formerly of McCordsville Lodge, No. 338. 

The lodge was instituted by Grand Secretary E. 
H. Barry, as special deputy, on July 15, 1871. 
After the lodge was duly instituted the following 
persons were initiated : John McCormick, Thomas 
Spong, John Newhouse, Richard Johnson, Henry 
Bell, John Delzell, Smith H. Mapes, George Springer, 
Henry C. Allen, John Shafer, and 0. N. Wilming- 
ton. No other signer of the petition for the lodge 
was present, except George W. Hunter, E. T. Wells, 
and Abel Wheeler, and they could not be admitted 
on card, not having complied with the law. The 
first officers elected were William M. Babcock, N. G. ; 
S. H. Mapes, V. G. ; 0. N. Wilmington, Sec. ; Henry 
Bell, Treas. 

The lodge has a membership of forty-three, and 
meets in Voorhis' Hall, in Lawrence, every Saturday 
evening. The following officers were elected in June, 
1883 : M. C. Dawson, N. G. ; W. F. Landis, V. G. ; 
W. H. Cruchfield, Sec. ; Ezra Hamilton, Treas. 

Lawrence Lodge, No. 358, Knights of Honor, was 



instituted in Newhouse's Hall on Sept. 30, 1876, by 
George Hardin, of New Augusta, Deputy Grand 
Dictator, with the following charter members, viz. : 
John Meldrum, Joseph W. Church, Joseph Meldrum, 
William S. Newhouse, William H. Wheeler, Thomas 
B. Speece, Millard F. Church, George Newhouse, 
Christian Lout, James W. Jenkins, and A. J. New- 
house. There were other petitioners, but they did 
not become members. The first trustees were A 
J. Newhouse, George Newhouse, and Christ. F 
Lout. The first officers were Christ. F. Lout, D. 
Millard F. Church, V. D. ; John Meldrum, A. D. 
George Newhouse, Treas. ; Thomas B. Speece, Rep. 
J. W. Church, Fin. Rep. ; Joseph Meldrum, G. 
James W. Jenkins, Guard. ; William S. Newhouse, 
Sent. 

The lodge meets every Wednesday evening, in 
Voorhis' Hall, in Lawrence, and has thirty-five con- 
tributing members. Thomas M. Elliott, M. Black, 
and Paul Klepfer are the trustees, and the following 
officers were elected at the last election, to serve one 
year, viz. : J. J. Marshall, D. ; John Tharp, V. D. ; 
H. B. Fisher, A. D. ; William White, Treas. ; Thomas 
M. Elliott, Rep. ; M. F. Church, Fin. Rep. ; John 
Meldrum, G. ; James W. Jenkins, Guard.; B. F. 
Marshall, Sent. 

Indian Creek Grange, No. 828, P. of H., was 
chartered Dec. 27, 1873, and instituted the same 
day, by Abner J. Pope, with the following charter 
members, viz. : Charles J. Negley, M. ; Lewis Hossan 
Jans, 0. ; Stephen P. Riley, L. ; Andrew M. Huff, 
S. ; John J. Snyder, A. S. ; Pressly Silvey, Chap. ; 
Joseph N. Day, Treas. ; Solomon Klepfer, Sec. ; A. 
J. Springer, G. K. ; Caroline Negley, C. ; Nancy 
Smith, P. ; Lizzie Riley, F. ; Margaret Snyder, A. 
S. Also Taylor Corey, John J. Sharp, John W. 
Kimberlain, and George W. Applegate. 

The grange was in a flourishing condition at one 
t^me, with a membership of one hundred and eighty- 
^ur. The number of contributing members June, 
1883, was about thirty. 

Lawrence Grange was organized in No. 7 school- 
house, Germantown Grange was instituted at Ger- 
mantown, and Castleton Grange was instituted at 
Castleton, during the great grange movement of" 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



567 



1874. These granges all flourished for a while, but 
in a short time they ceased to exist. Germantown 
Grange and Lawrence Grange were consolidated with 
Indian Creek Grange, No. 828. Castleton Grange 
became defunct after a short life. The present offi- 
cers of Indian Creek Grange are Stephen P. Riley, 
M. ; Simon Klepfer, Treas. ; Charles J. Negley, Sec. 
The grange meets in the hall of the grange building 
in Oakland, on the first and third Saturday evenings 
of each month. 

Highland Grange, No. 1182, P. of H., was organ- 
ized Dec. 7, 1883, by J. J. W. Billingley, deputy. 
There were thirty petitioners and charter members, 
and the grange began its existence with seventy 
members. The first officers were Samuel Cory, 
M. ; Israel Pressly, 0. ; L. Y. Newhouse, L. ; Joseph 
E. Boswell, S. ; Henry A. Newhouse, A. S. ; John 
Mowry, Chapl. ; Benjamin Tyner, Treas. ; William 
B. Flick, Sec; Robert W. Cory, G. K. ; Hanna 
Pressly, C. ; E. J. Newhouse, P. ; Nancy Miller, F. ; 
Laura Cory, A. S. Samuel Cory served as Master 
until the grange became dormant. The grange 
ceased to work in the year 1881, because of the non- 
attendance of the members, numbering at the time 
only twenty-one. The grange can resume the work 
at any time, and probably will be resuscitated some 
time in the future. 

The Lawrence Guards, of Indiana Legion, were 
enrolled and mustered during the late Rebellion, and 
held in readiness for several years for active service 
in the event they should be needed. At one time 
there were one hundred and six members of the com- 
pany. They were fully equipped, and provided with 
Austrian rifles. The company drilled every Satur- 
day, and often engaged in battalion drill. The com- 
pany was in camp three days at Acton, this county. 
0. W. Voorhis was the captain, James H. Thomas 
first lieutenant, and Robert Johnson second lieu- 
tenant. 

The Lawrence Township Horse Company was first 
organized in the fall of 1845, in the Third Baptist 
Church of Jesus Christ, on Fall Creek. The object 
of the organization was " the detection and appre- 
hension of horse-thieves and other felons." The 
following persons became members at the organiza- 



tion, viz. : Smith Bates, Madison Webb, Elisha 
Reddick, Joshua Reddick, and Moses McClaren. 
The first officers were elected at a subsequent meet- 
ing, when Madison Webb was made president and 
Allen Vanlaningham was selected as captain. After 
the adoption of the new State Constitution, in 1852, 
the company was reorganized in conformity to the new 
State laws enacted. The second charter expired in 
the year 1862, and on the 26th day of July of that 
year the company was reorganized. The fourth 
charter was obtained upon the expiration of the 
third, but for some reason the articles of incorporation 
were not properly filed and recorded, hence, as soon 
as the error was discovered, the company again reor- 
ganized. On the last Saturday in February, in the 
year 1879, the company was last chartered for a term 
of ten years under an act of the General Assembly of 
the State of Indiana, approved Dec. 21, 1865, and 
the Board of County Commissioners at their Febru- 
ary term, 1879, granted thirty-two members of said 
company " all the power of constables." The follow- 
ing officers were elected for one year on Oct. 27, 
1883, viz. : Hezekiah Smart, president ; Oliver W. 
Voorhis, secretary ; Jonah P. Lemon, treasurer ; 
William Apple, captain ; Solomon Klepfer, 1st lieu- 
tenant ; George F. Merryman, 2d lieutenant ; George 
W. Bolander, 3d lieutenant ; J. H. Herrin, door- 
keeper. 

The company is in a flourishing condition, with a 
membership of seventy-seven. A large surplus re- 
mains in the treasury, and no property has been 
stolen from its members for some time, and every 
horse stolen since its organization, in 1845, has been 
recovered. The organization has been instrumental 
in sending a number of thieves to the State's prison, 
and it has recovered a large amount of stolen prop- 
erty. Its regular meetings are held on the last 
Saturday in the months of January, April, July, and 
October of each year, at school-house No. 8, known 
as Spring Valley. 

The Lawrence District Fair Association originated 
in Highland Grange, No. 1182, Samuel Cory, Worthy 
Master; W. B. Flick, secretary. After discussing 
the matter, arrangements were made, and the first 
exhibition, small, but interesting and successful, was 



568 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



held at Highland school-house Oct. 1, 1877. There 
were about three hundred entries, horses, cattle, farm 
products, women's work, etc. No cash premiums 
were given, but certificates of excellence only. Mr. 
Kingsbury, of the Indiana farmers, delivered an ad- 
dress, " Beautify the Home," and about two hundred 
persons were in attendance. 

In the fall of 1878 a corn show was held, and 
proved to be a good exhibition, but not very well 
attended. In 1880 a joint-stock company, named 
the Lawrence Township Agricultural Association, 
was formed, with 0. W. Voorhis as president, and 
W. B. Flick, secretary. The first exhibition was 
held at Minnewan Springs, the beautiful grounds of 
Hezekiah Smart. No premiums were paid, and no 
admission fee charged. The show was good, and the 
attendance large. The whole exhibition was a sub- 
stantial success. Dr. R. T. Brown made a good practi- 
cal address. The encouragement received now deter- 
mined the association to procure grounds of their own, 
improve them, and arrange for annual exhibitions to 
which people might come for pleasant reunion, to com- 
pare products and ideas, criticise, and profit by the re- 
sult. The use of a beautiful grove and lands adjoining 
Lawrence was generously donated by President Voor- 
his, which was tastefully improved at an expenditure 
of fifteen hundred dollars by the association. Owing 
to the sickness of the superintendent, work was not 
begun in time, but by working hands night and day, 
and a cheerful energy upon the part of all concerned, 
the work took shape for the fair held Sept. 22, 23, 
and 24, 1881. The entries numbered eight hundred, 
and the attendance about twenty-five hundred. Re- 
ceipts did not equal expenditures, but the association, 
with commendable honor, resolved to pay all premi- 
ums in full. 

The second exhibition, held Sept. 12, 13, 14, 15, 
and 16, 1882, proved to be a grand success, better 
than any one expected. The attendance on Thurs- 
day was over four thousand, the number of entries 
exceeded eighteen hundred, and in quality, beauty, 
and excellence the exhibition is seldom excelled. In 
vegetable and farm crops the display was immense 
and excellent. The show of stock, though not so 
large, was as good as the best. Again the premiums 



were paid in full. The association resolved to carry 
a debt rather than discount the premiums. The im- 
provements made this year were good ones, and cost 
nearly eighteen hundred dollars. It having been 
ascertained that the State Board of Agriculture 
would not recognize the association under the pre- 
vious name, this was changed to the Lawrence Dis- 
trict Fair Association. 

The third exhibition was held Sept. 11 to 15, 
1883, inclusive, and was the most successful one 
ever held, the entries being one-third more than 
at any previous one, and the attendance one-third 
greater than upon any former occasion in the history 
of the association. The association paid nine hun- 
dred dollars in premiums, and expended thirteen 
hundred and forty-one dollars in improvements, 
such as enlarging Agricultural Hall, straightening, 
widening, and otherwise improving the track, erect- 
ing additional stalls, pens, etc. The receipts from 
all sources amounted to about twelve hundred dollars. 
Again the receipts fell short of the expenditures, but 
the premiums were paid in full. 

Aims of the association ; 1st. To hold an annual 
fair at the cheapest possible rate, so the masses may 
receive the benefits ; 2d. To make this annual gath- 
ering second to none in the State. 

To accomplish this they propose to spend every 
dollar they receive over and above expenses in beau- 
tifying the grounds, in comfortable improvements for 
man and beast, and paying premiums. In another 
year the association will probably have forty acres of 
their own, which will give more room for improve- 
ments. 

This, briefiy, is a history of its rise and progress. 
President Voorhis has been prompt in helping the 
objects of the a.ssociation, while Secretary Flick has 
been not only tireless in his eflForts, but has shown 
rare and excellent judgment in the discharge of his 
difficult and sometimes thankless duties. 

The following are the officers of the association for 
1883 : 0. W. Voorhis, president, Lawrence, Ind. ; 
John W. Apple, vice-president, Oaklandon, Ind.; 
Levi Bolander, treasurer, Oaklandon, Ind. ; James 
H. Thomas, general superintendent, Lawrence, Ind. ; 
William B. Flick, secretary, Lawrence, Ind. 



LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP. 



569 



Schools. — Lawrence township has turned out many 
excelleot school-teachers ; it has the best public-school 
buildings, and it is one of the most enterprising in 
all matters pertaining to schools, of all the town- 
ships in the county. The first school in the town- 
ship was taught by a man named Edmison, from 
Chillicothe, Ohio, in Elisha Reddick's cabin in the 
year 1828. The teacher took the measles and spread 
consternation among the few scholars, and thus the 
school was brought to a sudden termination. The 
first school building erected was in the year 1830, 
upon the northwest corner of the Eddie Newhouse 
land, now owned by James W. Jenkins. The first 
school taught there was a subscription school, and 
was taught by an old man named Lamb. The boys 
barred him out on Christmas day and asked for a 
treat. The demand was acceded to and a gallon of 
whiskey purchased. The boys drank of it quite freely, 
and many of them became intoxicated. The patrons 
held a meeting and discharged Mr. Lamb. Subse- 
quently log school-houses were erected at various 
points, notably on the east side of the land now owned 
by William B. Flick ; on the northwest corner of the 
farm known as the Smay land ; on the northeast 
corner of Robert White's farm, and it was afterwards 
moved on to the southwest corner of the eighty-acre 
tract of land now owned by Mrs. Mary Ann Negley ; 
on Cornelius Wadsworth's land ; on the Bragdon 
farm, east of where Lawrence now is ; one near 
where each of Nos. 4, 5, and 8 school-houses now 
stand. School was taught at intervals for four years 
in a vacant house upon the farm now owned by John 
Johnson, south of Castleton. In the year 1834 
William Hendrick taught school in a small round- 
log cabin on Indian Creek, near Williams' mill. 
Spelling-school was held there quite often, and the 
boys had to carry brush to throw upon the fire in 
the fireplace in order to light the house. John 
Thomas taught the first school in the house on the 
Bragdon land in the year 1831. He taught three 
terms. Cyrus Smith taught the first school held in 
the house on Robert White's land. In the year 
1835, Travis Silvey taught the first school held in 
the log house near where No. 8 school-house now 

stands. For many years after the settlement of the 
37 



township the schools were few and the terms of 
short duration, while a majority of the teachers 
were of an illiterate class. Many of the scholars 
were obliged to travel long distances through the 
brush and over swamps, often being obliged to " coon" 
logs for great distances. 

The first public school-house was built of hewed 
logs, on the land then owned by John Bolander, and 
stood very near the spot upon which the new brick 
(No. 7) school-house now stands. Daniel Speece, if 
not the first, was one of the first persons who taught 
there. After the organization of the Congressional 
township system the schools were placed upon a 
solid and permanent basis, and their good efiects 
began to be realized. The township system was 
adopted in 1853, and immediately thereafter the 
township was supplied with ten schools, and about 
three years thereafter with ten frame public school 
buildings, and the township ever since has had an 
excellent corps of teachers. The first teachers after 
the adoption of the township system were : School 
No. 1, Aquilla McCord ; No. 2, Henry Cronk; No. 
3, Nelson Hoss ; No. 4, John Cory ; No. 5, George 
Speece ; No. 6, Cyrus Smith ; No. 7, James Mc- 
Kean ; No. 8, Gilbert Ross ; No. 9, William Young ; 
No. 10, Nelson Hoss. 

The term lasted sixty-five days, and they were 
paid as wages seventy-five dollars each. Cyrus Smith 
taught No. 6 in the Universalist Church at Oakland, 
and the trustees of the church were allowed nine 
dollars for the use of the building. 

On April 29, 1853, the township trustees called 
" a special meeting of the voters of the township at 
usual places of holding elections on Saturday, the 
28th day of May next, for the purpose of deter- 
mining whether they will submit to a tax for build- 
ing, removing, furnishing, and purchasing sites for 
school-houses of said township." The result of the 
election was : For tax, seventy-three ; no tax, forty- 
four. The trustees then levied fifty cents on each 
poll, and thirty cents on each one hundred dollars of 
taxable property, and built a new frame school-house 
that year, and afterwards about four houses per year 
until the township was fully supplied with new 
houses. The estimated cost of eight school-houses 



570 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



was thirty-two hundred dollars, and it was ordered 
by the trustees that sixteen hundred dollars be 
raised in the year 1853 and sixteen hundred dollars 
in the year 1854. On June 21, 1853, the township 
trustees, Abraham Sellers, Samuel Cory, and Moses 
Craig, " Ordered, that the school districts now ex- 
pending the school funds which was in their hands 
unexpended on the first Monday in April, 1853, be 
permitted to expend the same for tuition." 

There are now twelve school districts in the town- 
ship, distributed at convenient points. Districts Nos. 
1, 2, 4, 7, 8, and 10 are supplied with commodious 
brick buildings, each containing thirty-eight thousand 
brick. District No. 3 has a two-story brick edifice, 
finished in modern style, and district school-house 
No. 9 is a beautiful two-story frame structure. Dis- 
trict No. 6 has two frame houses, and the school is a 
graded one. The remaining districts have substan- 
tial frame buildings. The following is from the 
teachers' reports to the trustee for the term of 1882 
and 1883, viz. : Whole number enrolled, 626 ; males, 
341; females, 285; average daily attendance, 413 
number studying orthography, 578 ; reading, 625 
writing, 605 ; arithmetic, 570 ; geography, 339 
grammar, 367 ; history, 75 ; physiology, 125. 

The trustee made the following school levy for 
1883 : Tuition school, seven cents on the one hun- 
dred dollars ; special school, three cents on the one 
hundred dollars. 

The school term now lasts six months, and the fol- 
lowing are the teachers for the winter of 1883 and 
1884, viz.: No. 1, Samuel Beaver; No. 2, A. E. 
Bragdon; No. 3, Principal, Marion Bell; No. 3, 
Primary, Annie Herrin ; No. 4, 0. H. Tibbott ; No. 
5, James Watson ; No. 6, Principal, William F. Lan- 
dis; No. 6, Primary, Lou Abbott; No. 7, A. A. 
Johnson; No. 8, F. A. Whitesides; No. 9, Prin- 
cipal, Samuel Bolander ; No. 9, Primary, Jennie 0. 
Hensley; No. 10, Edward White; No. 11, Charles 
Bolander; No. 12, Belle Conkle. They are paid 
from $2.25 to $2.50 per day. 

The township library contains about eight hun- 
dred volumes, some of them valuable works. They 
are about equally distributed at the following con- 



venient points, are in first-class condition, and in 
charge of the persons named : Castleton, Mrs. An- 
derson ; Lawrence, Grace Mapes ; Oakland, Dr. A. 
F. Cory. 

Churches. — The first preaching held in the town- 
ship after its settlement was in the year 1825, on the 
farm entered by William Reddick for his son Joshua, 
and in his cabin, situated northwest of the mouth of 
Mud Creek. Preaching was held there nearly seven 
years. The first sermon was delivered by a young 
man named Miller. 

There are now ten church buildings in the town- 
ship, under control of five difi'erent denominations, as 
follows, viz. : Five Methodist Episcopal, two Evi^ngel- 
ical Lutheran, one Christian Church, one Baptist 
Church, and one Universalist Church. 

Oakland Methodist Episcopal Church was organ- 
ized in 1852, with a membership of twenty-four. 
The meetings were held two years in an old log 
cabin, one half-mile east of Oakland, on the Combs 
farm. Rev. Manwell and Rev. Gillum were the first 
preachers. The present church building was erected 
in the summer of 1854. James Hines, Jr., was 
accidentally killed in May of that year, while en- 
gaged in adjusting one of the timbers of the cupola. 
The church was dedicated in 1855. Rev. M. Gillum 
was the first circuit preacher in the new building, 
and James W. Hervey, Henry Whittiker, and Foun- 
tain Kimberlain were the first trustees. The present 
trustees are John Mock and Ephraim Thomas. J. 
S. Ruggies is the circuit preacher. The church is 
on the Castleton Circuit. Paul Klepfer is the stew- 
ard and class-leader. This society was at one time in 
a flourishing condition, but not so now. Present 
membership, twenty-five. 

Lawrence Methodist Episcopal Church was organ- 
ized by Rev. Trusler, from Virginia, at the residence 
of Benjamin Newhouse, one and one-fourth miles 
west of where the town of Lawrence now is, about 
the year 1838, with the following members, viz. : 
Benjamin Newhouse and Mahala, his wife, Henry 
Newhouse and Elizabeth, his wife, and Edmund New- 
house and Sallie, his wife. 



LAWEENCP] TOWNSHIP. 



571 



Preaching was held at Benjainin Newhouse's sev- 
eral years, and afterwards at Henry Newhouse's resi- 
dence. About the year 1848 the class built a hewed 
log house on the farm of Henry Newhouse, three- 
fourths of a mile west of Lawrence, Mr. Newhouse 
donating land for the site. This church was called 
Concord, and was used and occupied by the class as a 
place of worship for twelve years. Concord was then 
abandoned as a preaching-point, and the ground con- 
veyed back to Henry Newhouse. The society then 
went to the present frame church in the town of Law- 
rence, which was erected in the year 1860, the ground 
for the site and one hundred and fifty dollars in money 
being donated to the society by Henry Newhouse. 
The frame church was dedicated in 1860. Frank 
Hardin delivered the dedicatory sermon. The first 
trustees of the new church property were Amos 
Anderson, James Beard, and James Wheeler. The 
trustees of the property at the present time are 
Matthew C. Dawson, John Smith, and Franklin 
Joseph Johnson. The stewards are John Smith 
and Matthew C. Dawson. The present membership 
is seventy-five. The following ministers preached 
regularly at Concord, viz. : Frank Hardin, Bernhart, 
Johnson, Martin, Manwell, Greenmund, and Burt. 
The church is now on the Castleton Circuit, and 
Rev. J. S. Buggies is the minister. The society is a 
strong one and in a good condition financially. 

Spring Valley Methodist Episcopal Church was or- 
ganized as a class in Hilary Silvey's cabin, near the 
centre of the township, in the year 1832, with about 
eighteen members. The first regular preacher was 
Kev. Ellsberry, the second Rev. Igoe, and the third 
Rev. Sullivan. Services were held there for five 
years, and then from house to house until a preach- 
ing point was established at Spring Valley. A Sab- 
bath-school was organized in district (log) school- 
house by Abraham Vines, under the auspices of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, in the spring of 1852, 
and carried on successfully for two years. In about 
185-1 a preaching-point was established there, and 
the place called Vines' School- House. Preaching 
and Sabbath-school were held there until the com- 
pletion of the present frame building. In 1859, 



Abraham Vines, John Stires, and other moral men 
concluded to erect a frame building, thirty by forty 
feet, and soon succeeded in raising enough money to 
do so. The building was built in the years 1860 
and 1861, near No. 8 school-house. J. H. Thomas 
did the carpenter-work, John C. Thomas was the 
plasterer, and Isaac N. Thomas the painter. The 
buillding was dedicated in 1865, the Rev. John V. 
R. Miller, the then presiding elder, delivering the 
dedicatory sermon. At that time Rev. J. C. White 
was the circuit preacher. The first trustees were 
Joshua Huston, Thomas P. Silvey, and J. H. Thomas. 
In 1837 the church had thirty-two members. The 
following pastors followed Rev. J. C. White, who 
was on the circuit two years, viz. : Michael Black, 1 
year ; William Nichols, 2 years ; Samuel Pinkerton, 
2 years ; Richard Osburn, 1 year ; W. S. Palken- 
berg, 1 year ; L. Havens, 1 year ; Alexander Jami- 
son, 2 years. The present minister is J. S. Ruggles. 
The church is attached to the Castleton Circuit. 
The present trustees are Hezekiah Smart, Pressly 
Silvey, George G. Johnson, John W. Russell, and 
William T. Johnson. Martha Speece is the only 
person remaining with the class who became a mem- 
ber in 1832. 

Hopewell Methodist Episcopal Church edifice is 
situated on the west bank of Mud Creek, about one 
and one-half miles south of the Hamilton County 
line. It was built about 1850, by J. N. McCoy, 
Jacob Hoss, John Tate, Hiram Simons, Alexander 
MoClaren, and others, who banded together for the 
purpose. John Burt was the first preacher, and 
Richard Hairgrave the first presiding elder. The 
church began with a membership of fourteen. The 
ground for the church site was donated by Jacob 
Hoss, and a cemetery surrounds the building. The 
church was abandoned as a preaching-point in 1878, 
but is kept in moderate repair and used upon occa- 
sions such as funerals or special preaching. The first 
trustees were Jacob Hoss, James N. McCoy, and 
David Fee. The present trustees are Henry Cronk, 
James N. McCoy, and C. B. Wadsworth. The 
church belongs to the Castleton Circuit. Alexander 
Jamison was the last pastor. 



57S 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Castleton Methodist Episcopal Church was organ- 
ized with fifteen members about 1843, by James T. 
Wright. Its meetings were held at the residences of 
James T. Wright, William Orpurd, Milford H. Vert, 
and others ; also, in an old log school-house in the 
north part of Vertland, just west of the railroad, and 
in Milford H. Vert's warehouse, for twenty years. 
After which their meetings were held for twelve years 
in the new frame school-house. The present brick 
edifice was built through the instrumentality of Rev. 
James H. Stallard. It was completed in the year 
1874, but was not occupied as a place of worship 
until the year 1876. The trustees of the church in 
their report to the Quarterly Conference, Aug. 16, 
1882, represented the title as being good, and placed 
the value of the property at three thousand five hun- 
dred dollars. James T. Wright, the founder of the 
church, was its first minister and for several years 
its sole pastor. Thomas Jones was the first preacher 
in the new brick. The church was dedicated in the 
summer of 1880, during the pastorate of Harvey 
Harris. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by J. 
K. Pye, the presiding elder. The present minister 
is J. S. Buggies. The present membership is about 
sixty. The stewards are John J. Johnson, Henry 
Cronk, and C. B. Wadsworth. The trustees are as 
follows, viz. : Wilson Whitesell, John J. Johnson, 
Samuel T. Hague, Robert Johnson, John E. Myles, 
Robert E. Smith, James I. Rooker, William F. Wads- 
worth, and Andrew Smith. Prior to the building of 
the new church building the following circuit preach- 
ers were the most prominent : George Havens (3 
years), John Burt (3 years). Wade Posey (2 years), 
R. D. Spellman, J. C. White, D. C. Benjamin, Sam- 
uel Longdon, and James H. Stallard. 

The following have been the pastors of this church 
since the completion of the new building, viz. : Revs. 
Thomas Jones, Thornton, Alexander Jami- 
son, Austin Reek, Harvey Harris, and William M. 
Grubbs. 

Camp-meeting was held under the direction of 
Rev. Alexander Jamison in the vicinity of Castleton, 
in July, 1878, and again in 1879 and 1880, lasting 
each year for several days. The church is in a pros- 
perous condition, having passed safely through a 



great financial strain, and its future prospects for 
accomplishing much good are very flattering. 

The parsonage of the Castleton Circuit of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church is located at Vertland, 
and adjoins the Castleton Church building. The 
parsonage is under the control of the following trus- 
tees appointed by the Quarterly Conference : Wilson 
Whitesell, John J. Johnson, Andrew Smith, and 
Henry Cronk. 

Wesley Chapel Methodist Episcopal Church was 
organized as a class at the residence of Jeremiah 
Plummer, on Indian Creek, about the year 1835, and 
a circuit-rider preached there regularly every four 
weeks for two or three years. The hewed-log school- 
house on John Bolander's land was then used for five 
or six years. About the year 1842 a hewed-log 
church was built by the moral men of the neighbor- 
hood on the northeast corner of the eighty-acre tract 
of land now owned by John Smith. John Shenkle 
donated an acre of land for the site of the church. 
The first trustees of the property were George Plum- 
mer, William Lakin, and John Obrian. It was the 
first church building erected in the township, and 
was commonly called the Plummer Church. The so- 
ciety numbered about fifty at the time the church 
was built. William Lakin, James H. Murphy, Ben- 
jamin Chapman, John Obrian, Ephraim Thomas, 
George N. Plummer, Jeremiah Plummer, and John 
Shenkle were the prominent members, and took an 
active interest in the building of the church. John 
B. Burt, Charles Morrow, et al, were the ministers of 
the church prior to the erection of the church build- 
ing. George W. Bowers was the first preacher in 
the log church. Following him, the most prominent 
were Allen Beasley, L. M. Hancock, William C. 
Smith, Crouch, and Eli Rummel. The mem- 
bership dwindled down to a few, the building became 
unfit for occupancy, and the class was unable to build 
a new one ; consequently about 1857 meetings ceased 
to be held there, and the class disbanded. The build- 
ing was left standing until the year 1867, when the 
crumbling structure was torn down and removed from 
the premises. The old site has long been used as a 
cemetery, and is known as the " Plummer grave- 
yard." 



LAWKENCE TOWNSHIP. 



573 



The Pleasant View United Brethren Church was 
organized many years ago, and held its meetings at 
the cabin of William Hendricks, on Fall Creek, for 
several years. A hewed-log church was raised about 
the year 1845 on the east bank of Fall Creek, on a 
high hill called Mount Holy, near the Emery Ford, 
and used as a meeting-house neai'ly thirty years. The 
class disbanded years ago. The first preacher in the 
church was the Rev. Richardson. Amos Hanway 
was one of the most prominent ministers of the 
church. William Hendricks and Charles Emery 
were two of the first trustees. The house was built 
upon the farm of William Hendricks, now owned by 
Richard Johnson. The house has decayed so that it 
is in a condition to fall at any time. 

The Salem Lutheran Church was organized at the 
residence of Abraham Sellers several years prior to 
1848. During that year a hewed-log church was 
built upon an acre of ground donated as a site for the 
church by Joseph Swarm. It was built by donations 
from men of moral influence, and is situated on the 
Fall Creek and Mud Creek gravel road, about one- 
half mile south of school-house No. 2. The church 
was dedicated one year after its completion, John A. 
Myers delivering the dedicatory sermon. Hugh 
Wells was the minister in charge at the time of the 
dedication. The present minister is Obadiah Brown. 
The first trustees were Joseph Swarm, Abraham 
Sellers, and Arthur Clawson. 

The Upper Ebenezer Lutheran Church originated 
in 1824, in the old Ebenezer Lutheran Church of 
Washington township, which will be found fully 
mentioned in the history of that township. An ac- 
count is there given of the division of that church 
and the sale of the church building in February, 
1868. In consequence of the sale of the church 
building, about sixty persons were left without a 
house in which to worship. They resolved to build 
a new frame church after the modern style, and ap- 
pointed John Mowry, J. G. Marshal, and John C. 
Hoss as a building committee, and selected John 
Negley as a suitable person to raise the funds. In 
due time the necessary money was secured, and the 
building erected in the year 1868 upon seventy-two 
square rods of ground donated to the church society 



by Hezekiah Ringer out of the southwest corner of 
his farm in Lawrence township. The church build- 
ing was dedicated in 1868 immediately upon its com- 
pletion. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by 
Rev. Samuel Sprecher, D.D., of Springfield, Ohio, 
the then president of Wittenburg College. The Rev. 
Jacob Keller, the pastor at the time of the separation 
of the church, went with the upper settlement and 
continued their pastor two years, until 1870. The 
old hook of the original organization was kept by the 
congregation of the upper settlement. The congre- 
gation at present numbers forty-one active members. 
The pastors since 1868 have been as follows: Jacob 
Keller, 2 years ; E. Fair, 1 year ; J. Boone, 2 years ; 
Wm. H. Keller, 5 years ; and Obadiah Brown, 1 year. 
The last named is the present minister. Harrison 
Ringer and George Mowry are the elders, and Elijah 
Mowry and George W. Pressly are the deacons. 
There was no reorganization of this body after the 
division in the church ; it was by the terms stipu- 
lated in the articles of agreement a continuation of 
the original body. 

The Oakland Christian Church was organized May 
1, 1866, with a membership of one hundred and 
thirty-eight, and occupied the Universalist Church 
building one year thereafter. In 1868 the class 
erected the present frame building, and dedicated it 
the same year. Rev. David Franklin, of Madison 
County, Ind., delivered the dedicatory sermon. 
Christopher Apple took the most active part in the 
building of the church. He contributed all the 
material that went into the building and three hun- 
dred dollars in money. The first preacher was W. 
V. Trowbridge, and the first trustees were Chris- 
topher Apple, Sylvester Vanlaningham, and Daniel 
Jordan. Newton Wilson, of Irvington, is the min- 
ister at present, and John W. Apple and Henry 
Apple are the trustees. The church has fifty-eight 
active members. Sabbath-school has been held every 
Sunday during the past fifteen years, a most remark- 
able incident for a country church. 

The Lawrence Baptist Church. The Baptists in 
the southwestern portion of the township held their 
meetings for a few years at the residences of various 
persons of that religious faith, notably at Milton 



574 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAEION COUNTY. 



Woolen's cabin, Parsley's cabin, and George G. F. 
Boswell's cabin. It was at the cabin of George 
G. F. Boswell, on the third Friday in May, 1848, 
that these people formed an organization and consti- 
tuted themselves the Lawrence Township Baptist 
Church. About that time the congregation built a 
frame meeting-house on the farm of Milton Woolen, 
one and one-half miles due west of the town of Law- 
rence.. Milton Woolen, the founder of the church, 
donated the ground for the site and obtained the 
pastors. The following persons were very enthusi- 
astic in the building of the church : Milton Woolen, 
George G. F. Boswell, Wilson Hartsock, Moses 
Winters, and Moses Dunn. The following were the 
ministers in the frame church, viz. : John S. Gilles- 
pie, Michael White, Madison Hume, Stewart, 

and Josiah H. Razor. About the year 1860 the 
congregation abandoned the church on the Woolen 
land and went to the town of Lawrence, and for sev- 
eral years thereafter held their meetings in the school- 
house. A portion of the time they were without a 
meeting-place and without a pastor. In the year 
1872 the present brick edifice was erected in Robin- 
son & Co.'s addition to Lawrence, and on the oppo- 
site side of the Pendleton road from old Lanesville. 
When the congregation occupied the new brick it 
had but five members that belonged to the church 
when its meetings were held in the old frame on the 
Woolen farm. The new brick was dedicated in the 
year 1875, the Rev. John S. Gillespie preaching 
the dedicatory sermon. The Rev. R. N. Harvey has 
been the pastor for eight years, and is in charge at 
the present time. 

The Third Regular Baptist Church of Jesus 
Christ, on Fall Creek, was organized on Saturday, 
July 28, 1838, when the following delegates from the 
churches named met in council at the residence of 
Madison Webb, on the " correction line," one-fourth 
of a mile west of Fall Creek, and constituted them- 
selves a regular Baptist Church, viz. : T. Woolen, 
from Indianapolis ; Elder Madison Hume, Thomas 
Oliphant, and David Stoops, from Crooked Creek ; 
Harris Tyner, John Griffis, and John Perry, from 
Pleasant Run, and adopted articles of faith and a 
constitution, and the following persons declared mem- 



bers of a legally constituted regular Baptist Church, 
viz. : John Gillman and Mary, his wife, Madison 
Webb, Elijah Webb, Nancy Morrison, and Elizabeth 
Hardin. Madison Hume was chosen moderator at 
the organization, and served in that capacity for 
eight years and six months, and Madison Webb was 
selected at the same time as clerk, and served for 
seventeen years, until his death. John Gillman was 
the first deacon. The church held regular services 
once per month, as follows: from July, 1838, to 
August, 1842, and from September, 1843, to April, 
1857, on the third Saturday in each month ; from 
August, 1842, to September, 1843, on the fourth 
Saturday in each month ; and from April, 1857, to 
the disorganization, on the first Saturday in each 
month. 

The church held its meetings at the residences of 
many of its members, but principally at Madison 
Webb's, until 1844, when the congregation built a 
hewed-log house, costing one hundred and sixty-nine 
dollars and seventy-three cents. It was erected on 
top of the Johnson Hill, on the land now owned by 
John E. Myles, and the members of the church wor- 
shiped there until the dissolution of the church in 
1859. Madison Webb and Jesse Herrin contributed 
sixty-seven dollars and twenty-four dollars respectively ; 
said sums being more than one-half of the building 
funds. Madison ^Webb, Jesse Herrin, and Robert 
Stoops were the first trustees. The membership of 
the church increased rapidly from the first organiza- 
tion. At one time there were ninety names on the 
roll. 

In July, 1842, the church connected themselves 
with the Indianapolis General Association. From 
June, 1851, till May, 1853, the church was without a 
pastor. However, W. M. Davis, of Bloomington, 
and John Jones, of Stilesviile, preached twice each. 
The following is a list of the pastors of the church 
from date of organization, with time of service : Mad- 
ison Hume, 8J years; E. B. Smith, 2 years; Michael 
White, 2 years ; J. S. Gillespie, 2 years ; H. Keeler, 
1 year; D. S. Cothren, 1 year; E. B. Tomlinson, 1 
year ; and R. Vickers, 1 year. 

On the first Saturday in October, 1859, the church 
was dissolved by a unanimous vote of the members. 



PEERY TOWNSHIP. 



575 



giving as their reason that the church was scattered 
and discouraged, and unable " to have preaching and 
keep up necessary expenses." Letters of dismissal 
were granted to those who wished them, and it was 
resolved that when the house ceased to be used for a 
good purpose that it, together with the furniture, be 
sold, and the proceeds divided equally between those 
accepting letters of dismissal. On Saturday, March 
30, 1861, the meeting-house and contents was sold by 
the trustees. Afterwards the house was rented and 
occupied as a dwelling-house, and finally became a 
rendezvous for disreputable characters of both sexes. 
They were notified by a gathering of more than one 
hundred persons to vacate the premises, and refusing 
to do so, the citizens met at night, stoned the building, 
smashed in the windows, and battered down the door. 
They still refused to leave, so one dark night about 
1861 some unknown person set fire to the building, 
and it was totally destroyed. 

The Oakland Universalist Church was organized 
in 1850, with twenty-five members. A frame 
church was built the same year, and during the 
summer of 1875 the present brick structure was 
erected. The present membership is about one hun- 
dred. The following have been regular pastors since 

the organization : Longley, 1 year ; Oyler, 

1 year ; W. W. Curry, 2 years ; Babcock, 1 

year ; Mitchell, 8 or 9 years ; B. F. Foster, 1 

year; Adams, 1 year; William Chaplain, 1 

year ; Cronley, 1 year ; Adams, 1 year. 

The following itinerant preachers have preached at 
the church at divers times, viz., Revs. Kidwell and 
J. D. Williamson. The church is without a regu- 
lar pastor much of the time. The first trustees were 

Charles McConnell, J. N. Reddick, and Mc- 

Cord. 

This denomination has the finest and best church 
building, the largest membership, and is in the most 
flourishing condition in every particular of any in 
the township. 

The first Universalist society was formed in the 
township about the year 1838. 

Aged People of the Township. — In the year 
1883 the following persons over seventy years of age 
resided in the township, viz. : William Horton, of 



Oakland, was born in North Carolina, and is the 
oldest, being 102 ; Lewis Griffith, 87 ; Edmund 
Newhouse, 85 ; Solomon Bowers, 86 ; David Clare, 
83 ; Jacob Kesselring, 85 ; Benjamin Newhouse, 86 ; 
Jeremiah Vanlaningham, 85 ; Robert White, 82 ; 
Jesse Herrin, 83 ; Elisha Reddick, 86 ; John Tate, 
80 ; S. W. Crutchfield, 73 ; Daniel Fox, 70 ; Charles 
Faucett, 74; John Hughes (colored), 73; George 
Klepfer, 77 ; Jonah F. Lemon, 72 ; Simeon Mock, 
70 ; Granville Morgan, 77 ; John Newhouse, 76 ; 
William Perry, 72 ; John Plummer, 73 ; Samuel 
Plummer, 78 ; John Smith, 73 ; Andrew Smith, 78 ; 
William S. Thomas, 77; John T. Thomas, 78; 
Clark Wait, 70. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

PERRY TOWNSHIP.i 

The township of Perry (so named in honor of 
Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry) is the central one 
of the southern tier of townships of Marion County, 
being bounded on the west by Decatur township, on 
the north by Centre, on the east by Franklin town- 
ship, and on the south by Johnson County. The 
principal stream (and the only one of any importance) 
in the township is White River, which flows in a 
general south-southwesterly direction, and forms the 
entire western boundary of this township against 
that of Decatur. Several inconsiderable tributaries of 
White River flow in westerly and southwesterly courses 
through Perry, among them being Buck and Lick 
Creeks, which have become a little more noted than 
other unimportant streams of this region from the 
fact that early churches were built near them and 
received their names. The lands of this township 
are bottom, second bottom, and uplands, the latter 
in many places rising into undulations. In nearly 
all parts of the township the soil is excellent, well 
adapted for purposes of agriculture, and yields an 
abundant return to the farmer for labor bestowed 
upon it. The population of Perry township in 1880 
was two thousand five hundred and ninety-eight, as 

1 By Dr. WiDiam H. Wishard. 



576 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



shown by the returns of the United States census 
taken in that year. 

Perry township was laid off and erected by order 
of the county commissioners of Marion County on 
the 16th of April, 1822, and on the same day and 
by order of the same board it was joined with Deca- 
tur and Franklin, the three to be regarded tempora- 
rily as one township, for the reason that none of the 
three were then sufficiently populous for separate or- 
ganization. This union continued till Aug. 12, 1823, 
when the commissioners ordered Perry to be stricken 
off and separately organized. Then Perry and Frank- 
lin continued united until May 12, 1824, when the 
same action was taken with regard to Franklin, thus 
leaving Perry a separate and independent township. 

When Perry township' was laid out by the com- 
missioners in 1822 its west line was a prolongation 
of the present line between Centre and Wayne, thus 
giving to Decatur township a large triangular strip 
of land lying east of White River, and now included 
in Perry. This original west line remained undis- 
turbed until Jan. 7, 1833, when, upon petition of 
certain citizens of Decatur township living east of 
the river, the commissioners ordered " that all the 
part of Decatur township lying on the east side of 
White River shall be attached to and hereafter form 
a part of Perry township," thus permanently estab- 
lishing the river boundary. 

Following is a list of township officers of Perry 
township from its formation to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
Peter Harmonson, June 28, 1822, to June 6, 1827. 
Henry D. Bell, Jan. 3, 1824, to April 18, 1828. 
Thomas Carle, April 30, 1828, to May, 1831 ; died. 
Peyton Bristow, Not. 3, 1829, to July 4, 1834; resigned. 
Thomas MeParland, June 18, 1831, to Jan. 6, 1834; resigned. 
Jacob Smook, Feb. 21, 1834, to Feb. 21, 1839. 
George Tomlinson, Oct. 18, 1834, to Oct. 18, 1839. 
John Myers, April 6, 1839, to April 6, 1844. 
George Tomlinson, Dec. 7, 1839, to Dec. 7, 1844. 
John Myers, May 25, 1844, to May 26, 1849. 
George Tomlinson, Jan. 15, 1845, to Jan. 15, 1850. 
John Smith, May 26, 1849, to May 25, 1858. 
Thomas C. Smook, Jan. 15, 1850, to Jan. 15, 1855. 
Thomas J. Todd, June 2, 1854, to June 2, 1862. 
William H. Boyd, Jan. 15, 1855, to Feb. 26, 1857; resigned. 
Garret List, April 28, 1867, to April 18, 1861. 



Thomas N. Thomas, May 26, 1858, to 1864. 
John W. Riley, June 4, 1861, to March 18, 1864; resigned. 
James Gentle, June 2, 1862, to April 1, 1863 ; resigned. 
Thomas C. Smook, April 22, 1863, to April 22, 1871. 
John Myers, Nov. 14, 1864, to July 20, 1882; died. 
John W. Thompson, Nov. 15, 1864; removed. 
William T. Curd, April 13, 1867, to April 13, 1871. 
Samuel Royster, April l.S, 1871, to Feb. 27, 1872; resigned. 
Joseph Henricks, June 14, 1871, to March 16, 1872; resigned. 
William T. Curd, Oct. 21, 1872, to Feb. 4, 1875 ; died. 
George Isaac Tomlinson, March 25, 1875, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
Isaac N. Stackhouse, July 6, 1877, to April 9, 1878. 
Samuel C. Ferguson, April 9, 1878, to April 9, 1882. 
Levi A. Hardesty, Oct. 15, 1879, to Oct. 30, 1884. 

TRUSTEES. 
John McCollam, April 9, 1859, to April 18, 1863. 
Robert M. Stewart, April 18, 1863, to Sept. 8, 1865. 
James Gentle, Sept. 16, 1865, to April 18, 1868. 
John E. Griffith, April 18, 1868, to June 3, 1871. 
James Gentle, June 3, 1871, to Oct, 8, 1872. 
Elbert F. Norwood, Oct. 8, 1872, to Oct. 26, 1874. 
Charles Larsh, Oct. 26, 1874, to Oct. 20, 1876. 
William R. Wyooff, Oct. 20, 1876, to April 10, 1880. 
John S. Morford, April 10, 1880, to April 14, 1884. 

ASSESSORS. 
George L. Kinnard, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 7, 1828. 
David Marrs, Jan. 7, 1828, to Jan. 4, 1830. 
Thomas McFarland, Jan. 4, 1830, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
William H. Bristow, Jan. 2, 1832, to Jan. 7, 1833. 
Samuel Alexander, Jan. 7, 1833, to Jan. 6, 1834. 
William H. Bristow, Jan. 6, 1834, to May 5, 1835. 
George Tomlinson, May 5, 1835, to March 7, 1836. 
Jonathan Barrett, March 7, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 

George Tomlinson, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 1, 1838. 

Thomas N. Thomas, Jan. 1, 1838, to Jan. 7, 1839. 

Jonathan Barrett, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 

Samuel Alexander, Jan. 6, 1840, to Jan. 4, 1841. 

Thomas N. Thomas, Jan. 4, 1841, to Deo. 6, 1841. 

John P. Fisher, Deo. 8, 1862, to Nov. 21, 1864. 

Isaac M. Todd, Nov. 21, 1854, to Deo. 9, 1856. 

James Tharp, Dec. 9, 1866, to Oct. 13, 1860. 

Archibald Glenn, Oct. 13, 1860, to Nov. 4, 1862. 

John P. Fisher, Nov. 4, 1862, to Nov. 19, 1870. 

Marion Kelly, Nov. 19, 1870, to Nov. 20, 1872. 

David M. Fisher, Nov. 20, 1872, to Aug. 1, 1873. 

Samuel C. Ferguson, March 27, 1875, to Dec. 2, 1876. 

John S. Morford, Dec. 2, 1876, to April 10, 1880. 

Wooster D. Cleaver, April 10, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 

George C. Thompson, April 14, 1882, to April 14, 1884. 

In the west part of Perry township the first set- 
tlers were Henry Riddle, his brother-in-law, William 
Kinnick, Peter Harmonson, and his brother, who 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



577 



came in November or December, 1821. They did 
not enter land, being merely squatters. Riddle built 
his cabin on the Vincennes trace, which led from 
Indianapolis to the Bluffs of White River. His 
location was on the south side of Buck Creek, and 
east of the present Bluff road. The Harmonsons 
located on the west side of the trace, and on the 
north side of Buck Creek. Their cabins were the 
only dwellings that there were at that time between 
Indianopolis and the Bluffs of the White River, 
where Waverly now stands. 

There were a number of other settlements made 
during the year 1822. The first of these other set- 
tlements was made on Pleasant Run, directly south 
of Glenn's Valley, the settlers being Archibald 
Glenn, John Murphy, and John Smart. The first 
two located precisely on the line between Marion and 
Johnson County, and Smart on the Marion side of 
the line, the land belonging to Hezakiah Smart, his 
brother (who had entered the land some time before), 
and adjoining the land of Glenn and Murphy. This 
settlement was made in October, 1822, and at about 
the same time, or a little later, there camfe a colored 
family and located on land which now belongs to 
Archibald Glenn, it being at the crossing of Pleasant 
Run and the Bluff road, south of the run and west 
of the road. They were Mark Harris, a bachelor 
and the owner of the land (three hundred and twenty 
acres), and his brother Daniel and family, a wife and 
five children. They came from Ohio, and were the 
first colored family in the township, and perhaps in 
the county, 

John Smart was a cripple, his left arm being 
lame, but he cleared between four and five acres of 
ground the first winter, leaving the logs on the 
ground, merely trimming off the brush, which he 
burnt, and having no horse of his own, he hired 
Mark Harris to lay off the ground, which Harris did 
with a shovel-plow, marking it (not plowing at alF) 
off in furrows about four feet wide, jumping the logs. 
The corn was cultivated with liothing but a hoe, and 
the sacks in which it was carried to mill and th& 
clothing which they had were made from nettles 
gathered and prepared by Mrs. Smart. Crippled as 
he was, Smart in a few years became the possessor of 



eighty acres of land, part of which is in the present 
village of Glenn's Valley, and now occupied by his 
son, Hezekiah Smart. 

About a mile north of this settlement, on the six- 
teenth or school section, there settled a colony, com- 
ing from Dearborn County, Ind., consisting of three 
or four families, — James Martin and family, his 
brother-in-law, Samuel Smith, and family. Smith's 
son-in-law, William Stallcop, and Stallcop's brother. 
Martin did not settle permanently on this section, 
but soon after entered eighty acres of land half a 
mile north of his temporary location. 

At about the same time that the above settlers 
came in John Myers located on the west half of the 
southwest quarter of section 9, which he and his 
brother Henry, mentioned below, had entered, it 
being the section just north of the school section, 
and Peyton Bristow, who had been here in the sum- 
mer and put up a cabin, now returned (it being in 
the first part of December), and settled permanently 
on what was called Bristow's Hill, six miles south 
of the city, on the east of the Bluff road, which had 
then just been laid out. John and Israel Watts, 
with Benson Miner, from Whitewater, settled east of 
Myers, in the same section, David Fisher being the 
present owner of one of the farms, and Isaac Sutton 
of the other. This last-named settlement was made 
most probably in the spring of 182.3, as were also a 
number of others, all so near the same time that it is 
difficult to tell their order. Among these settlers 
was Zachariah Lemaster, who settled on the hill, 
known among the pioneers as Lemaster's Hill, on 
the north side of Lick Creek, and east of the Bluff 
road, his cabin making the fourth between the city 
and Johnson County line, on this road, the first 
cabin built being Henry Riddle's, the second, Har- 
monson's, then Bristow's and Lemaster's, this being 
also the order in which they would be passed coming 
towards the city of Indianapolis. 

Another settler was Martin Bush, who located on 
the south side of Buck Creek, near its mouth, he 
being the first settler on White River in this town- 
ship. Joseph and Benjamin Snow located respec- 
tively on the southeast quarter of section 34 and the 
southwest quarter of section 27, in township 15, 



578 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



range 3. Larkin, John, and Henry Mundy, and 
their father, with their brother-in-law, Henry Myers, 
and Emanuel Glimpse, and others,- — among whom 
were the Stevens family, — located north of the 
school section, between the Bluff road and the river, 
Watts and Glimpse being in the second bottom- 
land, and the others were in the first. From the 
north side of section 9 to Lake Creek was a section 
which was afterwards known as Waterloo, and had 
an unenviable reputation, a number of these settlers 
being squatters on government lands. 

Thomas Wilson was the next to settle on the Bluff 
road, his cabin being first on the east side, and after- 
wards on the west, the road having been so changed 
as to accomplish this, his being the next cabin built 
between Harmonson's and Bristow's. 

Going back to the year 1822, when a settlement 
was made on the north side of the township, on the 
line of the present Three-Notch road, gives the 
time of the arrival of Rev. Henry Brenton, with his 
ward, George Tomlinson, his brother, Robert Brenton, 
and Adam Pense, who, though he did not come with 
the Brentons, settled there at about the same time. 
Robert Brenton settled in Centre township, on land 
immediately south of Pleasant Run, and extending 
from the Three-Notch line to the Bluff road. Henry 
Brenton first settled on land a half-mile south of the 
township line and on the east side of the Three-Notch 
line, but about two years afterwards he moved south 
to land on the south side of Lick Creek and same 
side of the road. Pense settled on the north side of 
the creek, just across from where Henry Brenton 
afterwards located ; and just across the road from 
Pense. late in the fall or in the next spring (that of 
1823), Samuel True settled with his son Isaac. 
About 1825 or 1826 he put up a frame house, the 
first in the township, and which is yet standing. 

One halfmile south of Lick Creek, and on the 
west side of the Three-Notch line, as it was called 

then, was the place of location of Bowser ; 

and on the same road, on the south side of Buck 
Creek, was the land of David Marrs, whose cabin, 
however, was on the west side of the road. 

It may be interesting to give an explanation of 
how this road came to be so named. In laying out 



the road there were three notches cut in the trees 
which marked the line of the survey, to distinguish 
it from the Bluff road, on the west, and the Madison 
road, on the east ; and it was also on the section line, 
hence the name Three-Notch hne. 

Going south on this road and coming down a little 
later in time, there was the settlement of the Dab- 
neys, Samuel, James, and John, with their brother- 
in-law, John Smith, on the west side of the road, 
and the land commencing a half-mile south of the 
road running from Southport to White River. Just 
south of this road and on the east side of the Three- 
Notch line were the cabins of Samuel True, Jr., 
and Glidden True, who were just married, aud had 
come out with their father, Samuel True. 

We have now to go back to the spring of the year 
1821, when some squatter, name unknown, located 
on land on the north side of Lick Creek, and through 
which the Shelbyville road now runs, being in the 
northeast corner of the township. This person had 
succeeded in clearing a small space and raising a small 
crop of corn by September, at which time the land 
and crop Were purchased by John Graham. This 
place and that of Henry Riddle were the two first 
improvements in the township. Just across the creek 
on the south side was the place of the Widow White, 
who, with her two sons, MUton and Woodford, set- 
tled there the following year (1822). On the oppo- 
site side of the Shelbyville road from the Whites 
was the farm of Jacob Coughman, who arrived the 
following fall or the next spring, and just west of 
them was David Small, who came this year or the fall 
of 1822, and southwest of him was Henry D. Bell, 
who had the northeast quarter of section 143, and 
who came about the same time. There was a tran- 
sient squatter or two between Bell's and Abraham 
Lemaster's, who settled about the same time, three- 
fourths of a mile south of the present town of South- 
pt)rt. Jacob Smock was next to settle, occupying the 
farm immediately north of Southport and east of the 
railroad, he and Lemaster coming probably in the 
spring of 1823. This same year Peter Canine 
located on the line of the present railroad and north 
of Lick Creek, on the Bluff. Henry Alcorn settled 
on the farm where Henry Riddle had squatted, and 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



579 



had entered the place in 1821. These settlements 
are all that can be positively located, both as to time 
and place, who came before the year 1824. During 
this year and the following there was a very consider- 
able immigration, and the following settlements were 
made: Samuel Brewer, on the hill, west side of Madi- 
son road, north of Buck Creek, who came in 1825 ; 
Noah Wright, on the east side of Madison road and 
south of Lick Creek ; Simon Smock, east side of Madi- 
son road, just over the line from Centre, his brother-in- 
law, Lawrence De Mott, just east of him, the farms 
adjoining. Immediately west of Smock, on the east 
side of the Three-Notch line, were John McFall and 
sons, — John, Benjamin, and David, — and just across 
the road from him was George Marquis. About a 
mile or a mile and a half east of Southport was a small 
colony, Isaac Coonfield, with his sons, John and James, 
his son-in-law, Archibald Clark, with his brother, 
Obadiah Clark, and northeast of these, on the present 
Churchman pike, were John Thompson and William 
Huey. These are about all the permanent settlers 
viho came this year, 1824, but there were others 
whose names are not known who stayed but a year or 
ao. This same thing happened every year, as there 
was an almost constant moving around. This being 
•caused by the way the land was farmed. A man 
entering land and then sending some one here to put 
up a cabin, or leasing it to some one, who put up a 
cabin and stayed a short time, selling the lease to some 
one else, and thus a large part of the settlers were 
only transient. The permanent settlers of the years 
1825 and 1826 are given as near in the order of their 
arrival as is known, and are as follows: David Fisher 
(at whose house the Lick Creek Baptist Church was 
organized), on the north side of the Churchman pike, 
east side of the township ; James Turner, and his 
brother Jacob, west of James, on the Shelbyville pike, 
northeast of Southport; Thomas Bryant, just west 
of Jacob Turner, on the south side of the Shelby- 
ville pike, directly north of Southport ; John Brewer, 
with his family, about half a mile east of Southport ; 
Andrew Mann, on Buck Creek, south side, next to 
Franklin township ; Stephen Hankins, with his family, 
half a mile east of the Madison road, north side of 
Lick Creek ; Ephraim Arnold, near the Lick Creek 



Church ; Archibald Bruce, immediately east of Henry 
Alcorn ; Charles and Elijah McBride, with their 
father, on the Bluff road, west side, three-quarters of 
a mile north of Glenn's Valley : Samuel Brewer, west 
side Madison road, north side of Buck Creek ; Purnell 
Coverdill, two or two and a half miles northeast of 
Southport ; Jeremiah Featherston and family, three- 
quarters of a mile southeast of Southport ; Benjamin 
McFarland, the first man who practiced medicine 
that settled in the township, and his two sons, Samuel 
and William, and soon after him his son-in-law, 
John McCollum, near Lick Creek, east side of the 
township ; Moses Orme, on the Three-Notch line, 
next to Johnson County ; Lambert Saulter, with his 
two sons. Garret and Elijah, and Page Rawlings, 
about one mile and a half southeast of Southport ; 
Samuel Woodfield, five miles south of town, on the 
east of the Bluff road ; Charles Neighbors and Scipio 
Sedgwick, on adjoining land to Woodfield, Neighbors 
being just west of him, and Sedgwick south of Neigh- 
bors ; Thomas Richardson, one-half mile north of 
Southport, on the east side of the Madison road; 
Rev. John Ritchie, east side of the Bluff road, ad- 
joining the Centre township line, just west of George 
Marquis ; Noah Wright, on the east side of Madison 
road, south bank of Lick Creek ; William Evans, on 
the south side of Lick Creek, about three-quarters of 
a mile east of where the Madison road crosses ; James 
Hoagland, with his sons, Richard, John, and Wil- 
liam, one and a half miles southeast of Southport. 

About this time William Tracy, his son-in-law, 
Peggs, and his brother, John Tracy, settled one mile 
west of Southport, south side of the present gravel 
road. Jacob Peggs is still living at Franklin, Ind., 
about ninety years old. He served as recorder of 
Johnson County two terms, and as justice of the 
peace in the same county several terms, and was the 
first miller at Smock's mill, spoken of elsewhere. On 
the west side of the township was Silas Rhoads, who 
settled just across the road from Henry Alcorn, but 
he remained only a year or so, leaving in 1827, and 
moving to the Wabash ; and the same year Alex- 
ander Clark, after whom Clark township, Johnson 
County, is named, moved in, and after remaining 
about two years moved to the northeast corner of 



680 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Johnson County. This completes the list of what 
might be called old settlers, those at least who were 
of any prominence, there being others whose names 
are not known and who remained, as a rule, but a year 
or so, and did not generally own the land. 

About 1827, Isaac Kelly settled one half-mile 
north of Lick Creek, on the east side of the Three- 
Notch line ; William McClain on the north side of 
the gravel road, one mile east of Southport ; Jesse 
Dunn on the north side of Buck Creek, one half- 
mile west of where the Three-Notch line crosses it; 
Benjamin Harris (a tenant only), about a mile and a 
half northwest of Southport ; William Jones, who 
came in 1828, and was the first Welshman, two miles 
west of Southport, on the south side of the gravel 
road. 

The following is a list of those who were settlers, 
and who either remained but a short time or whose 
place of settlement is not known : Jesse Admire, 
Henry Brewer, near Southport ; William Brenton, 
east of Southport ; Lewis J. Brown, William H. P. 
and James, sons of Peyton Bristow, Isaac and 
Edward Brazelton, near the centre of the township ; 
Allen Bost, Joel Boling, Richard Berry, Thomas 
Carle, northeast of Southport about two miles ; 
Nicholas Cline, James Carson, Henry Coughman, 
Benjamin Crothers, Frederick Disinger (who was 
very probably the first German to settle in the town- 
ship), Abram and Peter Ellis, David Fulson, Moses 
Frazee, Richard Good (the first Irishman who settled 
in the township), William Hall, Jacob Hill, John 
Heist, John W. Johnston, John M. Johnson, Wil- 
liam and James Johnson (William living in Water- 
loo), John Jackson, Thomas Lewis (one mile and a 
half southwest of Southport, on the county road run- 
ning east and west, the farm now owned by the widow 
of Ezra Smith), Jacob and Ezariah Mosely, George 
McClain, two miles west of Southport on the county 
road ; William Mentieth, William and James Mc- 
Laughlin, in the northeast side of the township ; 
Smith McFall, Charles Orme (who was a transient 
settler only), John Parker, a United Brethren minis- 
ter, John Reding, Sr., Henry Rammel, John Russell 
(one half-mile west of Southport, north side of Buck 
Creek), Joseph Rosenbarg, Ephraim Robinson (who 



stayed about a year), William Rice, Thomas Richard- 
son, a half-mile north of Southport, east side of the 
Madison road ; John Seiburn (at whose mother's 
house the first Sunday-school in the township was 
organized, one mile and a half north of Southport, 
half-mile east of the Madison road), Thomas Shelton, 
northwest of Southport, on the north bank of Buck 
Creek ; Frederic Shultz, Isaac Senoney, Daniel Stack, 
James Spillman, in the northeast part of the town- 
ship ; Francis Sanders (who lived to be over ninety 
years of age), one mile and a half east of Glenn'? 
Valley ; Robert Tdmlinson, southwest of Southport, 
north side of the road ; Thomas Lewis, Jacob Tumes, 
John Thompson, Richard Thomas, George Wright, 
one half-mile east of the present site of Centre 
Church ; Primrose Yarbrough (northeast side of 
township), who married the widow of James Spill- 
man. 

Rev. Henry Brenton came from Trimble County, 
Ky., in the early part of 1822. He was a local 
Methodist preacher on Sundays and a farmer during 
the week ; there being constant need of his service^, 
as there was a meeting held either in the woods or in 
the cabin of some pioneer nearly every Sunday. He 
accomplished much in the field he had adopted, and 
was a pioneer of the church, as, on account of his 
solemn and earnest presence, he was called upon by 
the settlers of Johnson and Morgan Counties, some- 
times riding twenty miles to perform the marriage 
ceremony or to conduct religious services, and few 
that saw him but were impressed by his brevity and 
earnestness. He had his own peculiarities, one of 
which was that he always prayed with his eyes open, 
and when remonstrated with, replied, "We are com- 
manded to watch as well as pray." He probably 
preached at more funerals and solemnized more mar- 
riages than any other pioneer minister in the county, 
for which latter service two dollars was almost invari- 
ably his largest fee. He died at his home on the 
Three-Notch line, in June, 1847, nearly seventy 
years of age, and was buried in his brother Robert's 
family cemetery, on the Bluff road where it crosses 
Pleasant Run. 

After his death his wife, known as Aunt Esther, 
and family moved to Iowa. Most of them are now 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



581 



dead, his wife living to a great age and dying but a 
few years ago, after having been blind some ten years. 
He had five children, — James, now living in Iowa, 
Martha, another daughter, Mary, and Thomas. 

Rev. Greenup Kelly was born in Estelle County, 
Ky., and licensed and ordained as a Methodist min- 
ister by the Kentucky Conference. A young man of 
fine promise and great zeal in his work, but his health 
failing him, he came out to his father, Isaac Kelly 
(who had settled here in 1827), and after suffering a 
couple of years, died of consumption, and was buried 
on a Sunday in December, 1830, in what is now 
known as Round Hill Cemetery, then known as the 
Camp Ground Graveyard, it being the place of the 
first camp-meeting in the county. 

The Rev. John Belzer was the only New Light 
minister who ever settled in the township. His father, 
and brother Phoenix, settled with him on the school 
section, having purchased the lease of the Stallcops 
in the fall of 1824, having a blacksmith-shop on his 
farm. He organized a church of his persuasion, but 
it was a rather weak one. He was a superior man 
and was able beyond his opportunities, having had 
but little education. He was, in fact, an excellent 
man. In the fall of 1828 he removed with all his 
family to Southern Indiana. 

Rev. John Ritchie, a local Methodist minister, 
was a Kentuokian by birth, but came from Ripley 
County, this State, in the fall of 1826. He was 
generally known as " Judge" Ritchie, having been 
an associate judge. He was a large man, of fine 
presence, and had a magnificently formed head, was 
very gifted, and though hindered by lack of educa- 
tion, was extraordinarily eloquent, and most forcible 
in logic, which made him remarkable and honored, 
both in the pulpit and on the stump, he taking part in 
the campaign of 1840. In the pulpit he was most 
remarkable, his appearance belying his abilities, and 
when he entered the pulpit, always being dressed in 
home-made jeans, gave rise to a feeling of disappoint- 
ment, until he spoke, when the audience became 
spell-bound, fascinated, by his eloquence and earnest- 
ness, and remained so until the last word was ut- 
tered. He died Aug. 24, 1841, and was buried in 
what is called the Lemaster's family burying-ground. 



His children were Sally, Drusilla, Ann, Jane, James, 
Samuel, Arnold, Mary, Eunice, Adaline, Lucinda, 
and Lavina. 

Rev. Abram Smock, a Baptist minister, came from 
Kentucky in the fall of 1825, his brother John having 
preceded him some four years, returning to Kentucky 
for him. He organized the first Baptist Church in 
the township, at the house of David Fisher, in the 
spring of 1826. He was pastor of this church for a 
number of years, and also of the First Baptist Church 
of Indianapolis from December, 1826, to July, 1830, 
organizing more Baptist churches than any other man 
in the county, and was a leading minister for many 
years. He was both eloquent and impressive, and 
in his work zealous and fervent, but retired from the 
ministry long before his day of work should have 
ceased. 

The Rev. Jeremiah Featherston, a pioneer Baptist 
minister, came from Kentucky. He was a mission- 
ary most of his time, never having a church of his 
own. He was a zealous and upright man. He died 
in 1865. 

Rev. Monroe was a Revolutionary soldier, 

and came from Pendleton County, Ky., in 1830, 
with his son William, who settled in a southeasterly 
direction from Southport about one and a half miles. 
He lived part of the time with his son and part with 
his son-in-law, Joseph Wallace. At the time of his 
death, Nov. 20, 1842, he was eighty-seven years old, 
and had been in the ministry for more than fifty 
years, the greater portion having been spent in Ken- 
tucky. He was buried in the Southport Cemetery. 

Henry Riddle came from Roane County, N. C, 
and lived in the township but a little while, when he 
removed to St. Joseph County, Ind., where he died 
some twenty years ago. He was a true pioneer, 
never allowing civilization to but just reao'li him, 
when he retreated before it. He had but a small 
family. He was very popular, and universally liked, 
so much so that if there happened to be a dispute in 
his neighborhood, he was always able to act as peace- 
maker. The Harmonsons were old neighbors of Rid- 
dle's, and came from North Carolina very probably 
with him. They stayed but a few years, and then 
went to the southern part of this State. 



582 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Hezekiah Smart was born in Nicholas County, 
Ky., where his "'brother John was also born. He 
was married in 1824 to Margaret Hinkston, of Har- 
rison County, Ky. John was married in 1815 to 
Sally Earls. Hezekiah came to the township in 
1823, to his brother, but went back to get married, 
after which he returned, and lived here until Dec. 
25, 1867. He had four sons and five daughters, 
who all lived to maturity, — Humphrey, William, 
Martha, Elizabeth, Margaret, Comfort , Heze- 
kiah, and Caroline. His wife died in March, 1879. 
John had four sons, — Hezekiah, Samuel, John, and 
Joseph, and four daughters, — Susan, Mary, Eliza- 
beth, and Sally. He died in 1833. His wife died 
in 1875. Margaret, Hezekiah 's wife, was a leading 
member and worker in the Methodist Church, and 
was very prominent in meetings for the part she took 
in prayer, an unusual thing for women of that day. 

Thomas Carle came from Kentucky in 1825 or 
1826, and settled in the angle of the road, two miles 
north of Southport, on the south side of the Shelby- 
ville road, a half-mile south of Lick Creek. He 
established a tan-yard (the second in the township) 
the year he came. He was one of the first justices 
of the peace, having been elected in 1828, and died 
in office, in March, 1831. He was buried on his 
farm. His son, Holman Carle, still owns the old 
place, but lives in the city. 

James Martin, an early settler, died in 1843, 
leaving one son and one daughter. 

Samuel Smith lived near Glenn's Valley till 1839, 
when he moved to Johnson County, near Greenwood, 
and died there in 1834. 

John Myers was born in Kentucky, and moved 
to Brown County, Ohio, then to Whitewater Valley, 
near Brookville ; remained there but a short time, 
and then came here in the spring of 1822 with An- 
drew Wilson (who lived in Wayne township) and 
his brother Henry, with one horse for all, on a visit 
to the site of Indianapolis, before he moved out. 
Soon after he married. He removed with his wife 
and a few household goods, and when his goods had 
been unloaded from the wagon of the teamster who 
had hauled them out, they were left alone in a dark 
forest, with his nearest neighbors, Henry Riddle and 



the Harmonsons, a mile and a half away. It was a 
heavy, unbroken forest, full of wild beasts, and their 
first night's rest was much disturbed by the howling 
of wolves and hooting of owls. His first wife died in 
1850, and in 1852 he married the widow Comfort 
Hinkston, who is still living. He died July 20, 
1882, eighty-four years old. He served as justice of 
the peace longer than any man in the county. He 
was a successful farmer, and, though starting with 
but forty acres, left an estate valued at thirty thou- 
sand dollars. He had two sons and four daughters. 
James Madison, his eldest son, born in December, 
1822, is now living, the oldest resident of the town- 
ship. His son, Vincent Myers, and his daughter, 
Mrs. Ed. Thomas, are also living. 

Martin D. Bush came here from Dearborn County, 
Ind., in the fall of 1822. He had three children- 
Ann, Mary, and Henry — when he came. His wife 
was a sister of Col. Eggleston. Both he and his 
wife were noted for their hospitality and their kind- 
ness to the sick and needy. Their daughter Ann 
married Frank Blerrill, a brother of Samuel Merrill ; 
Mary married Amos Sharpe, brother of Thomas 
Sharpe ; and Henry married a Miss Dryden. Mary 
died a short time before they left, and the remaining 
members of the family moved in the spring of 1853 
to Northwestern Missouri. He and his wife died 
some years since at an advanced age. Henry and 
Ann are still living. 

Henry Alcorn came from the north of Ireland 
when quite a young man, and settled in Lexington, 
Ky. He moved to Ohio, then came to Indiana, by 
Muncie and Strawtown, to Indianapolis, prospecting 
in 1821, and then entered the land on which Henry 
Riddle and Peter Harmonson had squatted. He 
moved to Perry in 1823. His wife died in the 
winter of 1829-30. He had two sons and three 
daughters, — Henry, Melinda, Joseph, Elizabeth, and 
Mary Ellen. He married again in 1836, to Sally 
McClintock, who had come on a visit to her brother 
Thomas. Henry Alcorn, Jr., died soon after his 
mother, who died in September, 1847, in Kentucky, 
having returned there on a visit. He married again 
in 1850, and his third wife died in 1863. He died 
in 1875, at the home of his son-in-law, George List, 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



583 



who married his daughter Mary Ellen. His oldest 
daughter married Garret List. He was eccentric and 
stern, and a prodigy in arithmetic and mathematics, 
having had a very liberal education, and having a 
remarkable memory. He was also regarded as au- 
thority in questions of history. 

Zachariah Lemaster came in the fall of 1822 or 
1823 from Kentucky. He married a Miss Wright, 
and died about 18-10, and left a widow and five chil- 
dren, — two sons and three daughters. The youngest 
daughter now lives on the old homestead. 

Henry Myers, brother of John Myers, married a 
Miss Mundy, and came here in 1823. About 1846 
—47 he sold out and moved to near Peru, Ind. He 
was an earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, and a man of unblemished character. He 
had a large family. 

Mrs. Elizabeth Custard came to this township in 
the fall of 1828 with her son-in-law, David Hinks- 
ton, who had married her daughter Comfort. Her 
daughters,— Eliza, married soon after Elijah Mc- 
Bride ; Margaret, married Larkin Myers, a son of 
Henry Myers ; Mary, married James Tracy, son of 
John Tracy ; and Amanda, married Saulsbury Jones, 
son of the Welshman, William Jones. They came 
from Harrison County, Ky., and purchased land on the 
sixteenth section from John Belger. Mrs. Custard is 
still living with her daughter, Mrs. Comfort Myers, 
the widow of the late John Myers, and she is now 
the oldest person in the county who was a pioneer, 
being nearly one hundred years old. 

Peyton Bnstow was a native of Virginia, born in 
Loudoun County the 29th of August, 1778, his 
parents being natives of Wales. His father died 
when he was but a boy, and soon after his mother 
started with the family, consisting of herself and ten 
children, for Kentucky. Though he was fourth in 
the family, he was the practical head, the older ones 
having left to work for themselves. In the wild 
forests of Kentucky he had but little or no chance 
for educating himself, and very little education did 
he have. He was married on the 16th of Novem- 
ber, 1802, to Miss Mary Price. After his marriage 
he settled on a "claim" in Greene County, Ky., after- 
wards Adair County, and remained until the fall of 



1809, when he sold out and went to Preble County, 
Ohio. He was a soldier of the war of 1812, though 
he was not engaged in any battles. In the fall of 
1821 he sold out, and, coming to this township, en- 
tered three hundred and twenty acres of land. He 
returned to Ohio to get the two oldest boys, who 
were to help him build the cabin, which they nearly 
completed, when the father and the younger son 
again returned for the family, leaving the elder son 
to finish it ; but when they returned they found that 
he had been seriously injured by a falling tree a day 
or two after they had left, and the cabin was no 
nearer done than they had left it. This was about 
the 1st of February, 1822. Soon after this was the 
first township election, at which there were himself 
and four others, — Henry Riddle, Peter Harmonson, 
William Stallcop, and Elias Stallcop. He served as 
justice of the peace from Nov. 3, 1829, to July 4, 
1834, from which he acquired the title of "Squire." 
He lived a householder for over sixty-six years, and 
died Feb. 10, 1869. He was sternly and strictly 
honest, and liberal in his views. He was politically a 
Democrat and religiously a Universalist. His own 
death was the first under his roof. His wife survived 
him some eighteen months, and died in 1870. He 
had thirteen children, — William, James, Lucy, Mar- 
garet, Sally, Evans, Cornelius, Eliza, Mary, Martha, 
Powell, Henry, and Alfred, of whom four or five are 
dead. 

Thomas Bryan came in 1825 from Kentucky, and 
was married to Miss Saunders, sister of Dr. Saun- 
ders, formerly of Indianapolis. He helped to organize 
the Lick Creek Baptist Church. He had two sons, 
John and Samuel, and three daughters. John died 
in 1840; Samuel is still living in Missouri; Mrs. 
Samuel Siebern living in the city ; Mrs. Samuel Mc- 
Farland living near the old homestead ; and Mrs. 
James McClelland living at Franklin, Ind. Mrs. 
Bryan died in 1853; Mr. Bryan in 1857. Both are 
buried at Southport. The children of Thomas and 
Elizabeth Bryan were Samuel, Julia, Mertila, John, 
and Isabella. 

Luke Bryan was born in Pendleton County, Ky., 
and came to the neighborhood of Southport in the 
fall of 1828, bringing with him his father and mother, 



584 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of whom it is Decessaiy here to speak. Samuel and 
Mary Bryan were the companions and relatives of 
Daniel Boone, the famous Kentucky pioueer, Samuel's 
mother being Daniel Boone's sister. When the pio- 
neer started from North Carolina, in 1779, for the 
far-off land of Kentucky, Samuel and Mary Bryan 
accompanied him and his wife in the colony which 
went with him. Samuel had served in the Conti- 
nental army, and was married just before starting. 
They traveled on horseback and with pack-horses. 
When they came to the Cumberland River their goods 
were transported on a raft, and Mrs. Bryan, being in 
advance of the other women, was the first white woman 
who set foot north of the Cumberland River in Ken- 
tucky. This colony built on the Blkhorn what was 
called Bryant's Station, a place of historic note. 
There or iu the vicinity Thomas and Luke Bryan, 
sons of Samuel, were born. Luke, after he came to 
this county, married a Miss Saunders, another sister 
of Dr. Saunders. Samuel Bryan died in 1837, in 
the eighty-third year of his age, and his wife died in 
1840. They were buried on the farm of their son 
Luke, but afterwards taken to the Southport Ceme- 
tery, where rest two of those pioneers who passed 
through scenes and adventures which have become 
historical ; and it is doubtful if persons more noted in 
pioneer history lie buried in the county. 

Luke Bryan lived three-quarters of a mile north- 
east of Southport, on the farm now owned by Capt. 
Carson. He died March 5, 1857, and his remains 
lie in the Southport Cemetery. The children of Luke 
and Mary Bryan were Alphonso H., Sarah, Ethel- 
bert W., Mary, Dorcas A., John S., Joseph M., 
James W., and Dr. Thomas N. Bryan, now of In- 
dianapolis. Only one other of the sons is now 
living. Their mother died in June, 1862, in Clay 
County, 111., whither the family removed after Luke 
. Bryan's death. 

Thomas C. Smock was born Dec. 31, 1808, in Mer- 
cer County, Ky., and removed to Indiana in 1825, in 
the seventeenth year of his age, making his home 
with his brother, John B. Smock, on the Madison 
road, two miles south of Southport. After his 
twenty-first year (1829) he made his home with his 
mother, Mrs. Ann Smock, two miles north of South- 



port, on the west side of the Madison road. In 
September, 1831, he married Rachel Brewer, daugh- 
ter of John Brewer, who resided one mile east of 
Southport. She died Sept. 21, 1838. On the 22d 
of December, 1839, he married Sarah, youngest 
daughter of John Smock, who settled in 1821 on 
the Madison road, on the south bank of Pleasant 
Run, one mile south of Indianapolis. 

From his first marriage until the time of his death, 
June 25, 1877, he resided on the same farm, one 
and one-half miles north of Southport, on the west side 
of the gravel road. As a citizen he was honored, 
having served several terms as justice of the peace 
for Perry township ; as a husband and father he 
was a pattern, an example worthy of imitation ; as 
a neighbor, and in all the qualities that make a good 
neighbor, he was unexcelled, as all will bear testi- 
mony, both rich and poor. Forty-six years of his 
life he was a church member, earnest and faithful. 
For more than thirty years he was a Sabbath-school 
superintendent. At his death he had eight children 
that survived him, — four sons and four daughters. 
His second wife died in January, 1872. He left to 
his family a noble legacy, — a character without spot 
or blemish. The writer of this knew him well for 
fifty-two years, and knows whereof he has written. 
His remains were deposited in the Southport Ceme- 
tery. Peace to his memory 1 

Simon Smock was born Oct. 8, 1792, in Mercer 
County, Ky. He was married in Kentucky, and 
moved to Perry township in 1824. He settled on the 
east side of the Madison road, adjoining the north line 
of the township, on the road from Indianapolis to 
Greenwood. Of the early pioneers there were nine 
Smocks and three Brewers on or adjoining the road, 
and it was a common saying, " If you meet a man call 
him Smock ; if he fails to answer call him Brewer, 
and he will be sure to answer." There was a colony 
of Smocks and Brewers moved from Kentucky, set- 
tling on or iu the vicinity of the Madison road, 
from within one mile of Indianapolis south to the 
south line of the county, and extending into Johnson 
County two miles. As early settlers the Smocks 
and Brewers were men of a higher order for enter- 
prise and morality than the average emigrants to a 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



585 



new country, and they contributed much to elevate 
the tone of society in the middle and eastern part of 
Perry township. Simon Smock, being one of the 
eldest, a maa of convictions, and not afraid to stand 
by his convictions, played well his part in church 
and society. He had a large family, but was cut 
down in the full vigor of his manhood, an irreparable 
loss to his church and his family. He died in 1854. 

Samuel Brewer was born in Kentucky ; married 
to Ellen Smock, also a native of Kentucky. Soon 
after his marriage he emigrated to Indiana and 
settled in Perry township, on the west side of the 
Madison road, on the north bank of Buck Creek. 
In the fall of 1825 he built a cabin, commenced 
opening a farm, and started a blacksmith -shop. Be- 
tween farming and blacksmithing he made a com- 
fortable living. He had ten children, — two sons and 
eight daughters. His eldest son. Dr. Abram Brewer, 
entered the profession of medicine and made an able 
and successful physician. His health failed him and 
he retired from practice, and died at his father's 
house in the fall of 1869. The youngest son died 
in 1851, ia childhood. Two single daughters died 
in early life, and afterwards two others (Mrs. Jane 
Todd and Mrs. Fanny McCalpin). Pour daughters 
are still living. In September, 1876, his wife died, 
and two years after he married Mrs. Grube, a widow 
lady of the neighborhood. Mr. Brewer raised a 
very moral and upright family. He has some pecu- 
liarities that make him a marked man in his neigh- 
borhood. He was a pioneer in the temperance and 
anti-slavery causes. He is positive in his character. 
When he takes a position he adheres to it against all 
opposition. No one who ever knew him doubted his 
fidelity to his church and himself. These are the 
great ruling traits in his character. 

The Dabney family was quite numerous in Perry 
township. They emigrated to the neighborhood 
from Shelby County, Ky., in 1823 or 1824, having 
formerly come from the State of Virginia to Ken- 
tucky. The Dabney family was and is to this day a 
noted family in the Old Dominion. These were a 
branch of the same family. Samuel Dabney and 
wife, with three sons and three single daughters and 
his son-in-law, John Smith, all settling on the Three- 



Notch line, seven or eight miles south of Indianapolis. 
The father died soon afterwards. John Smith, the 
son-in-law, was in after-years elected a justice of the 
peace for Perry township. He was a shrewd and 
thrifty farmer, and died at Greenwood in 1861. 

The sons of the elder Dabney (Samuel, James, 
and John) were as unlike as any three brothers 
could be. Samuel lived and died a bachelor. He 
was a great wit, full of anecdotes, and the centre of 
all the sport at the neighborhood gatherings. James, 
or Jimmy, as he was fixmiliarly known, was the prin- 
cipal class-leader ;n the Methodist Episcopal Church 
in all the country, and in that special department he 
was successful. For fifteen years he carried the ban- 
ner, caring nothing about the things of this life, 
leaving them all to take care of themselves if his 
brother Samuel would not look after them. John, 
or Jack, as the family called him, was a Nimrod, and 
more than that name would imply. In hunting and 
fishing he was unexcelled, and he furnished all the 
venison, fish, and honey for the family. It was said 
he knew every bee-tree for miles around. He moved 
to Miami County in 1838, and the remainder of the 
family followed soon after. The female portion of 
the Dabney family were noted for their hospitality 
and kindness in sickness. They have now all gone 
to that bourne from whence no traveler returns. 

Archibald Clark, with his father-in-law, Isaac 
Coonfield, Sr., his brothers-in-law, John and James 
Coonfield, and his brother, Obadiah Clark, came from 
Kentucky, and were among the early settlers east 
and northeast of Southport. They were of that class 
of people who preferred the frontier ; not that they 
had any vice, but seemed to prefer the rude freedom 
of a frontier life. They remained in the neighbor- 
hood some fifteen or twenty years, when the Coon- 
fields moved to Brown County and Clark to Madison 
County. Some years after Archibald Clark returned 
and spent a few years on the Bluff road, near Glenn's 
Valley, running a blacksmith-shop. About 1853 he 
moved to Jasper County, 111., and died some ten 
years later. It was truthfully said of Archibald 
Clark that if he had but one meal in his house for 
his family he would divide that meal with friend or 
foe. Some of his family, after their removal to Illi- 



586 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



nois, developed considerable ability, and one of his 
sons represented Jasper County in the Legislature, 
and others of the family accumulated a considerable 
amount of property. They all inherited their father's 
marked trait, open-handed hospitality. 

Isaac Kelly came from Lincoln County, Ky., 
bought land on the Three-Notch line, and re- 
moved to it in the fall of 1827. He settled on the 
east side of the road, his farm including the ground 
now known as the Round Hill Camp-Ground Ceme- 
tery. His son, the Rev. Greenup Kelly, was the 
first person interred in that cemetery, in December, 
1830. On that hill was the first camp-meeting ever 
held in this county, in 1831. There were no tents, 
all cabins of round logs, with clapboard roofs. People 
came for many miles around, with horses and ox- 
teams. It was then a dense forest with thick under- 
brush. The campers on the ground fed all visitors 
with corn bread, bacon, beef, and potatoes. No 
police were required to keep order. The early 
settlers were noted for their good behavior at church, 
both saints and sinners. They had no idle or bum- 
mer element in society. Methodism had a strong 
hold in this neighborhood. Such men as David 
Marrs, Father Kelly, Father Norwood, Eperson, and 
many other old-fashioned Methodists of sterling 
worth were the men that laid the foundation of 
society. All honor to their memory ! 

Alexander Clark was an early settler in what was 
known as the Clark settlement. Clark township, in 
Johnson County, took its name from Alexander 
Clark, Sr. The Clarks were a most respectable 
family and worthy citizens. "Aunt Sally," as she 
was familiarly known, lived to a great age, and was 
blind many years before her death. She was a re- 
markable woman for her sound good sense, patience, 
and piety. Alexander Clark, Sr., and all his sons 
and daughters have passed away except one, Sarah 
Kinniok, the wife of William Kinniok, an early 
settler of Perry township. Moses G. McLain, the 
present county clerk, is a grandson of Alexander 
Clark, Sr. 

William Evans was born in Indiana County, Pa., 
in 1798. He married Margaret Elliott in Butler 
County, Ohio, in 1820, and they moved from Ohio 



in August, 1823, and settled on the farm of Johr> 
Smock, on the east side of the Madison road, south 
of Pleasant Run. Being a brick -moulder and layer, 
he took the job of building a brick house for John 
Smock, the first brick house ever built on the Madi- 
son road south of the city. It was finished in 1824. 
In the same year he bought land on the south side 
of Lick Creek, a quarter of a mile west of where the 
Shelby pike crossed the creek. He remained there 
fifteen years, then moved to Sugar Creek, in Shelby 
County, adjoining Johnson County. After living 
on his farm for many years he moved to Indianapolis, 
where he died, Dec. 15, 1872. His wife survived 
him eleven years, and died in the city, Dec. 5, 1883. 
When Mr. and Mrs. Evans came to the county, in 
1823, they had two children. They afterwards had 
born to them ten children, five of whom died in in- 
fancy, and seven lived to maturity, — Sarah, Andrew 
E., Thomas, Mary, Eliza, Rhoda, and Ann. The 
first-named two died after marriage ; five are now 
living. Thomas, who was the first born after they 
came to this county, is now living in the city, one of 
the most popular and able ministers in the United 
Brethren Church. Mr. and Mrs. Evans joined the 
Lick Creek Baptist Church at its organization, in 
1826, at the house of David Fisher. They were a 
very exemplary couple, lived a blameless and upright 
life. Their family followed in their footsteps. At 
Mrs. Evans' death, Deo. 5, 1883, she had been a 
faithful and true follower of the Lord over sixty years. 
John Wade Thompson came to this county with 
his father, who settled on the east side of Perry 
township in 1824. The family came from Ken- 
tucky, and John returned there for a short time, 
but soon after came back and settled in the neigh- 
borhood of Lick Creek Church. He married a Miss 
Denny. He filled the office of justice of the peace 
for Perry township until 1867, when he moved to 
the city, where he was elected to the office of justice 
of the peace. It was said of him that he broke up 
the Lick Creek Baptist Church, and the inquiry was 
made why he should do such a wicked thing. The 
answer was, " He moved away, and when he left the 
main pillar of the church was gone and it fell to 
pieces." John Wade, as he is familiarly called, is a 



PEREY TOWNSHIP. 



587 



positive man, fearlessly follows his eoiivictions, and is 
always found on the right side of every moral ques- 
tion. He is an upright and worthy citizen, and he 
has a family worthy of their parentage. 

The McBride family came to Perry township from 
Dearborn County, Ind., in the winter of 1825-26, 
settling on the west side of the Bluff River, one 
mile north of Glenn's Valley. They had five sons 
and three daughters. Elijah, the eldest, married 
Eliza Miller, and they had a large family. The 
mother and six children have passed away. The 
father and four children are living. Charles, the 
second son, married Julia Eddy, in the fall of 1828, 
and died some years after, leaving his wife and three 
children. The widow and one child are living. The 
third son, Nimrod, in early life moved to Illinois. 
Of the two younger sons, John is living; William 
died many years ago. Of the three daughters, Mrs. 
Nancy Hull died in June, 1840. Her youngest 
sister, Henrietta, died a few years after. Mrs. Cath- 
erine Christian is the only daughter now living. The 
father died in 1833, the mother two years later. Of 
all the early settlers in the neighborhood no family 
was attended by such fatality as the McBride family. 

John Graham was born in Franklin County, Pa. 
He married Phannel McClain in 1820, and soon 
after his marriage started for the great Northwest, 
embarking on a keel-boat at Pittsburgh with his young 
wife to seek a home in the wilds of Indiana. He 
landed at Madison early in the spring of 1821, 
and leaving his wife there, he came to Indian- 
apolis, the then new seat of government. Mak- 
ing some purchases, after spending the spring and 
part of the summer in Indianapolis, he returned to 
Madison for his wife some time in the month of 
August, and in September, 1821, he settled" on what 
was known as the Madison or Blorgan trace, on the 
north bank of Lick Creek, and on what is now the 
Shelby gravel road, the farm now owned and occu- 
pied by his son, Robert D. Graham. Some one had 
squatted on the land, put up a cabin, and made some 
little improvement. This was the first improvement 
in the northeast part of Perry township. There were 
born to this pioneer couple four sons and two daugh- 
ters, as follows : Sarah, Mary, William M., Robert 



D., John J., and Thomas W., all of whom are now 
living but Sarah and Thomas W. They struggled 
along for eight years, and made progress in opening 
a farm until October, 1829, when Mr. Graham died 
of bilious fever, leaving his widow with six small 
children. 

John Graham was an earnest Christian man. He 
opend his house to the Christian ministers and made 
it a preaching-place. He died in the faith, leaving 
his family in the hands of a covenant-keeping God. 
They were not forsaken, his seed had never to beg 
bread. She who was the companion of his youth 
proved equal to her task. She reared a respectable 
family and died in February, 1880, having lived a 
widow over fifty years, respected and honored by all 
who knew her. 

John McCoUum was born in the State of Ken- 
tucky March 9, 1796; his wife, Jane McFarland, 
was born Jan. 5, 1801, in the same State. They 
were married Nov. 6, 1823, moved to Ohio, and 
thence, in 1827, to Perry township, and located in 
the neighborhood of Mrs. McCollum's father, Benja- 
min McFarland. They had five children, — Thomas 
J., Benjamin C, John M., Martha G., and Sarah E., 
all now living but Benjamin C, who died May 6, 
1864. John McCollum was a carpenter by occupa- 
tion, and was the owner of a farm. When he was 
in the prime of his manhood he met with an accident 
that made him a cripple for life ; but he succeeded in 
making a competency for himself and family. He 
served his township as trustee with great fidelity for 
many years. As age advanced he retired from active 
life, and after the death of his wife, July 14, 1870, 
lie sold his homestead, divided his worldly effects, and 
made his home with his children. He spent the most 
of his time with his daughter, Mrs. Martha J. Fisher, 
at whose house he died March 11, 1882, eighty-five 
years and two days old. Few who trust to their chil- 
dren to care for them in old age receive such unre- 
mitting care as he received at the hands of his chil- 
dren. He sleeps in the Southport Cemetery, by the 
side of her who was his companion through a long 
life of toil. 

Dr. Benjamin McFarland and family moved from 
Campbell County, Ky., in 1826, and settled on Lick 



588 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MAKION COUNTY. 



Creek, half a mile east of the Shelby pike. He was 
the first settler in the township who practiced the 
healing art. He made himself very useful to the 
early settlers as a physician. He built the first saw- 
mill on Lick Creek, and soon after added a grist- 
mill, so as to furnish his neighbors both bread and 
lumber. He had two sons, Samuel and William, both 
living in the neighborhood, enterprising and respect- 
able citizens. He had two daughters, — Jane E. (who 
married John McCollum) and Eliza (who married 
Thomas N. Thomas). Benjamin McFarland died at 
the house of his son, Samuel McFarland, in the year 
1860, in the ninetieth year of his age, his wife having 
died some years previous. The McFarland family 
has a marked individuality. They have always been 
in the advance from a moral and educational stand- 
point. 

David Fisher came to Perry in 1825, and settled 
on the east side of the township. He was married 
to Elizabeth M. Hodges in the State of Kentucky, 
moved to Shelby County, Ind., and thence to Marion. 
He started the first tan-yard in Perry township. It 
was at his house that the Lick Creek Baptist Church 
was organized in the spring of 1826. He was an 
enterprising pioneer, and did his part to advance the 
moral and material interests of the neighborhood. He 
always took a strong stand on the side of law, good 
order, and religion. He had a large family, consist- 
ing of four sons and five daughters, in the following 
order: John P., James W., Cynthia, Mary J., Ben- 
jamin L., Elizabeth R., Matilda, Joseph L., and Sarah 
E. Fisher. They all lived to maturity, except one 
daughter. They are now scattered from Indiana to 
Western Kansas, only two living in this county, — 
one daughter and Joseph L. Fisher, of Indianapolis. 
David Fisher died in 1836. His wife survived him 
four years. 

Jacob Smock was born in Mercer County, Ky., 
March 8, 1797. Emigrating thence to Indiana in 
the fall of 1823, he settled in Perry township on a 
farm north of Southport. A part of the town plat 
is on the original quarter-section that he settled on, 
which was then an unbroken forest. It was in his 
cabin that the first Presbyterian preacher, Rev. John 
M. Dickey, first preached in the township. His wife 



was a member of the Presbyterian Church. He was 
not then a member of any church, but in after-years 
he joined the Baptist Church, and during his resi- 
dence in the neighborhood he was one of its leading 
members. He was the first captain of militia in the 
township, and also served as a justice of the peace. 
At an early day he built a grist-mill on his farm on 
Buck Creek. It was one of the earliest mills of the 
township for grinding corn. Jacob Smock's family 
consisted of five sons — John, Henry, Simon, Daniel, 
and Thomas — and four daughters. He moved to 
Benton County, Iowa, in September, 1859, and died 
a few years after with cancer of the stomach. His 
wife survived him but a few years. He was an 
enterprising citizen and an upright man. 

Henry Brewer was an early settler, coming to 
this township from Mercer County, Ky., in 1825 or 
1826. He married and settled on a farm on the 
west side of the Madison State road, adjoining the 
Johnson County line. He remained there some 
twenty years, then sold out and moved to Jasper 
County, 111. His wife died soon afterwards. He 
raised a large family. His patriotism was such that 
in the war of the Rebellion he joined the Union 
army when he was over fifty-five years of age, but 
his health failed him from the exposure of a soldier's 
life, and he lived but a few years after the close of 
the war. He died in Jasper County, 111., respected 
by all, and without a personal enemy. 

Archibald Bruce came to this township from Dear- 
born County in 1826, and settled on a quarter-section 
adjoining Henry Alcorn on Buck Creek, quarter of 
a ifaile east of the Bins' road. He had a wife, two 
daughters, and two sons, Robert and William. They 
soon returned to Lawrenceburg, their business being 
running the river to New Orleans. They both died 
in a few years. Mr. Bruce and his wife died some 
thirty-five years ago, leaving two daughters, Sydna 
and Eliza. The younger (Eliza) died a few years 
after her parents; the other daughter is the only sur- 
vivor, and is now living in Indianola, west of the 
city, in her eightieth year. 

Alexander Clark, Sr., was married to Sarah Glenn 
in Nicholas County, Ky., and soon after marriage 
moved to Muhlenberg County, in what was then 



PEREY TOWNSHIP. 



589 



known as the Green River country. In the fall of 
1827 he migrated to Perry township with his family, 
consisting of three sons, — Archibald G., Alexander, 
and Moses, — and four daughters, Sarah, Nancy, 
Susan, and Polly. He settled on the west side of 
the Bluff road, on the south bank of Buck Creek 
(the farm now owned by Charles Orme), and re- 
mained there two years, when the family all moved 
to the northeast corner of Johnson County. 

Moses Orme settled on the Notch line, east 
side, adjoining the Johnson County line, in 1827. 
He was married to a Miss Elson, and they came 
from Lewis County, Ky. He lived there ten years, 
and then sold his farm to John H. Oliver, of Henry 
County, Ky. He bought an unimproved tract of 
land two miles north, on the same road, and opened 
a second farm. Moses Orme did as much hard work 
in clearing up land as any of the early settlers. He 
was a quiet, kind-hearted man, and his wife was of 
the same type of character. They had five sons, — 
Charles, Henson, Richard, Eli, and- George, — and 
three daughters, Ruth, Elizabeth, and Nancy, all 
now living but Henson and Richard. The Ormes 
were all well-to-do farmers. Mrs. Orme died in 
1860, Mr. Orme in 1862, leaving to his children a 
good estate and a worthy example of honesty and 
industry. 

Samuel Woodfill came from Jefferson County, 
Ind., and settled on the Bluff road, east side, five 
miles south of Indianapolis, in the spring of 1826. 
He was a pattern farmer, and raised a large family. 
His wife died, and he then sold his farm and lived 
with his children. He died in the city some years 
since, and was buried with his wife in the Southport 
cemetery. He was an upright citizen, a kind neigh- 
bor, always ready to do a favor to those who asked or 
needed it, even at inconvenience to himself 

The first mill in the township was built about 
1827, by William Arnold, on Lick Creek, three- 
fourths of a mile west of the eastern boundary of the 
township. It was used a few years, and then aban- 
doned because the water supply failed. A grist-mill 
was attempted on the McGinnis farm by John Mc- 
Cormick, who dressed two " nigger-head" bowlders 



for the millstones, but it was found that the water 
supply was insufficient to make the mill successful, 
and the enterprise was abandoned. The stones were 
afterwards sold to James McLain, who added a grist- 
mill to his saw-mill on Buck Creek, about one hun- 
dred yards east of the Perry township line in Frank- 
lin township. This enterprise also failed for lack of 
water, and he sold the stones to Benjamin McFarland, 
who already had a saw-mill (built in 1827) on Lick 
Creek, about a half-mile east of where the Shelby- 
ville road crosses. He added the grist-mill in 1829 
or 1830, and it was for a time successful, but some 
years later both the grist-mill and the saw-mill were 
abandoned for the usual cause, — lack of water to run 
them a sufficient length of time in the year to make 
them profitable. 

Jacob Smock built a grist-mill about 1828, on the 
present site of the village of Southport, on Buck 
Creek. It was kept in operation till about 1840, and 
then abandoned because of the failure of water sup- 
ply. About one mile below Southport, on Buck 
Creek, a saw-mill was started about 1836, and was 
run a number of years by Nathaniel Beasley. The 
water supply diminished, and in 1866 a steam-engine 
was added as an auxiliary, but this proved a failure, 
and the mill was abandoned in 1870. A mill was 
built in 1816, a quarter of a mile north of South- 
port, by Bonty, and was run by Bonty & Cot- 
peter for about six years in sawing timber for the 
railroad. It was afterwards abandoned. 

There was also a saw-mill in existence and in 
operation from 1839 to 1855 on Pleasant Run, just 
below Glenn's Valley, on the farm of Archibald 
Glenn. 

A steam grist-mill was erected and put in operation 
at Southport by Richard Smock about 1855. A 
few years afterwards he sold it to John S. Webb, who 
rebuilt and still owns it. There is also a saw-mill at 
Southport, built about ten years ago, and now owned 
by Isaac Grube. 

There are within the township of Perry two small 
villages, the larger being Southport and the other 
Glenn's Valley, which is on the Bluff road, in the 
southwest part of the township, three-fourths of a 



590 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



milo north of the Johnson County line, and on the 
north side of Pleasant Run. The village was laid 
out partly on land of John Smart and partly on land 
of Robert Burns. The first house on the village site 
was built by Mr. Burns in the winter of 1830-31. 
The village was named for Archibald Glenn, one of 
the earliest settlers in the township. A post-oflSce 
was established here in 1838. After a few years it 
was discontinued, but was re-established in 1856. 
The village has now a post-office, two general stores, 
one drug-store, a blacksmith-shop, a wagon-shop, a 
steam grist-mill, a Masonic lodge, an excellent school- 
house and graded school, one church (Methodist 
Episcopal), and about one hundred inhabitants. 

The first settler at what is now the village of 
Southport was Jacob Smock, who came from Mercer 
County, Ky., in 1823, and bought land immediately 
north of the present town. In the same year, Sam- 
uel Brewer came, and bought eighty acres of his 
present farm, then returned to Kentucky, married, 
and came back to Perry in 1824. The first building 
erected within the limits of the present village was 
the old water-mill, which stood just back of Mr. 
Howard's present residence. The old race-way is 
still to be seen in the woods east of the railroad. 
The oldest house now standing is the one where Mr. 
Christian lives. It was built by Jacob Smock, on 
his farm, and when it became probable that the rail- 
road then in progress of construction would have a 
station at Southport, the house was moved across the 
creek to its present location. Until the coming of 
the railroad, however, there was no village, nor any 
prospect of one, where Southport now stands. The 
first town-lots on the west side of the railroad were 
laid out by William Hooker, and on the east side by 
Dr. Merritt. The town plat was surveyed in 1852, 
and recorded April 5th in that year. In 1880 
Southport had a population of three hundred and 
eighty-eight, as shown by the returns of the United 
States census of that year. 

The Southport Baptist Church was organized as 
the Buck Creek Baptist Church, in or about the year 
1838, at the Mud School-house, by persons previ- 
ously members of the Lick Creek Church. About 
two years after the organization a meeting-house was 



erected, on land donated for the purpose by Jacob 
Smock. In the spring of 1838 a great protracted 
meeting was held at Lick Creek, and immediately 
afterwards at Buck Creek, under the leadership of 

the Rev. Haine, a missionary, resulting in a 

revival, which added a large number of members to 
both churches. One of the earliest ministers to this 
church was the Rev. Henry Hunter, who was suc- 
ceeded by the Revs. Thomas Townsend, Madison 
Hume, I. N. Clark, A. J. Riley, and others. The 
congregation grew until the old meeting-house be- 
came too small, when a new and much larger church 
building was erected on land purchased from J. H. 
Combs, adjoining the Smock donation on the east. 
The old meeting-house was then removed. Soon 
after the village of Southport was laid out the name 
of the Buck Creek Church was changed to South- 
port. It has always been a flourishing organization, 
and still has quite a large membership, being the 
only Baptist Church in the township. In con- 
nection with the old (first) meeting-house of this 
congregation a space was set apart for burial pur- 
poses, on the land donated by Jacob Smock. In 
this ground the first interment was that of John B. 
Smock, eldest son of Jacob, Aug. 10, 1842. The 
ground (about one and a half acres in extent) is 
now nearly full of graves, and arrangements are 
being made to obtain land for a new cemetery in a 
better location. 

The Southport Presbyterian Church was organ- 
ized in 1833. In January of that year the Presby- 
tery of Indianapolis, in session at Greensburg, gave 
its consent to the formation of a Presbyterian Church 
in this community, and, on the 30th of March fol- 
lowing, the Rev. W. W. Woods, then pastor of the 
Greenfield (now Greenwood) Church, efiected the 
organization in the Mud School-house. It was first 
called the Providence Presbyterian Church, in honor 
of the older church at Providence, Ky., from which 
some of the members had come. The organization 
included twenty-four members, viz. : Samuel Brewer, 
Eleanor Brewer, Thomas C, Rachel, Ann and Abram 
V. Smock, Simon and Mary French, Benjamin, Mary, 
and Eliza McFarland, John A. and Lemma Brewer, 
Phannel Graham, Paulina White, Jane E. McCollum, 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



591 



Mary, Phebe, Samuel S., and John S. Siebern, Deb- 
orah W. Siebern, Andrew E. and Sarah Mann, and 
Otis Sprague. All were from Greenwood Church 
except the last named, who was from the only Pres- 
byterian Church then in Indianapolis. Otis Sprague 
and John S. Siebern were chosen ruling elders, and 
Samuel Brewer deacon. 

A committee appointed for the purpose selected a 
site for a house of worship on the northwest corner 
of Jacob Smock's land, but some disagreement arose, 
which resulted (though no reason can be given for 
the change) in the building of the meeting-house on 
the land of Samuel Brewer, opposite the site of the 
present school-house. In 1838, when the great divi- 
sion occurred in the Presbyterian Churches, although 
that at Greenwood remained united, this one was 
seriously alFected. Of the thirty-eight members who 
composed it at that time, seventeen became adherents 
of the New School. Both congregations worshiped 
in the old Mud School-house for about four years, at 
the end of which time the majority composing the 
old branch built a frame church building, one and a 
half miles east, in which they worshiped until 1858, 
when the church was removed to Acton. In 1842 
the New School branch built a church building at 
what is now Southport, and have worshiped there to 
the present time. Their first church at this place 
was a frame building about twenty by thirty-four feet 
in size. It was used for some time before being en- 
tirely finished, and, after about seventeen years' ser- 
vice as their house of worship, it was destroyed by 
fire, Nov. 18, 1859. In 1860 they erected the present 
church building, which is of brick, about thirty-two 
by forty-four feet in size, and cost originally about 
two thousand one hundred dollars. In the destruc- 
tive tornado of July 12, 1883, the roof of this church 
was badly damaged, but the other parts of the build- 
ing remained comparatively uninjured. In 1868 a 
parsonage was built at a cost of about one thousand 
dollars. At the present time (September, 1883) the 
church has one hundred and sixty-four members. 

The ministers serving this church from its begin- 
ning have been the following named, viz. : Revs. 
Hilary Patrick, John Todd, Bliphalet Kent, William 
M. Campbell, James Brownlee, Benjamin M. Nyce, 



Philip S. Cleland, and Horace Bushnell, Jr. Mr. 
Cleland served the church for a period of twenty-one 
years. 

The officers of the church since its organization 
have been : Ruling Elders, Otis Sprague (ordained 
and installed March 30, 1833 ; dismissed Nov. 16, 
1833), John S. Siebern (ordained and installed at 
same time as Mr. Sprague ; ceased to act in 1838), 
Simon Smock (ordained and installed June 28, 1834 ; 
died April 14, 1855), Samuel Brewer (Sept. 25, 
1834), Robert N. Todd (Jan. 12, 1851), Thomas J. 
Todd (Dec. 12, 1852 ; died Sept. 28, 1864), John 
Calvin Woods (March 4, 1855 ; died Aug. 27, 1865), 
Isaac J. Canine (March 4, 1855 ; moved away in 
1879), William H. Wishard (Nov. 11, 1865 ; moved 
to Indianapolis in 1876), Samuel Moore (Nov. 11, 
1865), David Smock, R. G. Graydon, and Henry 
Alexander McCalpin. Deacons, Samuel Brewer 
(March 30, 1833; ceased to act Sept. 25, 1834), 
Andrew C. Mann (June 28, 1834 ; died Dec. 26, 
1862), Thomas C. Smock (Aug. 8, 1841), David R. 
Smock, Richard M. Smock (Nov. 11, 1865; dis- 
missed April 2, 1867), William B. Miles (Aug. 10, 
1867). 

The Union Presbyterian Church, which is still 
standing on the Bluff road, was built in 1854, an 
organization having been formed in the previous year 
by Dr. Scott, Henry Alcorn, Garret List, William 
Boyd, and others. Services were held for many 
years with more or less regularity, but the number of 
members having become greatly reduced by deaths 
and removals, they disbanded in 1880. 

The Southport (Methodist Episcopal) Circuit was 
originally a part of the Greenfield Circuit, Indiana 
Conference. In 1848-49 it was known as the South 
Indianapolis Circuit, consisting of the following- 
named appointments, viz. : Hopewell Methodist 
Chapel (Johnson County), Bowser's, Smock's, Fish- 
er's, Tucker's, Brenton's, Greenwood, Marrs', and 
Asbury. At the annual Conference of 1849 the 
name was changed to Southport Circuit, E. R. Ames 
presiding elder, and H. M. Shafer, preacher in charge. 
The pastorate of the circuit has been supplied in the 
following order until the present time, viz. : E. D. 
Long, George Havens, J.»W. T. McMullen, W. B. 



592 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Taylor, Jesse Brockway, Thomas Ray, P. Q. Rose- 
crans, J. V. R. Miller, Jesse Chevington, C. G. Heath, 
J. A. Brouse, W. G. Ransdell, P. Garland, and (again) 
W. G. Ransdell. At the Conference of 1860 the cir- 
cuit was reduced to the present dimensions by con- 
stituting the east half of it a new circuit, called Acton. 
Only four societies are now embraced in the South- 
port Circuit, viz. : Southport, Madison Avenue, 
Centre, and Fairview (Johnson County). 

Southport Church was organized in 1845 by the 
Rev. H. M. Shafer, with Richard Smock and wife 
and five others as members. Their first house of 
worship was built in 1849, and dedicated by E. R. 
Ames. It is a frame building, still standing and 
used as a carpenter-shop. This old building was 
used by the society as a house of worship until 1868, 
when they built a large brick church, which was used 
about fifteen years, and was totally destroyed on the 
12th of July, 1883, by a tornado which swept over 
the southern portion of the county. A new brick 
church was then erected on the same site, and dedi- 
cated on the 18th of November following. It is 
the largest and in all respects the best church edi- 
fice in the town. The present number of mem- 
bers and probationers in the Southport Church is 
sixty. 

The Methodists held meetings for religious wor- 
ship in this township as early as any other denomi- 
nation. The first preaching in Perry township was 
by Henry Brenton, who was a local preacher. The 
first circuit preacher was James Armstrong, who first 
came to preach in the fall of 1826 ; about the same 
time, or perhaps a little later, came John Belzer, a 
" New Light" preacher, who had a few followers and 
a temporary organization. He lived on the school 
section for a time, and moved away in 1828. 

The first Methodist Church edifice in Perry was 
Asbury Chapel, a meeting-house of hewed logs, about 
twenty-four by thirty-six feet in dimensions, which 
was erected on the southeast corner of the eighty-acre 
tract now owned by the Talbot heirs, on the Three- 
Notch line. The land on . which this building 
was erected (in 1829 or '30) was donated by Henry 
Brenton. The first church organization at this place 
was composed of Henry Brenton and family, Robert 



Brenton and family, Isaac Kelly and family, Dand 
Marrs and family, Zachariah Lemaster's family, and 
several members of the Bouser family. The pioneer 
ministers of this church were Henry Brenton (local). 
Revs. Allan Wiley, Edmund Ray, James Hargrave, 
Thomas Hill, and James Havens, circuit preachers. 
Rev. Allan Wiley was the presiding elder. Meetings 
were held in the hewed-log meeting-house for ten or 
twelve years, and then the place of worship was re- 
moved to the Marrs school-house on Three-Notch 
road. The old meeting-hou.se being abandoned as a 
preaching-place, was .some years later removed to the 
brick-yard south of Indianapolis, where it is still 
standing. After worshiping a number of years at 
Marrs school-house, the organization was joined with 
that of New Bethel, and formed the present Centre 
Church, which was organized with forty members. 
Their church edifice, built in 1848, was dedicated by 
E. R. Ames. The church has now seventy-four 
members. 

The New Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church was 
organized as a class about 1826, with Andrew 
Hoover and wife, John Myers and wife, Henry 
Myers and family, several persons of the Mundy 
family, Mrs. Comfort Hinkston, Elizabeth Custard, 
David Fisher and family, and some others as mem- 
bers. Among the early preachers were Revs. 

Long, George Havens, John W. T. McMuUen, and 
Orlando Havens. The meeting-house was erected in 
1831, on the northwest corner of the Andrew Hoover 
farm, near the present residence of George Harnese. 
It was the first frame church built by the Methodists 
in this township. It was never plastered or other- 
wise finished on the inside, but was kept as a preach- 
ing-place for many years. The land on which it was 
built, although donated by Hoover, was never deeded 
by him, but was afterwards deeded by Thomas H. 
Sharpe. After some years the organization, with 
that which worshiped at the Marrs school-house, was 
merged into the organization of the Centre Church, 
for which a house of worship was erected in 1848. 
Among the ministers who preached to this congrega- 
tion were Long, John W. T. McMuUen, George 

Havens, and Orlando Havens. The old building is 
still standing on the lot surrounded by lands of Eli 



PERRY TOWNSHIP. 



593 



F. Ormes, on the BIuflF road, about five and a half 
miles south of Indianapolis, and about one and a 
quarter miles south of Lick Creek, on the east side. 

The Mount Carmel Church was organized and a 
church building erected in the fall of 1839, on the 
north line of Robert Burns' land, oq the west side 
of the Bluff road. The members of this church 
were William Hall and family, James Orr and family, 
Nicholas Elson and family, the family of Robert 
Burns, Hezekiah Smart, Sr., and wife, and a few 
others. Their ministers were John V. R. Miller 
and William C. Smith. The old church building 
was destroyed by fire about the 1st of April, 1842, 
which accident had the effect to break up the or- 
ganization, and the members scattered to the Marrs 
school-house, the New Bethel, and some to Pleasant 
Hill Church, in Johnson County. 

The Madison Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church 
is the outgrowth of a mission founded and organized 
by Hiram Wright, a local preacher. Their first 
preaching was held in the school-house of the neigh- 
borhood until they were able to build a house of 
worship. The church is now embraced in the South- 
port Circuit. The meeting-house is on land of B. 
Wright, three miles south of Indianapolis, on the 
Southport gravel road. 

The Methodist Church at Glenn's Valley was or- 
ganized some twelve or fifteen years ago. Their 
preaching was held in the school-house and in the 
Masonic Hall until they purchased the old brick 
school-house and converted it into a church edifice. 

The Lick Creek Baptist Church (the first church 
in the township) was organized at the house of David 
Fisher (now the Ritzinger farm), in the spring of 
1826, by Abram Smock. Among its original mem- 
bers were David Fisher and wife, John Chinn and 
wife, William Gott and wife, Thomas Bryant and 
wife, James Turner and wife, and James R. Mc- 
Laughlin and wife. A church edifice was built 
within one year after the organization, and also estab- 
lished a burial-ground in connection with the church. 
The first person interred in this ground was David 
Judd, Oct. 17, 1827. The second interment was 
that of Richard Ferree, a lad about ten or twelve 
years old, who was killed by the overturning of a 



cart, the first death by accident or violence in Perry 
township. 

The first minister of the Lick Creek Church was 
Abram Smock, who served the congregation for 
many years. About 1832 a large number left the 
church to organize the Buck Creek Baptist Church, 
which afterwards became the Southport Baptist 
Church. By reason of deaths and removals of 
members, the Lick Creek Church was disbanded in 
1866, its building torn down, and the material re- 
moved to Indianapolis (in 1867 or 1868), and there 
rebuilt for the use of a colored Baptist Church. 

A Christian Church was organized in Perry town- 
ship in 1845 or 1846, George Shortridge and family, 

and — ■ Robinson and family being the original 

members, to whom were soon afterwards added Peter 
Smock and wife, John Monroe, George Oldacre, John 
Shortridge and wife, and others. The organization 
continued till about 1863, when, having become 
greatly reduced in numbers, it was disbanded, and 
most of the members having removed to the vicinity 
of Greenwood, went into the church organization at 
that place. 

Schools, — One of the earliest school-houses (and 
probably the first) in Perry township was built in 
1823, on what is now the northeast corner of the 
land of Joseph Alcorn, a half-mile west of the Union 
Presbyterian Church. In that old log school-house 
the first teacher was Emanuel Glimpse, one of the 
earliest settlers in that region. A log school-house 
was built in 1826, on land of Archibald Glenn, and 
in it Michael Groves taught school for two winters. 
After him came as teachers, Samuel Hare and Elihu 
Hardin, the last named teaching there about 1830. 
About 1831 a small log building was erected for a 
school-house at David Marrs' farm, and another of 
the same kind near the site of Lick Creek Church. 
In this last mentioned a man named Thaler was one 
of the first teachers. In the vicinity of Southport 
the first school-house (a log building, of course) was 
erected on Jacob Smock's farm, its location being on 
the bluff north of Buck Creek. The second in that 
neighborhood was located where the residence of Mr. 
J. B. Phillips now stands, and was known as the 
Mud School-house, from the material which was 



594 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



largely used in its construction. This, as also the 
house at Marrs', was used not only for school pur- 
poses, but as a preaching-place for many years. A 
frame school-house which was afterwards built on the 
same site has long since disappeared. 

All the pioneer school-houses of Perry, as of the 
other townships of this and adjoining counties, were 
of one and the same character, — small and low struc- 
tures of logs, with puncheon floors, seats, and writing- 
benches ; with a large fireplace of stones and mud, 
and with a log cut out from two sides for windows, 
the openings being covered with greased paper in place 
of glass. All the appliances of the modern school- 
house were lacking. The teachers were men who la- 
bored on the farm in spring, summer, and autumn, and 
in winter taught school for terms of six weeks' to three 
months' duration. They were required to be able 
to teach (more or less thoroughly) reading, spelling, 
writing, and ciphering as far as the single rule of 
three, and for their services received a remuneration 
which the lowest class of laborers would now regard 
as trifling. After many years frame school-houses 
took the places of the old log buildings, the school 
terms were lengthened, and teachers of a somewhat 
higher grade of acquirements were employed. Fi- 
nally came the formation of the present public school 
system, and its adoption by Perry as by the other 
townships of the county. 

Perry township has now 14 school districts, and 
the same number of school-houses (2 frame and 12 
brick), in all of which schools are taught, one being 
a graded school. There is also a colored school in the 
township. The number of teachers employed in 1883 
was 18 (6 male and 12 female). The average daily 
attendance was 446. The whole number admitted to 
the schools was 662, including colored children. Five 
teachers' institutes were held in the township during 
the year. The valuation of school apparatus is 
$600; valuation of school-houses and grounds, 
$12,000. There is one private school taught in the 
township, with an average attendance of 84 during 
the year 1883. 

Secret Societies. — Southport Lodge, No. 270, 
F. and A. M., was chartered May 28, 1861, Wil- 
liam G. Lockwood, W. M. ; Hezekiah Hinkston, 



S. W. ; 'James Gentle, J. W. The officers for 1884 
are George L. Thompson, W. M. ; Joseph P. Bailey, 
S. W. ; James A. Norwood, J. W. ; William Wor- 
man, Treas. ; Spofford E. Tyler, Sec. The present 
membership of the lodge is thirty-five. 

Southport Lodge, No. 394, I. 0. 0. F., was insti- 
tuted with the following-named original members : 
J. M. McLain, Isaac Grube, S. Graves, W. L. Ber- 
ry man, Alfred Brewer, S. D. Moody, Aaron Grube, 
J. L. Fisher, E. S. Riley, W. P. Trout, R. R. 
Graham, Jackson Snyder. The lodge has now forty- 
five active members and the following-named officers, 
viz. : E. Kelley, N. G. ; John S. Rene, V. G. ; Chris. 
Grube, Sec. ; Isaac Grube, Treas. ; Charles Grube, 
Per. Sec. The lodge has twenty-three Past Grands. 

Glenn's Valley Lodge, No. 514, F. and A. M., 
was chartered May 25, 1875, Hezekiah Hinkston, 
W. M. ; Alexander C. Sedam, S. W. ; Franklin L. 
Barger, J. W. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES. 



WILLIAM H. WISHARD, M.D. 

William H. Wishard, M.D., was the eldest son of 
John and Agnes H. Wishard, born in Nicholas 
County, Ky., Jan. 17, 1816. The family was Scotch- 
Irish in their nationality. His father emigrated to 
Indiana, and settled on the Bluff road, nine and one- 
half miles south of Indianapolis, where they pitched 
their camp on the evening of Oct. 26, 1825. His 
father had purchased the land in 1824, came out in 
the following spring, cleared some land, and put in a 
crop of corn, potatoes, and turnips. The first night after 
their arrival the wolves were heard howling near their 
camp, which, however, was no unusual thing for years 
after that time. 

William H. Wishard was then in his tenth year, 
and being the eldest, had to hunt the cows in the 
woods, do the errands, and go to mill, and many were 
the exciting scenes he passed through. On one occa- 
sion, in the fall of 1826, when returning from mill 
late at night, alone in the darkness of a dense forest, 




[i^UxAjU) WCjAa^ 



PEKRY TOWNSHIP. 



595 



and one and a quarter miles from any settler's cabin, 
he suddenly came upon a pack of wolves snarling 
over a wounded deer that they had just caught. It 
was an unpleasant situation for a boy of twelve years 
to find his only pathway blocked by fifteen or twenty 
hungry wolves ; but he kept his presence of mind, 
and, passing around through the brushwood on one 
side as rapidly and silently as possible, escaped from 
the beasts, and reached his father's house in safety. 
Many a night in his boyhood he spent at the old 
Bayou, and Patterson's, and Bacon's mills, waiting for 
his grist to be ground. His educational advantages 
were very limited, attending only the winter schools 
of the pioneer days, taught by teachers of very meagre 
capacity and attainments. The spring and summer 
seasons were spent in attending to the crops and help- 
ing to clear land. 

Having passed the early years of his life in this 
manner, he, at the age of twenty-two years, com- 
menced the study of medicine with Dr. Benjamin S. 
Noble, of Greenwood, Johnson Co., and entered into 
partnership with him in the spring of 1840, which 
partnership continued for ten years. He was married 
to Harriet N. Moreland, daughter of the Rev. John R. 
Moreland, the second pastor of the First Presbyterian 
Church of Indianapolis. They had nine children 
born to them, — four sons and five daughters. The 
first four, one son and three daughters, died in in- 
fancy and childhood. The others are living, viz. : Dr. 
William N., of the City Hospital of Indianapolis; 
Albert W., an attorney of the city ; Dr. George W., 
of Indianapolis ; Harriet J. ; and Elizabeth. 

During the war of 1861-65, Dr. ^ishard served 
two years as a volunteer surgeon, after which he com- 
menced the practice of medicine in the neighborhood 
where his early years were passed, and where from 
the first he had a large practice. In October, 
1876, he was elected coroner of the county and 
removed from Southport to Indianapolis, where he 
has remained ever since. After serving four years 
as coroner he returned to the practice of medicine, 
which, however, he had not entirely relinquished. 
He is now in the sixty-ninth year of his age, and in 
full vigor for one of his years. He has practiced 
medicine in Morgan, Johnson, and Marion Counties 



longer than any man now living in the county, and 
still holds a large practice, after forty-four years of 
service as a physician. 



MORRIS HOWLAND. 
Mr. Howland, who is the grandson of Elislia How- 
land, and the son of Powell Howland, was born on the 
30th of January, 1823, in Saratoga County, N. Y., 
where he resided until sixteen years of age, and re- 
ceived such advantages of education as the neighboring 
schools afforded. His father having determined to 
leave the Empire State for the unsettled West, his 
son Morris started on the 25th of September, 1839, 
with a pair of horses and a wagon for Indianapolis, 
reaching his destination after a journey of forty- 
two days. The family on their arrival located in 
Centre township, where Morris remained four years, 
after which he engaged in flat-boating at points be- 
tween Cincinnati and New Orleans. In 1844 he 
embarked in business near Bvansville, Ind., and on 
abandoning this enterprise made an extensive tour by 
steamboat and on horseback through many of the 
States of the Union, with a view to pleasure and an 
intelligent comprehension of the extent and resources 
of the country. On returning in 1845, he, on the 
22d of January of that year, married Miss Susan 
Marquis, of Perry township, Marion Co., and settled 
in the last-named township, where he became a 
farmer. The children of this marriage are Sarah 
(Mrs. P. S. Turk) and Mary (Mrs. John Epler). 
Mrs. Howland died in August, 1852, and he was 
again married on the 22d of February, 1854, to Miss 
Jane Gentle, who was of Scotch descent, and a resi- 
dent of the same township. Their children are 
Powell, Lida, and Minnie. Mr. Howland has princi- 
pally engaged in farming and stock dealing, in which 
he has been signally successful. He has been actively 
interested in developing the resources of his county 
and township, and constructed the first gravel road 
in the county, of which he is still president. He is a 
member of the Wool-Growers' Association, and of the 
Short-Horn Breeders' Association, and actively in- 
terested in the subject of horticul/tiire. He was in 



596 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



politics a Democrat until the introduction of the 
Kansas-Nebraska bill in 1854, when a disapproval of 
the measures adopted by the party induced him to 
cast his vote with the Republicans. He has been 
actively interested in the success of his party, and 
participated in various local campaigns, though not 
an aspirant for the honors which it confers. Though 
repeatedly declining official positions of importance, 
he has held various offices in the township, among 
which may be mentioned that of justice of the peace. 
He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and con- 
nected with Southport Lodge, No. 270, of that order. 
Mr. Rowland is an active member and one of the 
founders of the Southport Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in which he has been successively steward, 
class-leader, and trustee. His influence and active 
labor in the cause of temperance have accomplished 
a salutary work in Perry township, and given it a 
decided moral strength in the county. 



GEORGE TOMLINSON. 

John Tomlinson, the great-grandfather of the sub- 
ject of this biographical sketch, was a native of 
Yorkshire, England, and having emigrated to Amer- 
ica about the middle of the last century settled in 
Maryland. His son, Joseph Tomlinson, the grand- 
father of George, was the first settler of Elizabeth- 
town, Va., having laid out the town and named it in 
honor of his wife, Elizabeth Tomlinson. George 
Tomlinson was the son of Isaac and Anna Tomlinson 
(whose maiden name was De Mint). In childhood 
he removed with his parents to Bourbon County, Ky., 
from which point, after a residence of a few years, he 
repaired with the family to Trimble County, in the 
same State, and a few miles above Madison, Ind., 
where his father died soon after the close of the war 
of 1812. In 1821 he became an inmate of the 
house of his guardian, Rev. Henry Brenton, in 
Trimble County, Ky., and in 1823 accompanied him 
to Indiana, when he became a resident of Perry 
township, Marion Co. He was married on the 2d of 
August, 1827, to Miss Lucy E. Dawson, and about 
October of the same year removed to the homestead 



on the Madison road, four miles south of the city, 
where he resided until his death. Mrs. Tomlinson 
was born April 20, 1811, in Oldham County, Ky., 
and was the daughter of Daniel and Keziah Dawson, 
and granddaughter of Josiah Tanner, a captain in the 
American army during the Revolutionary war. Her 
parents both died during her childhood, when a home 
was found with her grandmother, Martha Tanner, 
until her marriage. The married life of Mr. and 
Mrs. Tomlinson continued over a period of fifty- 
three years, their golden wedding having been cele- 
brated on the 2d of August, 1877. Their children 
are three sons and four daughters, all of whom sur- 
vive them. Mr. Tomlinson did not enjoy superior 
advantages of education, but was a student all his 
life, and devoted much of his leisure time to reading. 
He was in politics a Whig, a Republican at the or- 
ganization of that party, and pronounced in his anti- 
slavery .sentiments. He was strong in his political 
convictions, an ardent supporter of measures for the 
conduct of the late war, and willingly promised to 
protect from want the families of soldiers who enlisted 
in the cause of the Union. He was in 1832 elected 
justice of the peace, and held the office for twenty 
consecutive years. He was a member of the Tippe- 
canoe Club of Marion County, and voted for Gen. 
Harrison in 1836 and 1840. About 1847, Mr. 
Tomlinson began a general merchandising business at 
Southport, Ind., and continued it for twenty years, 
after which he retired from commercial pursuits and 
devoted the remainder of his life to farming. His 
death occurred May 11, 1881, and that of his wife 
in the same year. 



CHAPTER XXV. 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



Pike township lies in the northwest corner of 
Marion County, and is bounded on the north by 
Hamilton and Boone Counties, on the east by Wash- 
ington township, on the south by Wayne township, 
and on the west by Hendricks County. The town- 
ship contains forty-four sections, or twenty-eight 




'Oyt^ta^it^O^ 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



597 



thousand one hundred and sixty acres of land. Its 
surface is in some parts rolling, in others nearly level, 
and in some parts rather swatnpy. The buttonwood 
ponds were formerly numerous in some localities, but 
these are unknown to-day, for the industrious farmers 
have cleared up these places and tile-drained them, so 
that excellent crops are raised on these lands. The 
soil of the township is generally of a good quality, 
and well adapted to farming and stock-raising. It is 
watered by Eagle Creek, which enters the township 
on the north line, about two and one-half miles east 
of the northwest corner, and runs in a southwesterly 
course until it reaches the Wayne township line, 
about one and one-quarter miles east of the west line 
of the township. Fishback Creek enters the town- 
ship near the northwest corner, and empties into 
Eagle Creek one-half mile below Trader's Point. 
The country along this stream is the most broken 
part of the township, and is called the hilly country 
of Fishback. The creek derived its name from Free- 
man Fishback, who was an early settler on the farm 
now owned by P. Beck. Some of the finest springs 
of the county are along this stream. Bush's Run, 
a small stream, heads near the north centre of the 
township, and empties into Eagle Creek three-quarters 
of a mile below Trader's Point. Little Eagle Creek, 
which is somewhat of a noted stream, has its source 
near the south line of Boone County, and it enters 
this township about one mile east of the centre of the 
north line. It runs just east of New Augusta, and 
empties into Big Eagle near Mount Jackson, in 
Wayne township. This stream is the second in size 
in Pike. Crooked Creek enters the township near 
the northeast corner, and takes a southwesterly direc- 
tion until just north of Old Augusta, where it bears 
to the southeast, and leaves the township about one- 
third of a mile southeast of Old Augusta. Staton's 
Creek heads a little south of Old Augusta, runs in a 
southwesterly course, and empties into Little Eagle 
on or near W. H. Guion's farm. It derived its 
name from Joseph Staton, who was the first settler in 
the southeastern part of the township. 

Pike, like the other townships of Marion County, 
was laid out and erected a separate township by order 
of the county commissioners on the 16th of April, 



1822, and on the same date and by the same au- 
thority it was joined to Wayne for township pur- 
poses (there being but few inhabitants in either), 
and the two together were deemed a single township, 
called the township of Pike and Wayne. This 
continued until May 10, 1824,' when the commis- 
sioners of Pike separated from Wayne (the inhab- 
itants being sufficiently numerous), and an election 
was ordered to be held at the house of Alexis Jack- 
son for the choice of a justice of the peace on the 
19th of June following, David McCurdy to be in- 
spector of election. At this election there were but 
seventeen votes cast, and John C. Hume was elected 
the first justice of the peace by a majority of three 
votes, Mr. Thomas Burns being his opponent for the 
judicial honors of the township. J. C. Hume at 
that time lived in the northern part of the township, 
in the Harman neighborhood, on the south part of 
the farm now owned by Samuel Hornaday, and 
Thomas Burns lived in the southwestern part of the 
township, on the east side of Eagle Creek, on the 
farms now owned and occupied by his grandsons, 
Thomas and Oliver Reveal. 

Following is a list of township officers of Pike from 
its formation to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 

Abraham Hendrieks, June 15, 1822, to June 19, 1824. 
Isaac Stephens, June 22, 1822, to February, 1824; remoTed. 
Jeremiah J. Corbaley, May 10, 1824, to June 19, 1824. 
(The three preceding served for Pike and "Wayne while those 
two townships were joined as one.) 
John C. Hume, Aug. 19, 1824, to May 16, 1827 ; resigned. 
Jacob Sheets, Aug. 27, 1825, to December, 1829; resigned. 
Austin Davenport, Aug. 9, 1827, to March 1, 1830; resigned. 
Zephaniah HoUingsworth, Feb. 19, 1830, to May 2, 1831; re- 



William C. Robinson, Feb. 20, 1830, to Feb. 12, 1836. 

Jesse Lane, April 9, 1830, to April 9, 1835. 

Adam Wright, July 4, 1831, to July 4, 1834; resigned. 



1 From that time until 1834 small parts of the counties of 
Hamilton, Boone, and Hendricks were included in this town- 
ship, but in the year last named the matter was brought before 
the Legislature by the Hon. R. B, Duncan, and the northern 
and western lines established as they are now. Another 
change was made by which three sections of land originally 
belonging to Pike were thrown into Washington township, 
thus establishing the township lines as they are at present. 



598 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Smith Isaac, Oct. 17, 1834, to Oct. 17, 1839. 
Nathaniel Bell, April 18, 1836, to April 15, 1845. 
Riley B. Hogshire, June 9, 1838, to June 9, 1843. 
Daniel Cooper, Dec. 14, 1839, to Dec. 7, 1844. 
Daniel Cooper, Feb. 8, 1845, to Feb. 8, 1860. 
Benjamin Powell, May 6, 1845, to May 6, 1850. 
Nathaniel Bell, May 10, 1845, to July, 1846; removed. 
James Haines, Dec. 18, 1846, to Dec. 15, 1851. 
John C. Hume, April 12, 1850, to April 12, 1855. 
Riley B. Hogshire, May 8, 1850, to March 15, 1851 ; resigned. 
James Haines, Dec. 22, 1851, to Dec. 15, 1856. 
Fletcher Patterson, April 19, 1863, to April 19, 1857. 
John C. Hume, May 8, 1855, to May 3, 1859. 
Perry W. Cotton, Nov. 3, 1855, to Nov. 1, 1859. 
James Haines, April 20, 1867, to November, 1860 ; died. 
Abner A. Wakeland, May 7, 1859, to April 22, 1861 ; resigned. 
Perry W. Cotton, Nov. 7, 1859, to Nov. 1, 1863. 
Joseph Patton, Dec. fi, 1860, to Sept. 22, 1863; resigned. 
John M. Voorhis, April 21, 1863, to Deo. 26, 1865; resigned. 
William R. McCune, Nov. 5, 1863, to Nov. 1, 1867. 
Abraham Artman, April 20, 1865, to May 24, 1867 ; resigned. 
Joseph F. Trowbridge, April 13, 1867, to Oct. 13, 1879 ; resigned. 
William R. McCune, Nov. 9, 1867, to Nov. 1, 1871. 
Mahlon B. Pentecost, April 25, 1868, to Nov. 16, 1868 ; resigned. 
Salathiel F. Pentecost, April 28, 1869, to Jan. 31, 1871; re- 
signed. 
Francis M. Hollingsworth, Oct. 28, 1872, to Oct. 28, 1876. 
John C. Reed, April 9, 1878, to April 9, 1882. 
Francis M. Hollingsworth, July 9, 1878, to April 14, 1880. 
Tiry N. Hardin, Oct. 13, 1879, to June 27, 1882; removed. 
James M. Smith, May 11,1882, to May U, 1886. 
Robert Dunn, June 27, 1882, to April 14, 1884. 

TRUSTEES. 
John H. Wiley, April 11, 1859, to April 11, 1860. 
Elihu Culver, April 11, 1860, to Jan. 13, 1861. 
William P. Long, Jan. 13, 1861, to April 13, 1861. 
James M. Draper, April 13, 1861, to April 17, 1863. 
John H. Wiley, April 17, 1863, to April 13, 1867. 
James H. Kennedy, April 13, 1867, to Oct. 29, 1870. 
Jeremiah Coble, Oct. 29, 1870, to April 10, 1880. 
Jasper N. Guion, April 10, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 
Jesse A. Avery, April 14, 1882, for two years. 

ASSESSORS. 
John B. Harmon, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 5, 1829. 
Jesse Davenport, Jan. 6, 1829, to Jan. 3, 1831. 
Joseph Staton, Jan. 3, 1831, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
William W. Harmon, Jan. 2, 1832, to May 5, 1836. 
Alexander Felton, May 5, 1835, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
Smith Isaac, Jan. 4, 1836, to March 7, 1836. 
Alexander Felton, March 7, 1836, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
William W. Harmon, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 1, 1838. 
Smith Isaac, Jan. 1, 1838, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
Alexander Felton, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 



Smith Isaac, Jan. 6, 1840, to Jan. 4, 1841. 
Alexander Felton, Jan. 4, 1841, to Deo. 6, 1841. 
Thomas AV. Council, Dee. 10, 1862, to Nov. 20, 1854. 
John Bowers, Nov. 20, 1854, to April 7, 1865. 
Abraham Logan, April 7, 1855, to Dec. 4, 1856. 
James M. Draper, Dec. 4, 1866, to Nov. 20, 1858. 
Allen P. Wiley, Nov. 20, 1858, to Nov. 6, 1860. 
John M. Voorhis, Nov. 6, 1860, to Nov. 16, 1862. 
John Souerwine, Nov. 16, 1862, to Nov. 26, 1864. 
Jacob R. Wilson, Nov. 26, 1864, to Oct. 27, 1866. 
Joseph Loftin, Oct. 27, 1866, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Samuel H. Sohenck, March 23, 1875, to Oct. 23, 1876. 
Joseph Loftin, Oct. 23, 1876, to April 10, 1880. 
Jacob Souerwine, April 10, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 
Jacob H. Heisay, April 14, 1882, to April 14, 1884. 

From the best information now to be obtained the 
first white man who settled in this township was 
James Harman, who was a native of Pulaski County, 
Ky., and a soldier in the war of 1812. He came to 
Indiana and first located in Rush County, and in 
1820 came to Marion County and settled in the north 
part of Pike township, on the east side of Eagle 
Creek, where he lived until the 20th day of Novem- 
ber, 1832, when he sold out to Wesley Marklin, 
and moved to the farm where Richard Carter now 
lives. He lived there for a few years, and then 
moved to Boone County, Ind., near Zionsville, where 
he died. Mr. Harman raised twelve children, some 
of whom still live in the neighborhood where they 
passed the years of their youth. 

The next settler in the township is supposed to 
have been David McCurdy, Sr. He was born in 
Ireland in the year 1Y77, and at the age of two 
years he with his mother (then a widow) came to 
New York, where he lived until 1818. He then 
came to Indiana and settled near Noblesville, on 
White River, in Hamilton County, and lived there 
until 1820 or 1821, when he came to Marion County 
and settled in Pike township, west of Eagle Creek, 
on the farm now owned and occupied by James 
White. Mr. McCurdy owned at one time two 
thousand five hundred and eighty acres of land 
along Eagle Creek in this township. In a few years 
he moved to the southwest part of the township, on 
the farm which he made his home until his death. 
He built the first grist-mill in the township, on 
Eagle Creek, at what is known as the McCurdy 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



599 



Ford, where the citizens got their corn and wheat 
ground for a number of years, the flour being bolted 
by hand. He also owned and ran a small distillery 
just south of the residence of his son Samuel. Mr. 
McCurdy was married twice. He had ten children 
by his first wife and ten by the second, equally 
divided between the sexes. All lived to maturity, 
and settled in this section and shared in their 
father's large estate. Mr. McCurdy was honest in 
all his dealings, kind and liberal to the poor, was a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at 
Jones' Chapel, and very liberal in its support. He 
died at the age of eighty-four years, and was buried 
at Jones' Chapel Cemetery, where a fine monument 
marks his grave. 

Samuel McCurdy, a son of David McCurdy, Sr., 
was born in Pike township, Jan. 11, 1840, and lives 
on the old farm and homestead, where his father 
died. His residence (built by his father) is the first 
brick house built in the township. Samuel McCurdy 
is one of the wealthiest men in Pike township ; is 
extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. 
He owns six hundred and thirty acres of excellent 
land, and has built two miles of gravel road at his 
own expense. He is a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church. 

John B. Harman, born in Virginia, emigrated 
thence to Kentucky, thence to Bartholomew County, 
Ind., and in 1821 came with a wife and two children 
to Pike township, and settled in the north part of the 
township, west of Eagle Creek, on the farm now 
owned by Samuel Hornaday. In 1829 he was 
assessed on the northeast quarter of section 15, 
township 17, range 2. In 1837 he sold out, and 
removed to Boone County. His wife was Mary 
Findley, to whom he was married in 1817, and they 
became the parents of six sons and two daughters. 
After his arrival here he traded with the Indians, 
and was on friendly terms with them while they re- 
mained in this region, but afterwards he saw some- 
thing of their hostility. He had served in the war 
of 1812, and volunteered for service in the Black 
Hawk war of 1832, in which he became a captain. 
At one time, at the close of a very fatiguing march, 
he, with about thirty-five men who were with him, 



was attacked by the savages, and all were killed ex- 
cept himself and one other man, who escaped by 
leaving their horses and swimming a swollen stream. 
Capt. Harmmi died in Boone County in June, 1860. 

James Belong was one of the earliest settlers in 
Pike. He came here in 1822, first settling in the 
northern part of the township, and in 1823 he 
bought out Elijah Standridge, on the east side of 
Eagle Creek, two miles south of Trader's Point. 
The farm (two hundred and fourteen acres of excel- 
lent land) is now owned by Jacob Delong, his second 
son, who was born on the farm, and has lived on it 
sixty years, this being the longest continuous residence 
of any man in the township. 

Chesley Ray, Sr., a native of North Carolina, came 
to Pike township in the winter of 1822-23, and set- 
tled with his family (wife and two children) on land 
now owned by Amos Smith, east of Eagle Creek. 
Some years afterwards he bought an eighty-acre 
tract, now land of William Jennings. He was 
also owner of several other farms at diiferent times. 
He moved to Illinois, and died there in 1869, in his 
seventy-first year. He had five children, — three 
sons and two daughters. His first wife was the 
second adult person who died in this township, in 
May, 1826. 

Joseph Staton was a Virginian by birth (born in 
1796), was married in 1818 to Cidna Tarns, and in 
1823 came with his family (wife and three children) 
to settle in Pike, on Staton's Creek, — their nearest 
neighbor then being three miles distant. Mr. Staton 
died at the age of sixty-six years, two months, and 
fifteen days. He raised four sons and four daughters. 
His eldest two sons, Reuben and Washington Staton, 
own the lands on which their father and mother settled 
sixty years ago. 

George Haines, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, 
moved in his youth to Kentucky, and came to Pike 
township in October, 1824, settling on the farm after- 
wards owned by Ira HoUingsworth. After a few 
years he moved to Missouri. He had seven sons and 
four daughters, and raised them all. His son George 
was famed as the largest man in this township, being 
six feet seven inches high. Another son, Absalom, 
now approaching his threescore and ten years, has 



600 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



lived in Marion County almost continuously for nearly 
sixty years. 

Abraham McCorkle was a native of Fleming 
County, Ky. He came to this townsKip in 1824, 
and entered one hundred and twenty acres of land on 
the west side of Eagle Creek, in the western part of 
the township. On this tract he built a cabin, and in 
1825 (October 26th), with his wife and child, com- 
menced housekeeping in the woods of this part of 
the township. He was one of the original members 
of Jones' Chapel (Methodist Episcopal Church), and 
donated the ground for the meeting-house and ceme- 
tery. 

Hon. Robert B. Duncan came to this township in 
1824 (when but a lad), and lived with his brother-in- 
law, William C. Robinson, and also with his uncle, 
John Duncan. In 1827 he left, and went to the then 
village of Indianapolis to educate himself He lived 
with James M. Ray, and worked for his board while 
at school. His subsequent career is too well known 
to the people of the county to need extended mention 
here. 

David Wilson, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania in 
1801. In 1825 he came to Indiana and settled in 
this township, on the west side of Eagle Creek, on 
the land now owned and occupied by Thomas Parker. 
He owned several other tracts of land in the town- 
ship. His wife was Annie Railsback, and they 
raised thirteen children, eight sons and five daugh- 
ters. David Wilson at one time owned a saw-mill 
and grist-mill, and carried on the milling busi- 
ness quite extensively for a number of years. He 
died Nov. 30, 1853, and was buried on his farm. 
His widow is still living, and is eighty years old. 
She was one of the original members of Ebenezer 
Christian Church, and is now a faithful Christian, 
holding her membership in one of the Christian 
Churches at Indianapolis, where she lives with her 
children. Her house was the preachers' home while 
she lived in Pike township. 

John C. Hume was born in 1790 in Harrisburg, 
Pa., whence he removed with his father to the State 
of New York in 1804. After a time he engaged in 
the occupation of civil engineer, and as such laid out 
the plat of the city of Rochester, N. Y. He was 



married in 1813 to Martha Rodman, in New York, 
and in 1815 he removed to Washington County, Ind., 
where he resided until 1821 or 1822, when he took 
up his residence in Marion County. He located 
where the city of Indianapolis now stands, which 
place at that time contained but a half-dozen log 
cabins. He was among the first settlers of the 
county. He served fourteen years as justice of the 
peace, seven years as probate judge of Marion County, 
and four years as circuit judge of McLean County, 
III, to which State he removed in 1837. After the 
expiration of his term of office in Illinois he returned 
to this township, where he lived uninterruptedly until 
his death. 

Stephen Gullefer, a Virginian by birth, came to 
Pike township in 1827. In 1829 he was assessed 
on the northwest quarter of section 7, township 16, 
range 3. His son, Aaron Gullefer, was born in the 
Shenandoah Valley, Va., in 1796 ; emigrated with 
his father to Ohio ; thence to Wayne County, Ind., 
in 1821 ; thence moved to Pike township in 1827. 
He owned lands on Little Eagle Creek, near Bethel 
Methodist Episcopal Church, and elsewhere in the 
township. The farm he lived on is- now owned by 
Henry Gullefer and Jacob Heine. Aaron Q-ullefer 
was married in 1821 to Lydia Hollingsworth. They 
had three sons and three daughters. Mr. Gullefer 
died in 1852. 

Joseph Loftin, Sr., was a North Carolinian by 
birth. He emigrated thence to Wayne township, 
Marion Co., about 1826. In 1830 he moved from 
Wayne to the northeast part of Pike township, and 
settled on lands which are now owned by the Loftin 
family, and the homestead farm occupied by Joseph 
Loftin's youngest son. He had ten children, five 
sons and five daughters. Three of the sons became 
physicians. The eldest, Hon. Sample Loftin, has 
been treasurer of Marion County. Joseph Loftin, 
Jr., a native of Wayne township, and now fifty-six 
years of age, is one of the most prominent men of 
Pike township. He was township assessor for about 
fourteen years, trustee for two years, and in 1882 
was elected county commissioner. He was engaged 
in school-teaching for a number of years, and taught 
the first school at the school-house called Poplar Cot- 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



60)1 



tage, a name given to it by him because it was a 
very low building of poplar logs. Mr. Loftin is 
active in politics, and bears the reputation of being 
one of the best-informed men in the county on 
political matters. 

Nicholas Hightshue was born in Germany in 
1794, and settled in Maryland iu 1805. From there 
he moved to Perry County, Ohio, and in 1829, with 
his wife and five children, settled in the northwest 
corner of Pike township. They raised seven chil- 
dren, two sons and five daughters, all of whom are 
still living. Nicholas Hightshue served through 
the war of 1812. He was one of the original mem- 
bers of Ebenezer Christian Church, and served as an 
elder for many years. He died in 1858, and his 
wife in 1859. 

The Hollingsworth and Klingensmith families were 
the most numerous of any in Pike township. There 
were twenty-four Hollingsworths and twenty-two 
Klingensmiths, voters, on the registry roll at one time 
in 1865-66. The Hollingsworths were Republicans 
and the Klingensmiths Democrats. The Hollings- 
worths were members of the Christian and Meth- 
odist Churches, while the Klingensmiths were mostly 
members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. 

Zephaniah Hollingsworth was born in South Caro- 
lina, near Charleston, on the 6th of September, 1787, 
and was married to Polly Dayley on the 12th of Oc- 
tober, 1806. In May, 1807, he, with his wife and 
son, George D. (who was then only six weeks old), 
emigrated to Montgomery County, Ohio. Polly rode 
a pack-horse, carrying her babe, and their bedding 
and wearing apparel, the distance being nearly six 
hundred miles. They remained in Ohio until May, 
1828. They settled in this township, on Little 
Eagle Creek, near Bethel Methodist Episcopal 
Church, on the land now owned by W. H. Broug- 
hard. They reared five children, — three sons and 
two daughters, — who all lived to maturity. Only 
two are now alive, — the oldest son, George D. Hol- 
lingsworth, and the daughter Jane. 

George Hollingsworth, born near Charleston, S. C, 
in 1801, emigrated at the age of six years, with his 
father to Ohio, and in 1819 moved thence to Ran- 
dolph County, Ind., from which place he came to 



Pike township. His name appears, with that of 
Zephaniah Hollingsworth, on the assessment-roll of 
the township for 1829, but neither of them were 
then assessed on any real estate. Both paid poll- 
taxes in the township in that year, and Zephaniah 
Hollingsworth was assessed on two horses. The 
lands on which George Hollingsworth settled were 
located on Little Eagle Creek, and he built a saw- 
mill on that stream, which was one of the early mills 
of the township. He died in 1860, having reared a 
family of ten children, of which the youngest is Syl- 
vanus Hollingsworth, who was born in this township, 
and now lives on the farm on which he was raised. 
He is engaged in farming and stock-raising, and is 
regarded as one of the leading agriculturists of the 
township. 

Joseph Klingensmith, Samuel Rodebaugh, and 
Peter Anthony came to Pike township with their 
families (each having a wife and four children) in 
1829. They were from Western Pennsylvania, and 
passed down the Ohio River with their families and 
household goods on a flat-boat to Cincinnati, where 
they disembarked, sold their boat, and finished their 
journey to this township by wagons, arriving in the 
early part of August in the year named. Joseph 
Klingensmith settled near where New Augusta 
Station now is, on the land now owned by Simon 
Klingensmith, his second son. Samuel Rodebaugh 
settled east and south of the centre of the township, 
on the land now owned by Joseph Rodebaugh. 
Peter Anthony settled near the centre of the town- 
ship, on the farm known as the Daniel Meyers farm. 
Of this party of early settlers, but two who were 
then adults are now living, — Esther Klingensmith, 
who is eighty years old, and lives on the old farm, 
with her son Simon ; Sally, wife of Samuel Rode- 
baugh, is also one of the survivors, is eighty-one 
years old, and lives on the old farm with her young- 
est son, Joseph Rodebaugh. 

Simon Rodebaugh, son of Samuel and Sally Rode- 
baugh, was born in Pennsylvania, and was nine years 
old when his parents came to this country. He lives 
in the eastern part of the township, on some of the 
land his father entered. He owns three hundred 
and fifteen acres of good land, is a good farmer, and 



602 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



is somewhat extensively engaged in the business of 
stock-raising. 

Joseph Klingensmith, Jr., was a native of Penn- 
sylvania. He came to this township in 1835, and 
entered one hundred and sixty acres of land in the 
eastern part of the township, and just south of the 
centre east and west. His oldest son, Oliver, now owns 
and occupies the land. He is a good farmer, and is 
extensively engaged in the manufacture of drain-tile. 
He ran the first tile-mill in the township ; is treas- 
urer of the Marion County tile-maker organization. 
He has also been engaged quite extensively in the 
saw-mill business. 

Emanuel Meichal came to Marion County in 1828, 
and first located in Wayne township. In 1833 he 
came to Pike, and settled between one and two miles 
northeast of Old Augusta, on the Michigan road. 
He is a North Carolinan by birth, is now seventy-four 
years old, and has lived in this township for half a 
century, except about two years when he resided in 
Hamilton County. 

Wesley Marklin came to this county from North 
Carolina in November, 1832, and settled on the north 
line of Pike township, east of Eagle Creek. His wife 
was Margaret Green, to whom he was married in 
1832. They have raised one son and three daughters, 
and have lived together as man and wife more than 
fifty-one years. He is now seventy-four, and his wife 
sixty-seven years old. He has been a great hunter, 
and some have called him the Daniel Boone of Pike 
township. 

Thomas Burns was an early settler in Pike. He 
owned a large farm in the southwestern part of the 
township, and in connection with Jedediah Read, one 
of his neighbors, carried on the first tan-yard in this 
township. He was an enterprising man and a good 
farmer. The farm on which he lived is now owned 
and occupied by his grandsons, Thomas and Oliver 
Reveal. They are energetic and enterprising citizens, 
and are extensively engaged in farming. 

A. B. Smock was a son of Peter Smock, who came 
to this township in 1826, and bought eighty acres of 
land near the centre of the township, on what is now 
the Zionsville and Pike township gravel road. The 
land is now owned by Newton Pollard. A. B. Smock 



served during the Mexican war in the Fourth Indiana 
Regiment. He also volunteered in the late war of 
the Rebellion in Capt. Black's company, Sixty-third 
Regiment Indiana Volunteers. He has at different 
times been extensively engaged in the saw-mill busi- 
ness, is now a retired farmer, is sixty-three years old, 
and the only Mexican soldier living in the township. 

Thomas B. Jones came from Franklin County, 
Ind., to Marion County in 1824. He was married 
to Jane Speer, daughter of Robert Speer, Sr., Jan. 
18, 1826, by Jeremiah Corbaley, Esq., of Wayne 
township, where they then resided. In the spring 
of 1826 they moved to this township and built a 
cabin on the west side of Eagle Creek, one-quarter 
of a mile southwest of where Jones Chapel (Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church) now stands. They raised 
eight children (six daughters and two sons), of which 
four daughters and the two sons are still living. 
Aunt Jane Jones, as she is called, is still living, and 
makes her home with her son, J. T. Jones, west of 
Clermont. She is in her seventy-ninth year, is a 
regular attendant at church, and has been for sixty- 
five years. She is a member of the Methodist Epis- 
copal Church. 

Craig Jones was a native of Kentucky. He came 
to Marion County in 1821 and lived with his brother, 
John B. Jones, in Wayne township, near old Union 
Christian Church. He was married to Sally Speer 
Sept. 30, 1830, and in October following they settled 
in Pike township, on the east side of Eagle Creek, on 
the farm now owned by the Davenport heirs. They 
lived there thirty-two years ; then went to Iowa, lived 
there seven years, came back to Indiana, and settled 
in Hendricks County. Mr. Jones died July 7, 1880. 
They had no children of their own, but raised several 
orphans. Aunt Sally, as she is called, is now living 
in Clermont, Wayne township. She is now in her 
seventy- second yeai-, and has been a member of the 
Christian Church for fifty-six years. 

Jonathan Ingo came to this township in 1829 with 
George Coble, and settled near the site of Old Au- 
gusta. The farm was afterwards owned by David 
Boardman and Thomas Council, and is now owned 
by Mr. Collins. 

Seth Rodebaugh, son of Christopher Rodebaugh, 




'^j^.j'-f-a^ 



y^Kj^to 



'cry\^ 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



603 



was born in Pennsylvania in 1796, and was raised by 
his uncle, Adam Rodebaugh, who came to Ohio in 
an early day. He was married to Mary HoUings- 
worth July 9, 1817, and in March, 1818, moved to 
Kandolph County, Ind. In 1825 he, with his wife 
and four children, came to Marion County, and settled 
in Pike township, on Little Eagle Creek, on the farm 
now owned and occupied by Jacob Meyers. Rode- 
baugh sold to Meyers in 1844 or 1845, and went 
West. He died during the " Border RuflBan War" 
in Kansas. His wife and children remained in this 
township, Mrs. Rodebaugh living with her children, 
of whom she had eight, six daughters and two sons. 
She is now living with her daughter, Mrs. Laycock. 
She is eighty-five years of age, the oldest person in 
the township. 

Daniel Cooper was born in Virginia in 1793, and 
moved to Ohio with his father in 1809. He served 
in the war of 1812, and in 1830 came to Indiana and 
settled in the northwestern part of Pike township, on 
Fishback Creek. He served as justice of the peace 
for several years, and was a school teacher of some 
prominence in the early day of the township. The 
farm of Daniel Cooper is now owned by Elijah Cooper. 

Samuel Cooper, of Perry County, Ohio, a carpenter 
by trade, came to this township in 1830, and entered 
eighty acres of land in the northwest corner of the 
township on the Lafayette road. Fishback Creek 
runs through the land he entered. In 1831 he, with 
his wife (Elizabeth Moore, to whom he was married 
in December, 1827) and two children, moved to his 
land, where a cabin was soon erected, and they were 
at home in the woods. They raised eleven children 
who lived to maturity, seven sons and four daughters. 
Aunt Betsey, as she is called, still lives, at seventy- 
five years of age, on the farm they entered. Mr. 
Cooper died April 1, 1864. 

John Moore, a son of John Moore, Sr., was horn 
in Perry County, Ohio, June 9, 1816, and came to 
Indiana in 1832. He settled in Pike township, on 
the farm now owned and occupied by Pluman Reck. 
Mr. Moore now resides in the southwestern part of 
the township, on the west side of Eagle Creek. He 
owns a farm of over three hundred acres, which he 
has acquired by his own industry and economy. He 



is extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. 
He has served as inspector of elections for thirty-five 
or forty years, and is an elder in the Presbyterian 
Church at Clermont. 

Enoch Reade was born in Jackson County, Ohio, 
in 1814, and in 1828, with his father's family, came 
to Hendricks County, near Plainfield, where he lived 
until 1831. In August of that year they came to 
Marion County, and settled in Pike township, where 
Marion Wiley now lives. He was married to Ruth 
Hume, daughter of J. C. Hume, Oct. 16, 1834, and 
in 1837 moved to Illinois with a number of other 
early settlers of this township. He remained in 
Illinois five years, then returned to this township, 
and settled on the farm where A. P. Wiley now re- 
sides. He raised five children, who are still living. 
Mr. Reade is now and has been for a number of 
years living on the Lafayette road. 

Alexander Felton came to Pike township Sept. 2, 
1832, and settled on the farm now owned by Leander 
Felton. He taught school the following winter in a 
house owned by Zephaniah Hollingsworth, in his own 
yard, used for loom-house, etc. For many years 
afterwards, during the winter, he taught in difierent 
places, working on the farm in summer. He was an 
advocate of temperance and freedom for all races and 
color, standing up for the anti-slavery cause when 
it cost something to do so. He did not, however, 
live to see the liberation of the slaves. He died 
Sept. 2, 1854. His widow died Feb. 17, 1883, at 
eighty years of age, having lived fifty-one years on 
the old homestead. 

John Bowers was a son of David Bowers, Sr., 
born in Dearborn County, Ind., Aug. 28, 1818. 
He came to this township in 1833, and settled on 
land, now the Gr. W. Aston farm, on the Michigan 
road. John Bowers was married to Elizabeth Gullefer 
Oct. 27, 1844. They had five children, — three sons 
and two daughters, — who are all living in this vicin- 
ity on good farms, to which they were assisted by 
the liberality of their parents. 

Mr. Bowers was one of the early school-teachers 
of this township when the qualifications required of 
a teacher were a knowledge of spelling, reading, 
writing, and ciphering to the single rule of three. 



604 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



but his qualifications exceeded those of the ordinary 
teacher, for he was master of the arithmetic that was 
then used in the schools. Mr. Bowers owns and oc- 
cupies the land entered by Allen Harbert and Wil- 
liam Groves in the southeast centre of the town- 
ship, — one hundred and eighty acres of good land. 
He is a model farmer and stock-raiser ; is an exem- 
plary member of the Methodist Church, in which he 
has held several positions, having acted as class- 
leader the most of the time for the last forty years. 

John Miller, son of William Miller, a Revolution- 
ary soldier, was born in Fleming County, Ky., in 
1801, and was married to Cynthia Wilson, Feb. 23, 
1828. He came to Indiana in September, 1833, and 
settled in this township, half a mile northwest of 
where the village of Trader's Point now stands. He 
is the only man in this township living on the land 
which he entered from government. He and his 
wife have lived together fifty-five years and raised 
six children. Mr. Miller is eighty-three years of 
age, and the oldest man in the township. His wife 
is seventy-two years old. Mr. Miller has been a 
member of the Christian Church nearly sixty-eight 
years, and his wife fifty-eight years in the same 
church with her husband. 

Isaac N. Cotton (a son of John Cotton, who came 
to this township in May, 1838) was born in Wayne 
County, Ind., in 1830. He now owns and lives on 
the farm of his father. He is an excellent farmer, 
raises fine-wool sheep, is quite extensively engaged in 
raising bees, and is the president of the Indiana State 
Bee-Keepers" Association. He is also a member of 
the Swine-Breeders' and Wool-Growers' Association 
of the State of Indiana. He attended the Marion 
County Seminary from 1849 to 1851, crossed the 
plains with an ox-team in 1852, and remained in 
California two years. After his return to this county 
he engaged in school-teaching in the winter season 
and farming in the summer. He was at one time 
township clerk ; was revenue assessor for the three 
north townships of Marion County ; represented the 
county in the State Legislature in 1859, and was 
elected again in 1880. 

William P. Long was a native of Hamilton 
County, Ohio, whence he came with his father, Daniel 



Long, to Indiana in February, 1832, and settled in 
Rush County. In February, 1848, he was married 
to Sarah D. Rees, and on April 1, in the same year, 
came to Pike, and settled in the southwest corner of 
the township, on the farm entered by James San- 
dusky. He is one of the elders of the Christian 
Church at Clermont, is a good farmer and citizen, 
and takes a great interest in the educational interests 
of the township. He has been inspector of elections 
at difierent times, and was captain of a company of 
the Indiana Legion during the war of the Rebellion. 
John W. Riley was born in Maryland in 1830, 
and in 1835 came to Marion County, Ind., with his 
father, Samuel J. Riley, and settled on Fall Creek. 
From there he moved with his parents to Perry 
township in 1836, and settled in the western part of 
the township, on the east side of White River. 
In the war of the Rebellion he served two years as 
first lieutenant in the Ninth Indiana Cavalry, and in 
the battle of Sulphur Trestle, Ala., he (with a 
detachment of one hundred and eighty-five men) was 
taken prisoner. He was commissioned captain by 
Governor Morton in the Indiana Legion. After the 
war Captain Riley returned to his farm in Perry 
township and remained there until 1869, when he 
moved to Pike township and bought a farm on the 
Michigan road, one and a half miles north of Old 
Augusta. He now owns over four hundred acres of 
good land, is a prosperous farmer, and somewhat en- 
gaged in raising graded short-horn cattle. He was a 
charter member of Hosbrook Lodge, F. and A. M., 
and served as Worshipful Master eight years. 

The first road that was surveyed and cut out 
through this township was the Lafayette road. It 
was surveyed and cut out in 1831 and 1832 from 
Indianapolis to Lafayette. The next was the Michi- 
gan road from Indianapolis to Michigan City ; this 
was surveyed by George L. Conard in 1832. Some 
of the citizens are still living who helped cut out 
these roads. The Lafayette road runs in a north- 
westerly direction through the township, and in some 
places passed through the swampiest land in the 
township. In such places it was " corduroyed," and 
in open, wet winters or in the spring this road was 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



605 



impassable for teams and wagons, and in those days 
it was a great undertaking to go to Indianapolis, 
a distance of ten or twelve miles, and often re- 
quired two days to make the round trip to mill or 
market with a small load. In 1859 to 1862 the 
Lafayette road was graded and graveled by Aaron 
McCray, Isaac Meyers, John Bowers, and Manning 
Voorhes, at a cost of twelve hundred dollars per mile ; 
in these four years twelve miles of this road was 
graveled, and it was made one of the best thorough- 
fares of the county. Since that time the Michigan 
road, the Zionsville, and other roads in this township 
have been graveled, and there are now about thirty- 
five miles of gravel roads in the township, fully half 
of which are free roads. Quite an improvement has 
been made in the other roads of the township, all the 
wet and low places being graded and graveled. In 
the summer of 1877 the first iron bridge was built 
in this township across Big Eagle Creek, on the 
Lafayette road at Trader's Point, at a cost of twelve 
thousand dollars. 

The first grist-mill of the township was built by 
David McCurdy on Big Eagle Creek, at the McCurdy 
ford. The next mill of the kind in Pike township 
was built by John Trester on Crooked Creek, nearly 
one-half mile southeast of Old Augusta, on the farm 
now owned by Byron K. Elliott. Lewis Mitchell 
built the third grist-mill in 1832, about one mile south 
of the site of the village of Trader's Point. The first 
saw-mill was built by Henry Groves on Little Eagle 
Creek, on the farm known as the Cropper farm. 

Harrison Button built the next saw-mill on Fish- 
back Creek, on the farm he now owns and occupies. 
Other saw-mills were built in this township by Stephen 
Gullefer, George HoUingsworth, James McCurdy, and 
others. These were all propelled by water-power. 
The first steam saw-mill was built by Marchant Eode- 
baugh on the Zionsville road, on the northeast corner 
of the farm now owned by Ezra Meyers. Rodebaugh 
sold out to Jacob Souerwine. The first distillery in 
the township was built by David McCurdy, Sr., just 
south of the house that Samuel McCurdy now lives 
in. This was built about 1827. The second distillery 
was built by Joseph Klingensmith, near the house now 



owned and occupied by Simon Klingensmith. The 
third distillery in the township was built by Richard' 

Miller and Gay, and was sometimes called 

" Sodom." This was on the bank of Eagle Creek, 
just below the McCurdy ford. All of these mills and 
distilleries are matters of the past in the history of 
Pike township. 

The first post-office in this township was named 
Piketon, and located at Adam Wright's house, on the 
farm now owned and occupied by Zachariah Bush, on 
the Lafayette road. The mail was carried on horse- 
back from Indianapolis to Lafayette. The mail con- 
tractor was a man named Bentley, and his son Joseph 
carried the mail for a number of years on this route. 
The second postmaster in this part of the township 
was Christopher Hines, under whom the office was 
removed to the farm now occupied by P. M. HoUings- 
worth. Piketon post-office was continued and kept 
at Mr. Hines' until 1853, when an office was estab- 
lished on the Indianapolis and Lafayette Railroad at 
Augusta Station (now New Augusta), and the Pike- 
ton office and also the office at Old Augusta were dis- 
continued. Mr. Rudicil was the first postmaster at 
Augusta Station. The present postmaster there is 
Dr. E. Purdy. 

Villages. — The oldest village in Pike township is 
Old Augusta, situated in the eastern part, near the 
Washington township line. The first settlements in 
its vicinity were made by George Coble, Sr., and 
Jonathan Ingo. George Coble was a native of North 
Carolina, who came to this township in 1829. He 
entered and settled on one hundred and sixty acres 
of land one-quarter of a mile east of where New 
Augusta now is, and lived there until his death, 
which occurred a few years ago. He was a zealous 
member of the Lutheran Church for many years, 
and was respected by all his neighbors. He raised a 
family of five children, of whom Jeremiah Coble, the 
youngest, was born in this township, and now owns 
the farm on which his father settled. He has served 
eight years and six months as trustee of the town- 
ship, and in that position gave satisfaction not only 
to his own party, but to his political opponents. He 
was a charter member of Hosbrook Lodge, P. and 



606 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



A. M. ; has served as its secretary for ten years, and 
was re-elected at its last stated communication. He 
also holds the same position in the Knights of Honor 
at New Augusta. He is a member of the Lutheran 
Church. 

Old Augusta was laid out in 1832 by David G. 
Boardman and James Fee ; and Riley B. Hogshire 
built and owned the first dry-goods and grocery-store 
that was opened in the place after the town was sur- 
veyed. The store was on Washington and Walnut 
Streets, and is now owned and occupied by John 
Darling as a residence. The next who engaged in 
the merchandising business in the place was a Mr. 
McCalley, who, in connection with his store, was 
licensed to sell whiskey, this being the first licensed 
place in the town. It was on the west side of the 
street, where Joseph Martin's blacksmith-shop now 
stands. The next store was opened by James Evans, 
one square south of where Joseph Johnson's store 
now stands. Mr. Evans continued in the business 
for a number of years, then went to Noblesville, and 
was engaged in merchandising there until a few years 
ago, when he was elected to Congress. Riley Hog- 
shire, Sr., again purchased a large stock of goods, 
and carried on the business very successfully for a 
number of years, then sold out to his son, Samuel 
H. Hogshire, who was also successful in business. 
There have been quite a number since that time 
engaged in selling goods at Old Augusta. At the 
present time there are four stores in the place, the 
proprietors being Joseph Johnson, Arthur Wakelin, 
Leander Cox, and B. F. Berry. 

The first blacksmith-shop in Old Augusta was 
opened by Elias Fee, on the east side of the street, 
near the centre of the village. He sold out to 
Thomas Council, who carried on the business, in con- 
nection with that of wagon-making, for a number of 
years. 

The first physician in the village was Dr. James M. 
Blades ; the next. Dr. Woodyard. Sample Loftin 
(ex-county treasurer) practiced medicine here for 
sixteen or seventeen years. George Dusan was a 
resident physician here for a number of years, and 
lived where Mr. Stucker now resides. Dr. Almond 
Loftin practiced medicine here for ten or fifteen years. 



Dr. E. Purdy was located here in practice at one 
time, and is now at New Augusta. The last physi- 
cian of this village was Dr. Sanford Hornaday, who 
was a graduate of the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons at Indianapolis. Dr. Hornaday moved West 
in the early part of 1883, and settled in Winfield, 
Kansas. 

The first church built here was by the Methodists. 
The second was built in 1845 or 1846 by the Chris- 
tian congregation. The first school here was taught 
in 1832 by a Kentuckian named Lynch, in a cabin 
just north of the town, on the north side of Crooked 
Creek, owned by a man named Lakin. The next 
school taught in this vicinity was by David G. Board- 
man, in a cabin on the land belonging to Elias Fee. 

At that time the cabin stood about one-quarter of a 
mile southwest of the village, where the orchard is 
on the Adam Rodebaugh farm. Old Augusta is now 
a place of little importance, having been eclipsed by 
the newer town of Hosbrook, which enjoys the 
advantage of railway communication. 

The village of Hosbrook (otherwise known as New 
Augusta) is on the old Lafayette and Indianapolis 
Railroad, ten miles northwest of Indianapolis. It was 
laid out in 1852 by William Hornaday, who was 
administrator of the estate of Christopher Hornaday, 
deceased, on which estate the town was laid out. 
The railway-station and post-ofiSce established at 
that place bore the name of Augusta Station. The 
first postmaster was Bphraim Rudacil, who was suc- 
ceeded by Joseph Klingensmith. The office re- 
mained in the Klingensmith family the most of the 
time until 1882, when Dr. Ephraim Purdy was 
appointed and is still the postmaster. The name of 
the office was changed in 1878 to New Augusta. 
The first store at this place was owned by Thomas 
Council & Son. Soon after Council's store was 
opened, Ephraim Rudacil and Jacob and Simon 
Klingensmith built a large store and warehouse, and 
did a large business in selling goods and buying and 
shipping grain. Rudacil sold out to Joseph Kling- 
ensmith, Sr., after which the firm continued in the 
grain and merchandising business for a number of 
years and then sold out. The business afterwards 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



607 



passed into the hands of Reuben Klingensmith, who 
dropped the grain business but continued the store 
trade until 1879, when he closed out his stock of 
goods at private sale and retired to his farm. The 
two stores of the village are now carried on by George 
Avery, Robert Avery, and Marshall Hollingsworth. 
There is also a drug-store, owned by Nelson Kling- 
ensmith. 

Dr. Ephraim Purdy was the first resident phy- 
sician and surgeon of the town, and he is still here 
in practice. Dr. W. B. McDonald, who is also in 
practice here, is a graduate of the Indiana Medical 
College. He served three and a half years at the 
City Hospital in Indianapolis, the last two years as 
superintendent. He located at New Augusta in 
1877. Dr. George Coble, who graduated at the 
Indiana Medical College in 1882, is located at New 
Augusta and associated with Dr. McDonald. 

In 1872, Henry and William Pollard built a large 
flouring-mill at this place, and afterwards added a 
saw-mill to the establishment. The flour-mill and 
two saw-mills are now owned by William H. Neid- 
linger. Besides what has already been mentioned, 
the village contains three churches (Methodist 
Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran, and Christian), 
several mechanic shops and trades, three lodges of 
secret benevolent societies, and about two hundred 
inhabitants. 

Hosbrook Lodge, No. 473, F. and A. M., was 
organized June 7, 1873, with the following-named 
officers : John W. Riley, W. M. ; Joseph F. Trow- 
bridge, S. W. ; F. M. Hollingsworth, J. W. ; Ste- 
phen GuUefer, Treas. ; Jeremiah Coble, Sec. ; Jesse 
Dun, S. D. ; Joseph Loftin, J. D. ; John S. McClain, 
Tiler. The lodge owns property valued at one 
thousand dollars. 

Augusta Lodge, No. 511, I. 0. 0. F., at New Au- 
gusta, was organized Nov. 18, 1875, by Grand Sec. B. 
F. Foster, with T. J. Dawson, D. R. Walker, Henry 
M. Hessong, G. W. Bass, Peter Smith, W. H. 
Neidlinger, Jasper N. Guion, Allen Avery, Jonathan 
A. Guion, Henry Lowman, R. S. Hollingsworth, 
Perry Hanes, and C. H. Felton as charter members. 
The first officers were T. J. Dawson, N. G. ; William 
H. Neidlinger, V. G. ; D. R. Walker, Per. Sec. ; J. 



A. Guion, Rec. Sec; G. W. Bass, Treas. The 
present officers are Wyatt Farrington, N. G. ; A. 
V. Lewis, V. G. ; G. N. Gullefer, Rec. Sec. ; W. H. 
Neidlinger, Per. Sec. ; Perry Haines, Treas. 

Knights of Honor Lodge, No. 176, at New Au- 
gusta, was chartered Oct. 20, 1875, with Ephraim 
Miller, Jacob Miller, William Meyers, I. S. McClain, 

B. F. Abrams, John Coble, Volney Kenney, Samuel 
Coble, J. M. Neidlinger, D. C. Kindrey, W. H. 
Neidlinger, and J. N. Harden as charter members. 
Its first officers were J. N. Harden, D. ; William 
Meyers, V. D. ; J. McClain, P. D. ; B. F. Abrams, 
A. D. ; W. H. Neidlinger, R. ; E. Miller, P. R. ; 
John Coble, Treas. ; Volney Kenney, G. ; D. C. 
Kendrey, G. ; Samuel Coble, Chap. Its present 
officers are Jeremiah Coble, D. ; S. Klingensmith, 
V. D. ; B. F. Abrams, A. D. ; W. D. McDonald, 
R. ; W. H. Neidlinger, F. R. ; Henry Dobson, Treas. ; 
F. M. Mathes, P. D. ; James Nelson, I. G. ; Samuel 
Coble, 0. G. ; John Hessong, Chap. The present 
total membership is twenty-six. The lodge owns 
property worth six hundred dollars. 

The village of Trader's Point was laid out by 
John Jennings and Josiah Coughran in 1864. They 
erected a flour-mill, with four run of burrs, — three 
for wheat and one for corn. It was at first a water- 
mill, with a raceway nearly three-quarters of a mile 
long, and cost, with water privilege, machinery, and 
construction, about thirty thousand dollars. The 
mill was run to its full capacity for several years as 
a grist- and merchant-mill. In 1868 or 1869, Mr. 
Jennings sold out his interest to his partner, Mr. 
Coughran, who continued to run the mill until the 
panic of 1873, when Mr. John Irick bought the mill 
at assignees' sale, and afterwards sold it to James 
Skillen, of Indianapolis, who ran the mill for a few 
years, after which it fell back to the Irick estate, and 
in 1881 John Jennings again became the owner. 
He remodeled it, put it in good repair, and sold it 
to Mr. Coffin, of Indianapolis, who sold it in the fall 
of 1883 to a Mr. Jennings, of Kokomo, who is pre- 
paring to put it again operation. 

The first store in Trader's Point was opened by 
Clark Jennings, who did a good business. He was 



608 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



followed by John Ray, who sold out to Lewis 
Wiley, Wiley to Harry Morris, he to James Kirlin 
(one of the oldest merchants in this county), and 
Kirlin to J. B. Grossett, who did a good business for 
a number of years, and finally sold out and went to 
Kansas. 

The second store building was erected by John 
Jennings, Chesley Ray, and the Rural Lodge, I. 0. 
0. F., in 1873. This store did a prosperous busi- 
ness, and in 1874, Ray bought Jennings' interest in 
the store, and now carries on the business. He is 
also the postmaster of Trader's Point. 

The first blacksmith at Trader's Point was Presley 
Jennings. Lewis Gass is now running the shop 
started by Jennings. Another shop is carried on by 
James Wells. A cooper-shop was started here by 
Alfred Parker, who followed the business for a 
number of years. 

The first physician to locate here was a young man 
from Ohio named Howard. The present physician is 
Dr. Lewis 0. Carson, who came in May, 1877. He 
is a graduate of the College of Physicians and Sur- 
geons of Indianapolis, is also a graduate of the Medi- 
cal College of Indiana, and of the medical depart- 
ment of Butler University. He has a lucrative 
practice, and is a successful physician and surgeon. 

Rural Lodge, No. 416, I. 0. 0. F., of Trader's 
Point, was instituted on the 22d of May, 1873, with 
Christian Lang, James Troutman, W. R. Clinton, 
Nelson Starkey, A. B. Smock, A. D. Huls, John R. 
Wilson, Lewis Parker, John Caldwell, Enoch Reade, 
John H. Reade, James A. Davenport, G. W. Howard, 
J. F. Hickey, Isaiah Voris, and A. B. Conarroe as 
charter members. The first regular meeting was held 
at their hall on the 10th of June, 1873, at which 
time ofiBcers were installed as follows : Christopher 
Long, N. G. ; W. R. Clinton, V. G. ; J. F. Hickey, 
Sec. ; G. W. Howard, Per. Sec. ; A. B. Conarroe, 
Treas. The hall is twenty-one by fifty feet in size, 
valued at one thousand dollars. The lodge has now 
eleven members and the following-named officers : 
John Caldwell, N. G. ; A. S. Huls, V. G. ; A. D. 
Huls, Sec. ; Harrison Hollingsworth, Treas. 

Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. — 
The first meetings of the citizens in the northwestern 



part of the township for worship were at the residences 
of J. C. Hume and Orlos Babcock. Mr. Hume then 
lived on the south end of the farm now owned by 
Samuel Hornaday. The meetings were conducted 
generally by a Rev. Bramble, who was a local Methodist 
preacher. In 1828, Abraham Busenbarick donated 
one acre of land at the southeast corner of his farm 
(opposite the residence of David Delong) on which 
to build a school- and meeting-house. It was built 
and. named Pleasant Hill, and the charge was then 
added to the Danville Circuit, and Joseph Tarkington 
was the first circuit preacher who preached in this 
township. The original members of this pioneer 
church were John C. Hume, Patty Hume, Mrs. 
Rodman (mother of Judge Rodman), John and 
Mary Rodman, James Brazilton and wife, Orlos Bab- 
cock, and Jemima Babcock. The Rev. Bramble con- 
tinued to preach for this church for some years, in 
connection with the preachers of the circuit. Joseph 
Tarkington remained with the church for two years, 
and was succeeded by the Rev. E. Farmer, who re- 
mained for the years 1830-31. The Rev. Charles 
Bonner was on this circuit for the year 1832, and 
was succeeded by the Rev. Thomas Bonner for 1833. 
The Rev. Asa Beck was assigned to this circuit for 
the years 1834-35. He was succeeded by Isaac 
Welsh and John Edwards for the year 1836. Heze- 
kiah Smith was assigned to this circuit in 1837, and 
remained in 1838. He was followed by Enoch 
Wood and Wesley Dorsey, 1839-40 ; Miles Hufacre 
and James L. Belot, 1841-42 ; Daniel F. Straight 
and Jacob Meyers, 1843-44 ; Robert Calvert, 1845- 
46. This is as far as the names of the preachers 
have been ascertained. 

The congregation continued to meet at the old 
building until 1853, when they built a new meeting- 
house on the farm of Silas White, Sr., just south of 
his residence, on the west bank of Eagle Creek, and 
called it Pleasant Hill Church. The first Sunday- 
school was held in this part of the township in 1830, 
at the residence of James Duncan, on the Lafayette 
road (where Nelson McCurdy now lives), a quarter of 
a mile north of Trader's Point. The school was eon- 
ducted by James M. Ray, of Indianapolis. The first 
Sunday-school was organized in the old Pleasant Hill 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



609 



sehool- and meeting-house, and John Alford, Sr., was 
superintendent for a number of years. 

The Pleasant Hill Church is still an organization, 
but meets ^t Brooks' Methodist Episcopal Chapel at 
Trader's Point, the old Pleasant Hill Church having 
been replaced by a new church at the Point, built in 
1873, for the better accommodation of its members. 
The history of this church was given by Silas White, 
Sr., who came to this township in 1828, on the 26th 
of November. He is now seventy-nine years of age, 
and has been a regular attendant at church for fifty- 
two years. 

Jones Chapel, Methodist Episcopal Church. — 
The first meeting of this organization was held at 
Thomas B. Jones' house in 1828, and conducted by 
Joseph Tarkington, who was then on this circuit. 
The names of the members in the first organization 
were Thomas B. Jones, Jane Jones, Polly Jones, 
John Jones, Mary Jones, James M. Jones, Jemima 
Jones, Sarah Jones, A. B. McCorkle, Nancy Mc- 
Corkle, David McCurdy, Mary A. McCurdy, Stacy 
Starkey, Margaret Starkey, Margaret Wilson, Susan 
Plummer, William Davis, Jane Davis, Richard Douty, 
Alexis Jackson, Mary Jackson, Benjamin Morning, 
Margaret Morning, Charles Tomlinson, Edna Tom- 
linson, Mary Tomlinson, Nancy Davis, Sarah Parish, 
Margaret McCall, Elizabeth Coughran. 

The preachers to the Jones Chapel congregation 
were those of the circuit and some local preachers, 
and are named, as nearly as they can be ascertained, 
in the history of the Pleasant Hill Methodist Epis- 
copal Church, to which reference may be had. The 
church was built on a tract of two acres, donated by 
Abraham McCorkle for that purpose and for a burial- 
ground. The first person interred in that ground was 
Jemima Jones. 

Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church was first 
organized by holding meetings at Robert Ramsey's 
(where James C. Meyers now lives), and at Abram 
Wells' residence (where Leander Felton now lives). 
The original members were Robert Ramsey, Jane 
Ramsey, Abram Wells, Nancy Wells, Samuel Ewing, 
Sarah Ewing, Fanny Felton, Nancy Felton, Stephen 
Gullefer, and Betsey Gullefer. The first preacher who 
preached for this class was the Rev. Bramble. All 



the Methodist Episcopal Churches of this township 
were in the Danville Circuit, and all had the same 
circuit riders. The list of preachers is given in the 
history of Pleasant Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. 

In 1832, Aaron Gullefer donated land for a meet- 
ing-house, and Zephaniah Hollingsworth gave land 
for cemetery purposes. Matilda Starkey was the first 
person buried in this ground, in June, 1832. Stephen 
Gullefer, Sr., was the second person buried here, in 
July, 1832. The first sermon preached in the meet- 
ing-house was at the funeral of Stephen Gullefer, Sr., 
by the Rev. John Klinger. Soon after the comple- 
tion of the church a Sunday-school was organized, 
and is still one of the best organizations in the town- 
ship. Stephen Gullefer is the present superintendent. 
In 1832 the Washingtonian Temperance Society was 
organized here, with Samuel Frazier, Leonard West, 
Samuel Ewing, and others as leaders of the organi- 
zation. 

This organization was maintained for several years, 
when the Sons of Temperance was organized, with 
Samuel Frazier as leader of this organization, which 
was kept up for several years. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Old Au- 
gusta was organized in 1833 by Rev. Thomas Brown, 
who was on the circuit at that time, but meetings 
had been held prior to that in the cabins of James 
Fee, Elias Fee, and Michael Mitchell. The first 
preachers who met with the early settlers here were 
Bramble and White. When the meeting- house was 
built the Rev. Thomas Brown preached the dedi- 
catory sermon. The first members in the church 
were James Fee, Nellie Fee, Elias Fee, Mary Fee, 
Samuel Fee, Simon Boardman, Margaret Boardman, 
Thomas Bonner and wife, Esther Bowers, James 
Hubbard (who is still living in Washington township 
at the age of ninety-nine years), Nancy Hubbard. 
A. G. Boardman and John Bowers became members 
soon after the church was organized. The same 
preachers were employed here that preached at Pleas- 
ant Hill Methodist Episcopal Church. There was a 
Sunday-school soon afterwards organized, with Samuel 
Fee as superintendent, and an attendance of twenty 
scholars. Mr. Fee was succeeded as superintendent 
by A. G. Boardman in 1837. He continued in that 



610 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



capacity while the church and school remained at Old 
Augusta, which was till about 1871, when, for the 
better convenience of members, a new house was built 
at New Augusta, and the organization was transferred 
to that place. 

North Liberty Christian Church was organized 
in May, 1841, by the Rev. Thomas Lockhart, who is 
now in his eighty-ninth year and is still preaching. 
The officers of the church were Samuel Frazier 
and Leonard West, elders, and James Haines and 
Isom Lawrence, deacons. The original members of 
the church were Asa Hollings worth, Susannah Hol- 
lingsworth, Ira Hollingsworth, Deborah Hollings- 
worth, Jonathan Hollingsworth, Kuhn Hollingsworth, 
Daniel Hollingsworth, Emily Hollingsworth, Samuel 
Frazier, Martha Frazier, James Haines, Mary Haines, 
Allison Pollard, Mary Pollard, Thomas Turley, Mary 
A. Turley, John Fox and wife, William Draper and 
wife, Mary Draper, Mrs. Avery, wife of Andrew 
Avery, Constantine Evans and wife, Leonard West, 
Anna West, Harrison Denny, George L. Sanders and 
wife, Martha Finney, Amanda Jones, William 
Starkey, Nancy Starkey, Rebecca Kemple, Elizabeth 
Hawkins. These are the names as far as can be had 
from memory of the first organization. Daniel Hol- 
lingsworth and wife, Thomas Turley and wife, Samuel 
Frazier, Rebecca Cropper, and Deborah Hollings- 
worth, who were original members of this church, are 
still living. 

The formation of this church (which was one of 
the strongest Christian Churches in Central Indiana) 
was the result of a protracted meeting which was held 
in May, 1841, at Bell's school-house at night, and in 
the woods by day for eighteen days. The meeting 
was held by Thomas Lockhart, assisted by Jefferson 
Matlock, both of Hendricks County. Lockhart con- 
tinued to preach for this church for thirty or thirty- 
five years. Other preachers were L. H. Jami.son, B. 
K. Smith, Asa Hollingsworth, Samuel Frazier, Elijah 
Goodwin, George Snoddy, efohn 0. Kane, James M. 
Mathis, the Rev. Chalen, W. B. Hopkins, Thomas 
Conley, Joseph Sadler, John Brown, Matthew Coun- 
cil, John Hadley, W. R. Jewell, J. B. New, Nathan 
Hornaday, George Smith, Robert Edmanson, W. R. 
Couch, Irwin Brewer, Rev. Becknal, S. K. Houshour, 



John Barnhill, Aaron Walker, and others whose 
names do not appear on the church record. 

For a number of years a good Sunday-school was 
taught at this place, with Leonard West as superin- 
tendent ; but many of the members of the church 
have died, others have moved away, and there has 
been no church organization here for seven years. 
The house has been abandoned except for funeral 
occasions. Leonard West donated one acre of land for 
church purposes, and James Haines donated an acre 
for a burial-ground. 

Ebenezer Christian Church (so named by the 
Rev. Alexander Miller) was organized in 1834 by 
the Rev. Jesse Frazier, with Sally Jones, Annie 
Wilson, Daniel Barnfiill, Elizabeth Barnhill, Lewis 
Mitchell, Chesley Ray, Jane Ray, Nicholas Hight- 
shue, Alexander Miller, and Mary Miller as original 
members. Its first elders were Alexander Miller 
and Chesley Ray. The Rev. Jesse Frazier con- 
tinued to preach to this church for a number of 
years. The first meetings were held alternately at 
the residences of Lewis Mitchell and Alexander Mil- 
ler, and in the spring of 1834 they built the first 
Christian Church of this township, Annie Wilson 
donating the ground. Her husband furnished Ihe 
lumber and helped to build the church. It is still 
an organization, with a membership of one hundred 
and fifty. The same preachers who preached in 
North Liberty Christian Church preached also for the 
Ebenezer Church except " blind Billy Wilson," who 
preached for this church many years ago. The pres- 
ent officers of the church are Thomas T. Glidenell 
and James G. Dickerson, elders ; James A. Snyder 
and John Black, deacons ; F. M. Hollingsworth, 
clerk ; and James A. Snyder, treasurer. A Sunday- 
school was organized many years ago in connection 
with this church, with John Miller as its first super- 
intendent. Its last superintendent was Marshall S. 
Glidenell, who held the office at the suspension of 
the school about three years ago. 

Old Augusta Christian Church was organized in 
1846, with Joseph Loftin, Sr., Mary Loftin, T. W. 
Council, Hester J. Council, B. F. Berry and wife, 
Simeon Head, Malinda Head, John Sheets, Mary 
Sheets, John Moss, Peter Daubenspeck, Alexander 



PIKE TOWNSHIP. 



611 



West, Temperance West, Thomas Reveal and wife 
as members. Council, Moss, and Reveal were chosen 
elders. This church was prosperous for a number of 
years, and was ministered to by most of the same 
preachers who served North Liberty and Bbenezer 
Churches. By reason of the emigration of some of 
the leading members of this church and the death of 
others, it ceased to be an organization for a num- 
ber of years ; but in the last few years, through the 
earnest eiForts of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Stucker and 
some others, it has been revived, with Mr. Stucker 
as elder, and it now has regular service every Sunday 
and also a good Sunday-school. 

The Christian Chapel at New Augusta was 
built in 1872 by subscription at a cost of twenty-five 
hundred dollars, and the church was organized by 
the Rev. W. R. Jewell, with William Pollard and 
Henry Dobson as elders, Hardress Avery and B. F. 
Abrams as deacons, and Milo Johnson clerk. The 
members were Allison Pollard, Mary Pollard, Eliza 
Gutherie, Alice Souerwine, Henry Pollard, Ann Pol- 
lard, Henry Dobson, Sai-ah Dobson, Rachel Pollard, 
Hardress Avery, Nancy Avery, B. F. Abrams, Caro- 
line Abrams, Allen Avery, E. A. Avery, Henry Pol- 
lard, Candace Pollard, Mary A. Broughard, Sarah A. 
Pollard, James Holley, Harriet HoUey, Rachel Crop- 
per, Sarah Cropper, and Anna Crull. The Rev. Mr. 
Jewell continued to preach for the church for one year, 
and was followed by J. M. Canfield, who preached one 
year, Robert Edmonson one year, then Jewell one year 
again, L. H. Jamison one year, R. T. Brown one year, 
W. R. Couch one year, H. R. Pritchard one year, 
Walter S. Tingley one year, then a vacancy for two 
or three years. The Rev. Mr. Gilchrist is now 
preaching for the congregation. The church num- 
bers about one hundred. It has had a good Sunday- 
school since the organization of the church, with 
some one of its most prominent members as superin- 
tendent. The present superintendent is William 
Pollard. 

Prospect Presbyterian Church was organized 
about 1835, at Burns' school-house, by the families of 
Thomas Burns, Thomas MoMannis, James Moore, 
James Duncan, John Duncan, Joseph Patten, and 
some others. In a few years after the organization 



they built a house for worship on the northwest corner 
of James Duncan's land (where the Rural Academy 
now stands), and the first preacher who occupied the 
pulpit there was the Rev. Stewart, who continued to 
preach for this church for a number of years. After 
him the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher (the noted Brook- 
lyn divine) preached here, and he was followed by the 
Rev. Reed, who preached for the church for a number 
of years, and the Rev. Long, who was the last minister 
of this church. As some of its leading members had 
moved to the West, and others had died, the house 
was sold for a school-house, and is now known as Rural 
Academy. 

Hopewell Evangelical Lutheran Church was 
organized at the residence of John Klingensmith, in 
1836, by the Rev. Abraham Reck. The members of 
the organization were John Klingeusmith, Susan 
Klingensmith, Peter Anthony, Hannah Anthony, 
George Coble, Sarah Coble, Jacob Klingensmith, 
Joseph Klingensmith, Esther Klingensmith, George 
Klingensmith, Cecilia Klingensmith, Michael Kep- 
ple, Polly Kepple, Jacob Souerwine, Elizabeth Souer- 
wine, Isaac Meyers, and Catharine Meyers. They 
continued to meet at Klingensmith's residence until 
1840, when a house of worship was built on Klingen- 
smith's land, of which he donated one acre for that 
and cemeteryVpurposes. This house was never en- 
tirely finished, but was used to hold meetings in until 
1855, when the old house was sold and the congre- 
gation then met at centre school-house (where Newton 
Pollard's residence now stands). They met here until 
1859, when a new house of worship was built at 
Augusta Station, Joseph Klingensmith donating the 
land for church purposes. This house was used until 
the congregation was too large for it, and a new brick 
meeting-house was built at a cost of five thousand 
dollars. It is one of the finest church edifices in the 
county outside the city of Indianapolis. In the spring 
of 1880 the new house was opened for worship, and the 
Rev. A. V. Hurse, of Rochester, Ind., preached the 
dedicatory sermon. This church has always been 
prosperous, and now has a membership of about one 
hundred communicants. It has had preaching reg- 
ularly since its organization. Its first preacher was 
Abraham Reck, who was followed by Ephraim Rudacil, 



612 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Samuel Good, John LiviDgood, Eusatius Hinkle, 
Philo Ground, Ephraim Wisner, M. J. Sterewalt, 
Jacob Wisner, W. C. L. Lower, John Hursh, and J. 
C. Barb ; these preachers preached from two to six 
years each. Since the organization of this church it 
has manintained a good Sunday-school, for a number 
of years some one of its leading members acting as 
superintendent. Its present superintendent is Elias 
Klingensmith. 

Schools. — The first schools of this township were 
taught in the cabins of the early settlers, and some 
of the scholars had to walk several miles to attend 
school. The first school of the township was taught 
by George L. Conard, in a cabin on David MoCurdy's 
land, on the west bank of Eagle Creek, near where 
James McCurdy's saw-mill was built, on the farm 
now owned by James White. The second school 
was taught in a cabin on the land of Capt. John B. 
Harman. The next school in this part of the town- 
ship was in Pleasant Hill school and meeting-house, 
on the southeast corner of the Busenbarick land. 
The next school was iu the southeast part of the 
township, in the Staton neighborhood, in a cabin on 
the land now owned by Thomas Ramsey, where 
James C. Meyers lives, on the Lafayette road. This 
school was taught by Hugh Wells. The next school 
was taught by Oliver Shirtliff, in a cabin where 
Jones Chapel now stands, on the land then owned by 
Abraham McCorkle. Then the Burns sqhool-house 
was built, on the east side of the creek, in 1830 or 
1831. 

When the township was sufficiently settled several 
school-houses were built, with better accommodations 
for the scholars than the cabins had afibrded. They 
were about sixteen by twenty feet in size, and high 
enough for the large scholars to stand upright. The 
doors were hung outside ; holes were out in the walls 
and greased paper pasted over them, and they were 
called windows. The furniture consisted of split 
poles with legs in them for the scholars to occupy, 
and they were called seats. The requirements of a 
Hoosier schoolmaster was to be able to teach spell- 
ing, reading, writing, and ciphering to the single 
rule of three. They were paid very small wages 
for their work, usually receiving six to ten dollars per 



month and board themselves, but the teacher was 
always a welcome visitor at the homes of the patrons 
of the schools, and generally boarded among the 
scholars. 

The teachers in the days of the log school-houses 
were George L. Conard, Oliver Shirtlifi', Claiborne 
Lewis, Daniel Cooper, William Martin, Hugh Wells, 
William Harbert, Alexander Felton, Richard Miller, 
David Boardman, James T. Morgan, David Moss 
(now Gen. Moss, of Noblesville), Daniel Griffin, and 
others whose names are yet familiar to some of the 
older inhabitants of this township. In 1843 a new 
set of teachers, with new rules and regulations for the 
government of schools, came upon the stage of ac- 
tion. Among these reformed and more humane teach- 
ers were Nancy Felton (who was the first female 
teacher of the township), William Paten, John Bowers, 
Alfred Hawkins, Harriet Huflfman, Oliver Felton, 
Joseph Loftin, John Laycock, Mary A. Hightshue, 
Samuel Martin, Patsey Bell, James Dobson, and 
others. 

In 1853-54 the township was divided into twelve 
school districts, frame houses were built, and the 
teachers required to furnish a certificate of compe- 
tency from the county board of education to teach 
all the common school branches, and maintain a 
good moral character. This was the inauguration of 
the free-school system. The teachers were paid by 
the month out of the township school fund, and cor- 
poral punishment was almost entirely abandoned. 

The township now has twelve school-houses, as 
good as any township in the county. The value of 
the school property in 1883 was ten thousand dollars. 
The school enumeration for 1883, between six and 
twenty-one years of age, was : males, four hundred 
and eighteen ; females, four hundred and two ; total, 
eight hundred and twenty. There are fifteen teach- 
ers employed at the twelve school-houses, at an aver- 
age of forty-six dollars per month, and the school 
terms are six or seven months. The teachers are 

Jesse C. Smith, Whitaker, M. S. Glidenell, 

Ella Jennings; Henry Green, John Vantine, M. J. 
Wagle, John McKinsey, F. M. Klingensmith, Ed- 
ward Hungate, Jesse Dunn, Plackard, John 

Barnhill, and Kate Davidson. 



WARREN TOWNSHIP. 



613 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

WARREN TOWNSHIP.i 

The township of Warren is the central one of 
the eastern range of townships of Marion County, 
Lawrence township joining it on the north, and 
Franklin on the south. It is bounded on the west 
by Centre township, and on the east by Hancock 
County. The population of Warren township, by 
the United States census of 1880, was three thou- 
sand one hundred and seven. 

In the western, southwestern, and northwestern 
parts of the township the surface is but slightly un- 
dulating. The east part is more broken and rolling. 
The soil is either a black loam or clayey. This 
township is not excelled by any in the county for the 
production of grass, and the soil is also well adapted 
to the production of corn and wheat. 

Originally, Warren township was thickly covered 
with timber, and had many low marshes and swamps. 
The kinds of timber were principally beech, maple, 
white-, red-, and burr-oak, hickory, poplar, elm, ash, 
sycamore, walnut, buckeye, bass, mulberry, and iron- 
wood. The timber was of large growth, with very 
thick underbrush. 

Warren township is afforded good drainage by 
Buck Creek on the east, Lick Creek through the 
centre and south, and Pleasant Run in the northwest. 
The marshes have all disappeared, and now but little 
waste land is to be found in the township. 

At an early date the principal road through the 
township was the Centreville road, about a quarter of 
a mile south of where the National gravel road is 
now. After the location of the National road the 
Centreville road was vacated. Now the principal 
roads are the National, Brookville, and German 
pikes. But few dirt roads are left in the township. 

Warren township was laid off and erected by the 
county commissioners on the 16th of April, 1822, 
but, being then not sufficiently populous for separate 
organization, it was at the same time joined to Centre 
township, the two to be regarded as one township, 
under the name of Centre- Warren. This union 



By "Wharton E. Clinton, Esq. 



continued until May 1, 1826, when, by order of the 
county board of justices, Warren was taken from 
Centre, to be separately organized as a township, 
and an election of justice of the peace was ordered 
to be held, on the 3d of June following, at the house 
of Rufus Jennison, Harris Tyner to be judge of the 
election. At this election Rufus Jennison was elected 
justice of the peace. Following is a list of township 
officers of Warren, from its erection as a township 
to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
Wilks Reagan, June 14, 1822, to April 15, 1826; resigned. 
Sismund Basye, June 14, 1822, to June 3, 182d. 
Obed Foote, June 14, 1822, to June 3, 1826. 

(The three preceding served as justices for Centre and War- 
ren townships while they were united as one.) 
Rufus Jennison, Aug. 7, 1826, to Nov. 3, 1828 ; resigned. 
Henry Brady, Aug. 25, 1828, to Aug. 14, 1833. 
Solomon Wells, March 17, 1829, to Sept. 3, 1832; resigned. 
Joshua Blacli, Aug. 27, 1831, to Aug. 27, 1836. 
Elias N. Shimer, Oct. 27, 1832, to Oct. 27, 1837. 
Joseph S. Mix, Oct. 15, 1834, to April 18, 1836 ; resigned. 
James P. Hanna, June 8, 1836, to June 8, 1841. 
Lyman Carpenter, Nov. 30, 1836, to July 4, 1838 ; resigned. 
Elias N. Shimer, Deo. 5, 1837, to Dec. 5, 1842. 
Ambrose Shirley, July 31, 1838, to Aug. 23, 1840 ; resigned. 
Edward Heizer, Dec. 14, 1839, to Dec. 7, 1844. 
John A. Buell, Sept. 29, 1840, to December, 1844; resigned. 
Joseph Clinton, Oct. 7, 1842, to Oct. 7, 1852. 
Joseph W. Buchanan, Jan. 18, 1845, to July 14, 1849; resigned. 
John Pleasants, Aug. 30, 1849, to April, 1852; resigned. 
Stephen Tyner, Jan. 15, 1850, to March 16, 1850; resigned. 

Joseph McConnell, April 26, 1851, to Aug. 21, 1865; resigned. 

Charles Bonge, June 9, 1852, to Nov. 12, 1857; resigned. 

Jesse D. Tomlinson, Oct. 8, 1852, to March 7, 1853; resigned. 

Elias N. Shimer, April 23, 1853, to April 19, 1857. 

Aquilla Parker, April 21, 1857, to April 19, 1861. 

Peleg Hathaway, April 20, 1858, to April 19, 1862. 

Austin B. Harlan, April 20, 1861, to April 16, 1881. 

George Newland, April 26, 1862, to April 19, 1866. 

William T. Whitesides, April 21, 1866, to April 13, 1870. 

Aquilla Parker, April 13, 1867, to May 29, 1871 ; resigned. 

Alexander D. Reading, Oct. 23, 1872, to Oct. 22, 1876. 

William T. Whitesides, Oct. 31, 1872,, to Oct. 30, 1876. 

Lewis S. Wiley, June 22, 1875, to March 18, 1876; resigned. 

Daniel Foley, Oct. 30, 1876, to April 5, 1877; resigned. 

Levi White, Nov. 18, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 

Sampson M. Houston, Jan. 15, 1877, to April 15, 1878. 

John S. McConnell, May 18, 1877, to April 9, 1882. 

Samuel A. Vandeman, April 24, 1878, to April 9, 1882. 

Cyrus Laughlin, Feb. 15, 1881, to April 13, 1882. 



614 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Austin B. Harlan, April 15, 1882, to April 16, 1886. 
John D. Godfrey, July 24, 1882, to April 14, 1884. 
Levi White, Sept. 21, 1883, to April 14, 1884. 

TRUSTEES. 
William Hunter, April 7, 1859, to Oct. 24, 1874. 
George M. Smith, Oct. 24, 1874, to Oct. 21, 1876. 
William Hunter, Oct. 21, 1876, to April 15, 1880. 
Robert Carr, April 15, 1880, to April 14, 1884. 

ASSBSSOKS. 
Samuel Jennison, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 1, 1828. 
Edward Heizer, Jan. 7, 1828, to Jan. 4, 1830. 
Kufus Jennison, Jan. 4, 1830, to Jan. 3, 1831. 
Edward Heizer, Jan. 3, 1831, to Jan. 2, 1832. 
Ahira Wells, Jan. 2, 1832, to Jan. 7, 1833. 
Joel Blaokledge, Jan. 7, 1833, to Jan. 6, 1834. 
Elias N. Shimer, Jan. 6, 1834, to Jan. 5, 1835. 
Ahira Wells, Jan. 6, 1835, to Jan. 2, 1837. 
Benedict Higdon, .Tan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
Harris Tyner, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 
Elias N. Shimer, Jan. 6, 1840, to Deo. 6, 1841. 
John Allen, Jan. 24, 1853, to Dee. 9, 1864. 
Obadiah Davis, Dec. 9, 1854, to Oct. 19, 1858. 
Alfred B. Shaw, Oct. 19, 1858, to Nov. 26, 1860. 
Andrew J. Vansickle, Nov. 26, 1860, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Elijah N. MeVey, March 22, 1875, to Deo. 14, 1876. 
Andrew J. Vansickle, Dec. 14, 1876, to April 6, 1878. 
Robert Davis, April 6, 1878, to April 14, 1884. 

Early Settlements and Settlers,— AmoDg the 
earliest settlers in Warren township was Henry 
Brady, who was born in Pennsylvania, Sept. 16, 
1794. He had a great desire to gain an education, 
and with that intention he went to Athens, Ohio, 
where he for some time attended school, working 
mornings and evenings for his board, and his lessons 
were chiefly learned while on bis way to and from 
school. He was, however, compelled to abandon 
his idea of completing the course. 

His first residence in Indiana was in Jackson 
County; from there he moved in 1824 to Marion 
County and settled in Warren township, on land 
about six miles east of Indianapolis, where he has 
lived ever since, and is yet quite hale and hearty, 
though in his ninetieth year. His name is a fa- 
miliar one to all the older inhabitants of Marion 
County. He has served his township in various 
ways, as surveyor, teacher, and magistrate. Al- 
though a stanch Democrat, he has represented 
Marion County at different times in both branches 



of the Legislature. He has now quite a large farm, 
and it is also one of the finest and best improved in 
the township. Mr. Brady was always popular wher- 
ever known, and now in his old age he is happy in 
the respect and esteem of his many friends. 

Harris Tyner was born in South Carolina. He 
emigrated to Kentucky, and from there to Indiana 
in 1805, and settled in what is now Franklin County. 
In February, 1821, he moved to Marion County 
and settled in the northern part of Warren township, 
where he resided at the time of his death, in 1881. 
Harris Tyner served as county commissioner for 
twelve years. He was in the war of 1812, also in 
the Black Hawk war. 

The earliest assessment-roll of Warren township 
that can now be found is that of the year 1829, 
which, being complete, shows, of course, very nearly 
who were the male adult inhabitants of the township 
at that time. The following names taken from it 
are those of men then resident in the township who 
were assessed on no real estate, viz. : 



Thomas Askren. 
Stephen Brown.^ 
Christopher Black. 
Henry Boling. 
Joshua Black. 
Augustus E. Black. 
James Black. 
William Birdwhistell. 
David Bump. 
Isaac Bates. 
John Clow. 
Caleb Clark. 
Joseph Clark. 
Daniel Cool. 
William Callan. 
Daniel Devorse. 
Benjamin Fowler. 
James Ferguson. 
William Ferguson. 
Samuel FuUen. 
David Groves. 



Thomas Hudson. 
Billips Harper. 
Henry Harper. 
Jacob D. Hudson. 
Reason Hawkins. 
Parks Hannah. 
John Hamilton. 
Robert Hamilton. 
Rufus Jennison. 
Rufus Jennison, Jr. 
John Jones. 
Mark Jones. 
Daniel Julick. 
Francis Kitley. 
Jeremiah Kinman. 
John Kitley. 
John Latham. 
Jacob Louks. 
John Lamb. 
John Mann. 
John S. Moulton. 



1 The only person in the township then assessed on a carriage, 
presumably a pleasure-carriage. 



WARREN TOWNSHIP. 



615 



Aaron Montfort. 
John Marigore. 
Joel Roberts. 
George Sharrar. 
Joseph Shields. 
Philemon Shirley. 
Andrew Sharrar. 
Jacob Sharrar. 
Peter Voris. 
John Vandaman. 
Andrew Van Sickel. 
Richard Vanlandingham. 



George Vanlandingham. 
Aaron Wells. 
Reason Wells. 
Solomon Wells. 
Royal Wells. 
Eli Wells. 
Ahira Wells. 
Nathan Wells. 
Nelson Wells. 
David Wallace. 
John Wallace. 



The same assessment-roll gives the following names 
of persons resident in Warren township in 1829, and 
who were the owners and holders of the lands re- 
spectively described, viz. : 

Willis G. Atherton, the west half of the north- 
west quarter of section 10, township 15, range 4. 

Samuel Beeler, the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 22, township 15, range 5. 

Henry Brady, Esq., the east half of the north- 
west quarter of section 13, township 15, range 4. 

Joel Blaokledge, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 14, township 15, range 4. 

Harvey Blackledge, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 12, township 15, range 4. 

John P. Chinn (?), the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 22, township 15, range 4. 

Elizabeth Cox, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 22, township 16, range 4. 

Jane Dalzell, the west half of the northeast quarter 
of section 12, township 15, range 4. 

James Davis, the southeast quarter of section 21, 
township 15, range 5. 

Jacob Durfnger, the northeast quarter of section 
22, township 15, range 4. 

James Doyle, the southwest quarter of section 15, 
township 15, range 4, and the west half of the south- 
east quarter of the same section. 

Elisha Greer, the west half of the northeast quarter 
of section 15, township 15, range 4. 

Edward Heizer, the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 10, township 15, range 4. 



John S. Hall, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 11, township 15, range 4. 

Nathan Harlan, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 22, township 15, range 5. 

William Hamilton, one hundred acres in the south- 
west quarter of section 12, township 15, range 4. 

Samuel Jennison, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 1, township 15, range 4. 

Andrew Morehouse, the southeast quarter of sec- 
tion 11, township 15, range 4, and the west half of 
the northeast quarter of section 14, in the same 
survey township. 

John W. Reding, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 15, township 15, range 4. 

David Shields, the northwest quarter of section 
27, township 16, range 4. 

Harris Tyner, the west half of the southeast 
quarter of section 22, township 16, range 4. 

John Wilson, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 3, township 15, range 4. 

Daniel Woods, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 21, township 15, range 5. 

Willis Wright, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 3, township 15, range 4. 

Edward White, the west half of the southeast 
quarter of section 10, township 15, range 4. 

Thomas Askren settled in the northwestern part of 
the township in 1828, and a year or two later bought 
the land on which he lived till his death, in 1868. 
He accumulated a large amount of property, and 
was, moreover, a man highly respected and esteemed 
by all who knew him. 

Nathan Harlan moved to Marion County in 
1823. He first settled in Franklin township, but in 
1827 moved from there to the southeastern part of 
Warren, and lived there until his death, in 1846. 
In 1828 he took the contract for cutting the timber 
from ofi" the line of the Brook ville road. He kept 
tavern from 1833 to 1844. 

James Davis settled in Warren township in 1827. 
The lands he entered were on Buck Creek, in the 
southeastern part of the township. He lived here 
until 1864, when he moved to Fremont County, 
Iowa, where he lived until his death, in 1872. 

Andrew Morehouse was born in Schuyler County, 



616 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



N. Y., Nov. 8, 1796. His father was an old Revo- 
lutionary soldier, and was at the capture of Bur- 
goyne when only sixteen years old. Not long before 
his father's and mother's deaths they lost their farm 
through a defective title. Eight children were left 
to shift for themselves, the youngest being but two 
years old. Andrew determined to go West, and 
walked to Olean, on the Alleghany River, and get- 
ting employment on a lumber-raft, floated down the 
river to Ciucinnati. Liking the country, he deter- 
mined to go back to New York and make prepara- 
tions for emigrating West. He had to walk the 
most of the way home, and in the spring he again 
floated down to Cincinnati. There he bought a part 
interest in a flat-boat, floated down to New Orleans, 
and sold his boat-load of produce. Not liking the 
institution of slavery, he determined to go back to 
Cincinnati. He worked his way back on a keel- 
boat, it taking sixty days to make the trip. This 
trip disgusted him with river-life, and having saved 
some money, he, in March, 1823, walked to Indian- 
apolis, where he stopped with a man by the name of 
Benjamin Atherton. Mr. Morehouse entered one 
hundred and sixty acres of land on Lick Creek, 
about five miles east of Indianapolis, on the Brook- 
ville road. Having had the misfortune to lose one 
hundred dollars while looking for land, and wanting 
eighty acres of land adjoiniug his, he built a cabin of 
round logs, split puncheon floor, clapboard door 
hung up with wooden hinges, cut down four acres of 
heavy timber, piled the brush, and then left for Ham- 
ilton County, Ohio, where he worked through the 
summer of 1824. Making his one hundred dollars, 
he came back to his farm and bought the eighty 
acres. Blarch 3, 1825, he married Theresa White, 
who was born in Kentucky, Oct. 4, 1796. 

Then commenced in earnest the work of clearing. 
Their honeymoon was spent in burning brush and 
logs, with every day, three times, corn bread and meat 
as the bill of fare. By April they had succeeded in 
clearing about three acres, one corner of which was 
sown in flax for clothing, and the rest planted with 
corn, while the places between logs were dug up for 
potatoes and pumpkins. Prom early morn until 
evening Mr. Morehouse kept the axe going, felling 



the heavy timber, and on moonlight nights he would 
work until late in the night. In the fall, the fight 
commenced with squirrels, deer, and raccoons for pos- 
session of the corn ; fires were built around the field 
to keep them away, and as soon as the corn was dry 
enough it was stored away in the cabin loft. The 
pumpkins were peeled, cut in thin rings, and hung 
overhead on poles. In the fall of 1825, Mr. More- 
house took his yoke of oxen and an old cart, also an 
axe to cut the saplings out of his road, and set out 
for Hamilton County, Ohio, to get apple-trees. He 
brought back fifty apple- and some cherry-trees, and 
planted the first orchard in Warren township ; he also 
brought a quart of apple-seed, which he planted. One 
of the seedling trees and a sprout from one of the 
fifty trees are still living, and both bore apples in the 
past season. 

The first year of his new life was a success, and 
the promise it gave for the future was fully realized. 
Mr. Morehouse served in the Black Hawk war in 
1832. In 1835, while digging a well, a tub fell 
on him, crushing his skull. The skull was never 
lifted, and he suffered from the effects until his 
death, Feb. 3, 1864. Mrs. Morehouse is still living, 
and although in her eighty- eighth year, is as ambi- 
tious to be useful as when she first came to the wil- 
derness of Marion County with her willing hands to 
help her husband clear the land for their home. Her 
mind is as bright -as ever, and to see her sitting in 
her own particular corner, knitting and chatting, it is 
hard to realize that one little woman could ever have 
done so much. 

Robert Brown, another of the early settlers in 
Warren township, was born at Staunton, Augusta 
Co., Va., Peb. 5, 1787. His father, who came to 
America from Ireland, was the most prominent 
physician of Staunton. The early education of Rob- 
ert Brown was sadly neglected. When a mere boy 
he took to hunting, and many a deer and bear fell at 
the crack of his rifle. At the age of fifteen he left 
home to make a living for himself. His first work 
was at the saltpetre-works in Virginia, where he 
worked, off and on, for three or four years. He then 
went to the western part of Pennsylvania, where, in 
1807, he married Elizabeth Messinger, who was of 



WAREEN TOWNSHIP. 



617 



German parentage, and was born near the Mononga- 
hela River, in Pennsylvania, Dec. 10, 1786. After 
staying a year in Pennsylvania, they emigrated to 
Butler County, Ohio, within a few miles of Hamil- 
ton, where he followed farming, and in the winter 
months worked at coopering. In the summer of 
1812 he volunteered, and served in the war. His 
company went out in the early part of the summer, 
and, after a few months of active service, returned 
home in September, and remained long enough to 
put in their wheat. They returned to headquarters 
in October, where Mr. Brown served till the close of 
the war. His children still have the sword which he 
carried. In the fall of 1822 he and his family, in 
company with two of his brothers and a brother-in- 
law, moved to Indianapolis, then but a small settle- 
ment of a few log huts. The evening before he 
reached Indianapolis he camped with a party of In- 
dians on Lick Creek, just south of Irvington, the 
place where he lived so many years. Mr. Brown re- 
turned the next fall to Hamilton, Ohio, to enter his 
farm, south of Irvington, and on returning, in com- 
pany with others, they were obliged to swim Blue 
River, which was very high at the time and the 
weather very cold. There were Indians camped 
near the river, and they wrung the water from their 
clothes and dried them by the Indian camp-fire. The 
only man they met between Blue River and Indian- 
apolis was Henry Brady, who was hewing the logs 
for his cabin. 

Mr. Brown lived for eight years on the present 
site of the Blind Asylum, and he tended his corn 
several years on the square on which the present 
court-house stands. He would kill game enough to 
feed his family two or three weeks and then go out 
and work on his farm, clearing off the land and build- 
ing his house, which he finished in the fall of 1824. 
The same house is now standing and occupied. 
When he was building it, the deer would come two 
and three at a time and lie down within fifty steps of 
the house in the daytime. Wild turkeys were also 
very plenty. He moved to Warren township in the 
fall of 1830. He served as school trustee three or 
four terms, before the free school system was estab- 
lished. The school-houses of that day were few and 



wide apart. He helped to survey all of Warren and 
the greater part of Centre township, and in later 
years if there was a dispute about any corner-stone 
in his vicinity, he was called on to settle the matter 
and locate the corner. 

Mr. Brown followed farming and hunting. Bread- 
stuff was an item at that time, and they had to go to 
a horse-mill in Shelby County, a distance of some 
twenty or thirty miles, the trip generally occupying 
three days. For meat they relied exclusively on 
deer and other game, which was in abundance. 

The day was never too cold or too hot, rain or 
sunshine, for him to go out hunting. He was 
acknowledged the best shot in the country. He 
would never hunt with a hound, or go out with a 
party if they took a hound. His favorite way was a 
still hunt, and it appeared that he knew just where to 
look for deer, and when he shot he was sure to bring 
down his game. He was present at all shooting- 
matches for miles around, and if he was not ruled out 
(which was often done to give others a chance), he 
always won the first choice, which was the hide and 
tallow. 

Mr. Brown was respected by all who knew him. 
His word was as good as his bond, and few indeed 
were the promises that he broke. His wife died 
April 20, 1867, at the advanced age of eighty years, 
four months, and six days. She had been married 
for sixty years. Mr. Brown survived her nine years, 
and died Oct. 20, 1876, at the age of eighty-nine 
years, eight months, and fifteen days. Only four 
children survived him, three sons and one daughter. 
He left several great-grandchildren, and one great- 
great-grandchild. 

" Fate seemed to wind him up for fourscore years, 
Yet ran he freshly on ten winters more, 
Until, like a clock, worn out by eating time, 
The wheels of weary life at last stood still." 

Reason Hawkins came from Hamilton County, 
Ohio, about 1826, and located on Pleasant Run, 
northeast of the present town of Irvington. In 1829 
he was not assessed on any lands in the township. 
He sold out his first location and afterwards bought 
land of Calvin Fletcher, situated a little west of 



618 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Cuinberlaud. This was his homestead farm. He 
built a saw-mill, propelled by the water-power of 
Buck Creek, and known as the Hawkins mill. 

Joseph S. Mix and wife came from Hamilton 
County, Ohio, in the year 1833, and settled in the 
east part of Warren township, in a perfect wilder- 
ness, where the only clearing was where the logs 
were cut for erecting his cabin, which was (as was 
usual in those days} of only one room, with puncheon 
floor, and quilts or blankets hung up at the door and 
windows. For three years he kept a store in Cum- 
berland for Nicholas McCarty, and when he closed at 
night would take the money in a basket on his arm 
and go to his home, a mile distant through the woods. 
There he hung his basket (with the money in it) on 
a peg for the night, without the least doubt that it 
was perfectly safe, as it was. He was afterwards in 
the hemp business with Mr. McCarty. The farm on 
which he settled in 1833, and where he still lives, is 
situated one mile southeast of the village of Cum- 
berland. 

Henry Bowser was born in Pennsylvania in March, 
1810. When five years old he went with his parents 
to Ohio, and when twenty-one years of age he mi- 
grated to Indiana, and settled in the southwest corner 
of Warren township, where he resided until his 
death, Oct. 18, 1883. He married. May 6, 1833, 
Mary Moore, who still survives him. 

James C. Ferguson was born March 4, 1808. 
His father and mother were natives of Virginia, but 
when quite young moved with their parents to Ken- 
tucky. About four years after his father's marriage 
he volunteered to go into the Maumee country, under 
Gen. Anthony Wayne, to fight Indians, and re- 
mained out until peace was made. In a few years 
thereafter he moved to Butler County, Ohio, where 
James C. Ferguson was born. Six years after his 
birth his father died with a contagious fever, called 
the cold plague. In 1820 the family moved to In- 
diana. In 1825, James C. Ferguson settled where 
he now resides, in Warren township, on the National 
road, six miles east of Indianapolis. In 1829 he 
married Nancy Goble, who lived in Henry County, 
Ind. Her native State was Ohio, Mr. Ferguson 
says, '' I frequently fed the Indians, chased bear, and 



killed a great many deer. I had a horse with a long 
tail that I rode when hunting. If I succeeded in 
killing a deer I would tie the horse's tail to its jaw, 
and in that way drag the deer home. Turkey and 
wolves were plenty, but the wolves soon disappeared. 
My first cabin was built in 1825. The floor was of 
split puncheons, and the door of clapboards. My 
table was also made of split puncheons." 

Elias H. and Mahala Shimer, pioneers of Warren 
township, arrived here from Zanesville, Ohio, Nov. 1, 
1829, and settled on the farm on which Mr. Shimer 
died July 29, 1864, in the sixty-fifth year of his age, 
and on which his widow still lives. She is now in 
her eighty-second year, a woman of remarkable health 
and unimpaired mind. Mr. Shimer was not a stout 
man, and being sufficiently qualified to teach, he 
taught school for a number of years. In 1858 he 
was awarded the first premium for the finest farm in 
Marion County. 

In 1834, Mr. and Mrs. Shimer joined the Old-School 
Baptist Church, of which they remained consistent 
members till the breaking up of the church, about 
1856. It can be truthfully said that their house was 
the home of the homeless ; scarcely a time can be 
mentioned when his house was not the abode of one 
or more orphans. At one time five homeless ones, 
all of different families, were taken into his house to 
share whatever blessings the Great Master had given 
them. 

Joseph Clinton, with his family, emigrated from 
Kentucky to Indiana in 1830, and entered the east 
half of the southwest quarter of section 13, and 
bought of Benjamin Atherton the west half of the 
northwest quarter of the same section in township 15, 
range 4. When Mr. Clinton arrived there was no 
house on the land, but as material was plenty it 
was but a few days until he had erected a rude 
cabin of one room, with split puncheon floor, clap- 
board door, and a greased-paper window. The cabin 
was heated by a large fireplace, which also served for 
cooking purposes. The chimney to the house was of 
mud and sticks, and built at first about four feet 
high, but it was afterwards made higher. It was late 
in the fall, and as it had taken about everything that 
Mr. Clinton possessed to buy his farm and move, the 



WAEREN TOWNSHIP. 



619 



family had to practice the most rigid economy- 
Land on which to plant the next year's crop had to 
be cleared before spring ; so, working from early in 
the morning till late at night, and in all kinds of 
weather, he succeeded in partially clearing enough 
ground to raise the next winter's food and clothes. 
At night, when any other light than that from the 
fireplace was needed, an iron vessel, with a handle 
for sticking in the cracks of the logs, was filled with 
lard, and a wick of twisted cotton rags put in for 
burning. The first improvement in lights was a 
candle made by dipping a rag up and down in melted 
tallow until enough tallow adhered to the rag to 
form the candle. All clothing was home-made, either 
made from flax or wool. The principal article of food 
was corn. Corn bread in all its various forms was 
eaten through the week, and on Sunday a great treat 
was had in the form of wheat bread. 

Joseph Clinton was for several years justice of the 
peace, and of the many ridiculous incidents that 
came under his notice he often related the following ; 
One day while working in the corn-field a German 
and his wife came running excitedly towards him, 
and as soon as the man was within hearing he called 
out, " Here, Meester Squire, here is your thaler ; 
take him, take him." "Why?" said Mr. Clinton, 
" I don't want your dollar." " Oh, yes, Meester 
Squire, take him ; me hit Ostermeyer on der kopf, 
and he fall down, dead. Take him, Meester Squire." 
The man seemed in such evident earnest that Mr. 
Clinton stopped his work and went to see what was 
the matter. He found that the two men had quar- 
reled ; one had hit the other on the head, the blow 
having stunned but not killed Ostermeyer. The Ger- 
man had been in this country but a short time, and 
knowing that the fine for a fight was one dollar, he 
thought that one dollar would settle the matter, even 
if he had killed the man. 

Joseph Clinton lived upon the farm where he firs* 
settled until his death, in December, 1874. He was 
always a man of remarkably even temper, honored 
and respected by all who knew him. All little chil- 
dren seemed to recognize in him a true friend, and 
he was most happy when surrounded by a crowd of 
little ones, telling them stories and soothing them in 



their childish griefs. In spite of his white hair, he 
seemed to have become as one of them. 

Mills, Taverns, and Distilleries. — In 1832 there 
was a saw-mill built about half a mile south of 
Cumberland, run by water-power. In 1834 a saw- 
mill (water-power) was built on Buck Creek, about 
three miles south of Cumberland. It was known as 
Baker's saw-mill. About 1835 a saw- mill (water- 
power), known as Davis' mill, was built one and a 
half miles south of Brookville road. 

The first steam-mill was built on the National 
road, about two miles west of Cumberland. The 
exact date of the building of this mill is not known, 
but it sawed the lumber for planking the Cumberland 
plank road, now the National gravel road. At 
present there are three steam saw- mills in the town- 
ship and one steam grist-mill. There are no water- 
power mills. 

An early tavern was kept by Samuel Fullen, on 
the Centreville road. When that road was vacated 
he moved to Cumberland, and kept the first tavern 
there. Henry Brady kept tavern six miles east of 
Indianapolis as early as .1824. John Wilson kept 
on the Centreville road, near the present site of Butler 
University, three and a half miles east of Indianapolis. 
When the National road was located he moved to it 
and kept tavern there. Rufus Jennison kept tavern 
five and a half miles east of Indianapolis, on the 
National road. James Ferguson kept six miles east 
of Indianapolis, on the National road. He kept 
tavern as early as 1825. David Woods kept ten 
miles east of Indianapolis, on the Brookville road, at a 
very early date. Nathan Harlan kept on Brookville 
road from 1833 to 1844, for accommodation of stage 
travelers. This was about nine miles east of Indian- 
apolis. At present there is but one hotel in the 
township, kept by Ingram Little at Cumberland. 

A small distillery was built as early as 1830 by a 
man named Richardson, on Buck Creek, near the east 
end of Cumberland. It was principally used for the 
manufacture of peach brandy, and was run but a 
short time. There is no distillery in the township. 

Villages. — There are three villages within the 
territory of the township of Warren, viz. : Irvington 
(the largest but youngest of the three), lying on the 



620 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



west lino of the township, adjoining Centre, and about 
four miles east of the city of Indianapolis ; Julietta, 
in the southeast corner of the township ; and Cum- 
berland, near the east line of Warren, and occupying 
a central position on that line, between the north- 
eastern and southeastern corners of the township, 
eleven miles east of Indianapolis, on the old National 
or Cumberland road. 

The village of Cumberland was laid out in 1831 
(plat recorded July 7th in that year) on land owned 
by Samuel FuUen ; the survey being made by Henry 
Brady, who received one or two town lots in payment. 
Originally there were but six streets in the town, viz. : 
North, South, East, West, Main, and the Cumberland 
road, which latter passes through it from west to east, 
ninety feet wide, with sidewalks nine and a half feet 
wide. Main Street was laid out forty-nine and a half 
feet wide, and each of the other four streets thirty-three 
feet wide. Ground for a public cemetery was donated 
by the owner of the plat. 

The first tavern in the village was opened by Samuel 
Fullen, who moved there from the Centreville road, 
where he had previously kept a public-house. His 
wife was Ann Pogue, daughter of George Pogue, the 
pioneer settler at Indianapolis. He afterwards sold 
out in Cumberland to David Richardson, who came 
from Miamitown, Ohio. Other early tavern-keepers 

at Cumberland were James Parker, Donahue, 

and Dr. William Moore, whose house was the stop- 
ping-place for the stages on the Cumberland road. 
The hotel of the place is now kept by Ingram Little. 

The first stock of goods was brought to Cumber- 
land by John Stephens, a native of Kentucky, who 
came to this place from Indianapolis, where he owned 
the Bayou farm. He was an honest and respected 
man, but became poor, and it is said he died in Han- 
cock County poor-house. Other early and later mer- 
chants of Cumberland were Joseph Mix, Brown & 
Buell, John Hawkins, Jacob Loucks, Hugh Wooster, 
Jeremiah and Joseph Oakes, James* Woods, and 
Charles Bouge. The present stores of the village are 
kept by Jesse Ebrough, Charles Hendricks, Joseph 
McConnell, and Edward Bouge, — the last named also 
having the post-ofiice. 

Among the early settlers in Cumberland, besides 



those named, were Dr. Lyman Carpenter, Daniel 
Knight (wheelwright), George Patterson (married a 
daughter of Samuel Fullen), Noble Perrin (black- 
smith), Travis, and his sons James and Joseph, 

Dr. William Moore (elected and served as a member 
of the State Legislature), James Parker (the tavern- 
keeper already mentioned) and his son Squire, now 
living in Shelby County, Dr. John Pleasants, Robert 
Wooster (son of Hugh, the storekeeper), Emer- 
son, Joseph Church, Ambrose Shirley, John Dorsey 
(wagon-maker), Nicholas Stuttsman, George Plum- 
mer, Aaron Nixon, and James Ingersoll (black- 
smiths), Mr. Panzy, George McVeigh, and Daniel 
Reagan, who made the first bricks, which were used 
for building two brick houses, — one for Mrs. Smith 
and the other for Samuel Fullen. 

Cumberland has now about four hundred inhab- 
itants, three physicians, four stores, a post-office, a 
railway station, one hotel, two blacksmith-shops, one 
grist-mill, two saw-mills, a school-house, and one 
church (Baptist). There were at one time two other 
church organizations in the place, viz., Methodists 
and Universalists, and all worshiped in harmony. 

Julietta village, in the southeast part of Warren 
township, was laid out in 1868 (plat recorded Feb. 
5, 1870). It contains at present two stores, one 
blacksmith-shop, a post-office, one physician, and 
about fifty inhabitants. 

The suburban town of Irvington (so called in 
honor of Washington Irving) is situated on an ele- 
vated piece of ground, one hundred and seventy-five 
feet higher than the ground on which the Union 
depot in Indianapolis is built, and is four miles east 
of Indianapolis, on the National road. The original 
town was laid out into one hundred and eight lots by 
Jacob B. Julian and Sylvester Johnson, on the 7th 
day of November, 1870, and embraces the southeast 
quarter of section 10, township 5, range 4 east, lying 
north of the Junction Railroad, except the school- 
house lot in the northeast corner, the entire area 
covered being 304.47 acres. Irving Circle was dedi- 
cated to use and purposes of a public park, on which, 
at no distant day, it was designed to erect the statue 



WARREN TOWNSHIP. 



621 



of Washington Irving. College Circle was designed 
for the use of a female college. The object was to 
make it a suburban residence town for the profes- 
sional and business men of Indianapolis. Additions 
have from time to time been made, the most notable 
of which are the following : Woodland Park addition 
to Irvington, laid out Jan. 4, 1872, by James E. 
Downey and Nicholas Ohmer ; and Ritter's addition, 
laid out Sept. 6, 1871. Every purchaser of a lot was 
obliged to accede to the following requirements, em- 
bodied in the deeds of conveyance : 

" The grantee accepts this deed from the grantor 
with the express agreement that he, his heirs, and 
assigns will not erect or maintain, or suffer to be 
erected or maintained, on the real estate herein 
conveyed any distillery, brewery, soap-factory, pork- 
er slaughter-house, or any other establishment offen- 
sive to the people, and that he will not erect or 
maintain, or suffer to be erected or maintained, on 
said premises any stable, hog-pen, privy, or other 
offensive building, stall, or shed within fifty feet of 
any avenue in said town, and that he will not sell or 
suffer to be sold on said premises any intoxicating 
liquors except for medicinal, sacramental, or me- 
chanical purposes strictly, and he accepts this deed 
on the further agreement that the right to enforce 
and compel a compliance of the above conditions 
rests not only in the grantor, his heirs, and assigns, 
but in all the property-holders and inhabitants of 
said town." 

The land on which the town was built was owned 
by Jacob Sanduska and Isaac Sanduska prior to the 
time it was purchased by Messrs. Julian and others. 
The town now embraces four hundred and fifty 
acres. There was an agreement entered into by the 
gentlemen who were the leading spirits in the under- 
taking to build in the town and reside there, accord- 
ingly Jacob B. Julian, Sylvester Johnson, and Levi 
Ritter each built a fine residence and moved into it, 
where they have since resided. The next house 
was built by Charles Brouse, and then the following 
persons built fine houses in the order named, viz., 
Nicholas Ohmer, Dr. John H. Tilford, Oliver M. 
Wilson, James M. Crawford. 

On petition of Jacob B. Julian and eighty-two 



other citizens and tax-payers, the town was incor- 
porated June 2, 1873. 

In the year 1874 the trustees of the Northwestern 
Christian University (now Butler University) de- 
cided to locate said college at this place, and in 1875 
those persons who had been so persevering in their 
efforts to secure the prize had the satisfaction of see- 
ing their anticipation realized, and the college moved 
to and located within the town. A more extended 
account of this institution is given in the history of 
the city of Indianapolis. 

The first merchant in Irvington was William 
Furrey. After him were the following : William H. 
H. Shank, William W. Wilson, Cones & Huston, 
and Omer Burger, the present merchant of the 
village. Jacob A. Krumrine, the proprietor of the 
first drug store, is still conducting the business. 

Dr. Cotton was the first physician who 

located in the place for the practice of medicine. 
The next was Dr. Jacob A. Krumrine, who at 
present is retired. Dr. J. A. Tilford was the next. 
Dr. Robert W. Long and John Daugherty are the 
present physicians. Edgar Williams was the first 
postmaster, and George Russell is the present one. 

The Robinson Methodist Episcopal Chapel was 
built for Sabbath-school purposes in the year 1880, 
and will seat three hundred persons. It was named 
after its founder, Mrs. L. 0. Robinson, In the year 
1881 this lady minister held a protracted meeting in 
the house and organized a Methodist Episcopal 
Church class of about eighty persons, and she served 
them as minister for a period of eighteen months. 
The next minister was the Rev. John W. Turner, 
who has been for two years and is still in pastoral 
charge. The number of members is now about 
eighty. Sabbath-school is held every Sabbath in 
the year, with an average attendance of about one 
hundred. James E. Downey is the superintendent. 

The Christian Church has an organization in the 
town, and its inembers hold their services in the col- 
lege chapel. The church was organized at the time 
Butler University was opened for the reception of 
students. President Everets and Allen R. Benton 
hold services alternately. The present membership 
is nearly one hundred. Sabbath-school is also held 



622 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



in the college chapel every Sabbath. Average at- 
tendance is about one hundred and ten. Professor 
Scott Butler is the superintendent. 

The average daily attendance of all children in the 
public school in 1883 vpas one hundred and eighty- 
five, and the school was taught one hundred and sixty 
days during the year. 

Irvington contains, besides the University, a Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church building, a handsome depot 
built by the Panhandle Railroad in 1872, and front- 
ing on Washington Irving Circle stands a magnificent 
three-story brick public school building, which was 
erected in 1874, and is valued at twenty thousand 
dollars. The town has a telegraph-ofiBce (Western 
Union), and a telephone-station connecting it with all 
parts of the State. The street cars pass to and fro 
between the place and Indianapolis every hour, and 
arrangements have been perfected whereby special 
passenger trains will be run by the Panhandle Rail- 
road line between the points named. The town has 
a post-office, an Odd-Fellows' lodge, one general dry- 
goods store, one drug-store, a wagon-shop, a meat- 
store, and a blacksmith-shop, and six hundred and 
fifty-two inhabitants by the United States census of 
1880. 

Irvington -Lodge, No. 508, I. 0. 0. F., was insti- 
tuted Sept. 10, 1875, with the following-named mem- 
bers : J. H. Tilford, John B. W. Parker, L. C. Kuhn, 

B. F. Askren, John B. Wilson, C. C. Heizer, E. T. 
Wells. 

The present active membership is twenty, with the 
following officers : Jonathan B. Roll, N. G. ; Devit 

C. Devall, V. G. ; Thomas W. Wunnell, Sec. ; J. A. 
Krumrine, Treas. ; Thomas W. Wunnell, Per. Sec. 
The number of Past Grands is sixteen. 

Churches. — The Cumberland Baptist Church dates 
back to the fall of 1832, though its organization was 
not fully efiected until the following year. On the 
20th of October, in the year first named, James 
Parker, John Kitley, Lyman Carpenter, Dosha Car- 
penter, and Sarah Pogue met at Cumberland, " in 
order to converse upon the propriety of becoming a 
constituted church, and it was agreed to be consti- 
tuted on the faith of the Apostles," after which the 
meeting adjourned to meet on the second Saturday 



in November following, when they took steps pre- 
liminary to formal organization, which was effected 
on the fourth Saturday in July, 1833. at which time 
there were present at the meeting in Cumberland 
Ezra Fisher and Samuel McCormick from the Indian- 
apolis Baptist Church, Joseph Clark and Joel Black- 
ledge from the Bethel Baptist Church. Ezra Fisher 
was chosen moderator, and Joseph Clark clerk, and 
by the usual proceedings the Cumberland Baptist 
Church was fully organized with the following-named 
members : John Kitley, Lyman Carpenter, Ambrose 
Shirley, Anna Kitley, Elizabeth Shirley, Hannah 
Hathway, and Sarah Pogue. 

The first pastors were Thomas Townsend, Ebenezer 
Smith, and Madison Hume. Thomas Houston was 
pastor for twenty years previous to the last year. A 
new church building is now being erected, though 
the membership is but small. 

Pleasant Run Baptist Church was organized in 
1832, with the following members : John Pogue and 
wife, Caleb Clark and wife, William Herrin and wife, 
Joseph Clark and wife, James Ferguson and wife, 
Jennison Hawkins, moderator. This church dis- 
banded in 1856. 

Mount Pleasant Methodist Episcopal Church was 
organized in 1830. It is in the southeastern part of 
the township, and is in a very weak condition at 
present. 

Old Bethel Methodist Episcopal Church was or- 
ganized about 1840. It was disbanded for several 
years, but was reorganized about 1878, and a new 
church house built in 1882. This church is in the 
northern part of the township. 

Robinson Chapel Mission, Methodist Episcopal 
Church, located in Irvington, just north of National 
road, in 1877. The first pastor was Mrs. L. 0. 
Robinson, the present pastor Rev. J. W. Turner. 
The church has been in a flourishing condition from 
the beginning. 

The Christian Church in Irvington was organized 
in 1874. Meetings are held in Butler University 
chapel. 

The German Lutheran Church was built in 1874, 
in the southwestern part of the township, on the 
Michigan road. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



623 



The German Presbyterian Church edifice, in the 
southeastern part of the township, was built about 
1877. 

Schools. — The first school-house in the township 
was on the farm owned by Andrew Morehouse. It 
was built by a man who had taken a lease of the 
farm and then left it. It was of round logs, about 
twenty feet square, with a fireplace in one end eight 
feet wide. The outside was a bank of dirt, sur- 
rounded by logs. On an appointed day the neighbors 
all assembled to transform it into a school-house. 
One log was cut out of the side for light, little sticks 
were fastened across at intervals, and then greased 
paper fastened on instead of glass. A door was cut 
in one end, then the splinters were shaved from a 
puncheon, large wooden pins fastened in the wall, and 
the puncheon laid on them and fastened down for a 
writing-desk. The seats were made of saplings 
about eight inches in diameter, split, and wooden legs 
fastened in. This completed the model school-house 
of that period. On the morning that school opened 
the parents came with their children from all direc- 
tions, cutting paths and blazing trees as guides for 
the Children, some of them having as high as three 
miles to come to school. At Christmas it was de- 
cided to turn the " master" out, and not let him in 
until he promised to " treat." This was done, and 
the required promise made. Then came the ques- 
tion of what to treat with. There were no apples, 
and no money to buy with if there had been. One 
6f the patrons generously proffered a bucket of 
whiskey (they had no jugs), and another, home-made 
sugar to sweeten it. On the day of the treat the 
children turned out in full force. The " master" 
mixed his toddy, seated the children in rows, and 
then with his bucket and tin cup passed up and down 
the rows, giving each one as much as he thought 
they could stand. Then the children were permitted 
to go out to play, and in a short time they were again 
called in, and they did not tarry on the grounds. 
The same process was repeated until all the toddy 
was used. This was the first " treat" of school- 
children in Warren township, and patrons, " master," 
and children were all delighted with if. 

In 1827 a school-house was built on land of James 



C. Ferguson, and school was first taught in it by 
James O'Brien. In the east part of the township 
a school-house was built in 1831 on land owned by 
David Woods. In this house the first teacher was 
Elias H. Shimer. These and most of the other 
early school-houses of the township were of about 
the same kind as the one first described, but it is not 
to be understood that the custom of treating the 
scholars to whiskey at Christmas was generally 
observed, as in the case before mentioned. 

Warren township has now eleven school-houses, as 
follows : No. 1 (brick), in the northeast corner of the 
township ; No. 2 (frame), in the north part ; No. 3 
(frame), in the northwest part; No. 4 (frame), just 
north of Irvington ; No. 5 (two-story frame), in centre 
of township ; No. 6 (frame), two miles west of Cum- 
berland; No. 7 (frame), in southeast part of town- 
ship; No. 8 (frame), south side of township; No. 9 
(frame), southwest part; No. 10 (two-story frame), 
at Cumberland; No. 11 (frame), north side of town- 
ship. At Irvington there is one public-school build- 
ing, a large two-story brick, and three teachers are 
employed. 

The number of schools taught in the township in 
1883 was twelve (one graded). The average daily 
attendance was 277. Total number of children 
admitted to the schools, 436 ; number of teachers 
employed, 12 (seven male and five female). Average 
number of days taught in the year, 158. Number 
of teachers' institutes held in the township during 
the year, 8. Valuation of school-houses and sites, 
120,000. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.! 

The township of Washington is the central one in 
the northern tier of townships of iMarion County, 
being bounded on the west by Pike, on the south by 
Centre, on the east by Lawrence townships, and on 
the north by Hamilton County. The principal 

! By George W. Lancaster, Esq. 



624 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



streams (and the ooly ones of any importance) are 
White River and Fall Creek. The former enters the 
township near its northeast corner, and flows thence 
diagonally across the township in a very meandering, 
but generally southwest, course to a point a little east 
of the southwestern corner, where it passes into Cen- 
tre township. Fall Creek, coming in from Lawrence, 
flows southwestwardly across the southeast part of 
Washington township into Centre. Several incon- 
siderable streams, tributaries of White River, enter 
it within the territory of Washington, chiefly from 
the west. The surface of this township is much 
like that of the others of the county, ranging from 
flat bottom-lands to undulating uplands, which, in 
some parts, may be termed hilly. The soil is, in 
general, good, and in some parts exceedingly fertile, 
yielding abundant returns to the farmer for the labor 
expended on it. The population of the township in 
1880 was two thousand three hundred and ninety- 
nine, as shown by the returns of the United States 
census of that year. 

Washington township was laid ofi' and erected by 
order of the county commissioners, April 16, 1822, 
with boundaries as described in the general history 
of the county. In November, 1826, the western 
boundary was changed by order of the county board, 
by including in Washington three sections of land 
taken from Pike, in survey township 16 north, of 
range 3 east, leaving that boundary line as it is at the 
present time. 

When Washington township was erected, in April, 
1822, the commissioners ordered that it be joined 
with Lawrence as one township, neither being then 
sufliciently populous for separate organization. This 
union continued until Sept. 4, 1826, when the county 
board of justices ordered Lawrence to be taken from 
Washington, leaving the latter as a separate and 
independent township. Following is a list of officers 
of Washington township during the sixty-two years 
of its existence, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
Joel Wright, June 15, 1S22, to Sept. 5, 1826; resigned. 
William D. Rooker, June 22, 1822, to June 6, 1827. 
Hiram Bacon, Oct. 15, 1825, to Jan. 4, 1830; resigned. 

(The three above named served as justices for Washington 
and Lawrence while they were united as one township.) 



Joel Wright, July 22, 1827, to April, 1828 ; died. 

Edward Roberts, June 28, 1828, to June 20, 1833. 

Abraham Bowen, Feb. 20, 1830, to Feb. 12, 1835. 

Daniel R. Smith, Oct. 30, 1833, to Oct. 23, 1838. 

Abraham Bowen, April 18, 1835, to April 6, 1840. 

John R. Anderson, Nov. 30, 1836, to Sept. 23, 1837; resigned. 

William R. Deford, Oct. 17, 1837, to March 1, 1841; resigned. 

Lorenzo Vanscyoo, June 20, 1838, to June 2, 1843. 

Daniel R. Smith, Dec. 3, 1838, to July 25, 1842; resigned. 

Walter A. Bridgford, Deo. 12, 1839, to Deo. 7, 1844. 

Charles Hallam, April 20, 1840, to April 15, 1845. 

Henry B. Evans, April fi, 1841, to Oct. 2, 1841 ; resigned. 

Daniel R. Brown, Nov. 24, 1841, to Jan. 13, 1846; resigned. 

Anthony Williams, Sept. 20, 1842, to April 18, 1846 ; resigned. 

Lorenzo Vanscyoo, July 22, 1843, to July 3, 1848. 

Eli Heaton, April 29, 1845, to Aug. 29, 1853 ; resigned. 

John Essary, Feb. 27, 1846, to Feb. 27, 1851. 

Gary H. Boatright, June 9, 1846, to March 1, 1847 ; resigned. 

James S. Hensley, April 22, 1847, to Feb. 28, 1851 ; resigned. 

William B. Bridgford, July 6, 1848, to July 4, 1852. 

David Huff, April 21, 1851, to April 21, 1856. 

William Sdpp, April 29, 1854, to April 29, 1858. 

James 6. Featherston, Nov. 1, 1855, to Nov. 1, 1859. 

John Essary, April 19, 1858, to Dec. 1, 1864; resigned. 

William Stipp, May 24, 1858, to April 19, 1862. 

Emsley Wright, Nov. 1, 1859, to April 9, 1863; resigned. 

Benjamin Tyner, April 19, 1862, to April 19, 1866. 

James W. Schooley, Nov. 4, 1863, to Dec. 10, 1864; resigned. 

George W. Deford, April 21, 1865, to April 21, 1869. 

Benjamin Tyner, April 21, 1866, to Jan. 2, 1869 ; resigned. 

Calvin Fortner, April 25, 1866, to April 12, 1870. 

George W. Deford, April 24, 1869, to April 24, 1873. 

John W. Vanscyoo, May 1, 1869, to April 16, 1873. 

James Logan Groves, Nov. 25, 1870, to Oct. 25, 1874. 

John W. Vanscyoo, April 24, 1873, to present time. 

John P. Moore, Oct. 30, 1874, to Aug. 15, 1875 ; died. 

John Stipp, Oct. 25, 1870, to May 15, 1880; died. 

Alexander Culbertson, April 21, 1877, to April 21, 1881. 

Gilbert Justice, May 15, 1880, to Oct. 25, 1830. 

Henry C. Green, Dee. 16, 1881, to April 15, 1882. 

Daniel W. Heaton, April 15, 1S82, to Aug. 1,3, 1883; resigned. 

Alexander Culbertson, Sept. 4, 1883, to April 15, 1886. 



David Huff, April 11, 1859, to April 19, 1860. 
Jacob C. Coil, April 19, 1860, to April 13, 1861. 
Lorenzo Vanscyoo, April 13, 1861, to April 22, 1862. 
William Vance, April 22, 1862, to April 12, 1865. 
Hiram A. Haverstick, April 12, 1865, to Oct. 19, 1872. 
John H. Smith, Oct. 19, 1872, to Oct. 23, 1S74. 
William H. Sharpe, Oct. 2.3, 1874, to May 11, 1876. 
Hiram A. Haverstick, May 11, 1876, to April 14, 1880. 
James Mustard, April 14, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 
George W. Lancaster, April 14, 1882, for two years. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



625 



Joel Wright, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 5, 1829. 
Daniel R. Smith, Jan. 5, 1829, to March 7, 1836. 
David Bowen, March 7, 1836. 
Toung Em. R. Wilson, Jan. 2, 1837. 
Carlton R. Smith, Jan. 2, 1837, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
Daniel R. Brown, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 
Jacob Roberts, Jan. 6, 1840, to Dec. 6, 1841. 
Jacob Roberts, Dec. 6, 1852, to Nov. 18, 1854. 
Ira Keeler, Nov. 18, 1854, to Jan. 6, 1857. 
William Shartz, Jan. 6, 1857, to Deo. 13, 1858. 
Jacob Roberts, Deo. 13, 1858, to Dec. 10, 1864. 
John Bssary, Dec. 10, 1866, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Benjamin Tyner, March 27, 1875, to Nov. 6, 1876. 
Daniel W. Heaton, Nov. 6, 1876, to April 15, 1880. 
Samuel Sheets, April 15, 1880, to April 14, 1882. 
William H. Wheeler, April 14, 1882, to April 14, 1884. 

One of the earliest, if not the very first, of the 
pioneer settlers who came to make their homes within 
the territory now embraced in the township of Wash- 
ington was John Allison. He was born in Virginia 
about 1759, and went from there to Lexington, Ky., 
at the age of fourteen years, with his parents. Sub- 
sequently, he moved to Nicholas County, Ky., and 
from there came to this township in October, 1819. 
He came through with his family, consisting of wife 
(formerly Anna G-ray) and eight children, via Brook- 
ville, Ind., iu wagons, cutting his road for quite a dis- 
tance between here and Brookville. He left two 
married daughters in Kentucky, who subsequently 
came here. He entered eighty acres near where 
AUisonville now stands (at present owned by the 
Widow Devanberger), upon which he resided till his 
death, September, 1837. He was a hard-working, 
industrious citizen, and followed farming all his life. 
He at one time owned two hundred and seventy 
acres in one body, two hundred acres of which he 
cleared. His wife died Jan. 2, 1838. When Mr. 
Allison settled here in the woods, his nearest neigh- 
bors were William Coats and Joseph Coats, who lived 
two miles distant in a northwest direction. He lived 
there about nine years before his family enjoyed the 
privileges of even a subscription school. The Indians 
were in the neighborhood for three years after he set- 
tled. Mr. Allison laid out the town of AUisonville. 
He was a Freemason for years before he canie to this 
State, and was regarded as a moral, industrious. 



sociable citizen. He took a great interest in the 
schools, and everything tending to the advancement 
of civilization. The following were the names of his 
children : Mary, Martha, Jane, Malinda, Julia Ann, 
Nancy, John, David, Charles, and William. Only 
two, Nancy and William, are now living. The former 
is the widow of William Orpurd. Both live in this 
county, and are the oldest residents now living in this 
part of the county. Pew, if any, persons now living 
in this county have resided here for so long a time as 
they. 

Charles Allison was born in Keotueky, and came 
from that State to this township with his parents in 
October, 1819, and settled near where the town of 
AUisonville now is, and where he remained with his 
parents until thirty-five years of age. He owned 
eighty acres east of AUisonville, now owned by the 
Widow Sterrett. He removed to Howard County, 
Ind., and established a trading-post eight miles east 
of Kokomp, on Wild Cat, where he traded with the 
Indians for some time. He followed farming and 
teaming whUe he lived here, and was a merchant 
while in Howard County. He kept the first store 
ever kept in Kokomo. He died about 1864, and his 
widow and one child are now living in Kokomo. 

David Allison was born in Kentucky, and came 
from that State to this township with his father, 
John Allison, in the year 1819. He resided with 
his parents until about 1840, when he married Ma- 
tilda EUery and went to West Liberty, Hamilton 
Co., this State, where he continued to reside until 
his death, in 1878. He belonged to the Methodist 
Church twenty years prior to his death. His widow 
and one child are now living near West Liberty. 

Hiram Bacon, Sr., was born in Williamstown, 
Mass., on March 14, 1801. He was of English 
descent. He came to Indiana about 1819, and for 
about one year was a member of a government survey- 
ing party that surveyed land in this part of the State. 
He then returned to his home and married Mary A. 
Blair, and on the day of his marriage emigrated to 
Indiana with his wife, and settled in this township 
in 1821. He purchased two hundred and forty acres 
from William Bacon, who had entered it from the 
government. A portion of Malott Park is upon the 



626 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



farm. Subsequently he bought one hundred and 
forty-five acres from Arthur Williams. He built his 
first cabin in the dense woods, and made the sash for 
its window with his pocket-knife. That was the first 
glass window in that part of the county. An Indian 
brush-fence surrounded his cabin, and within the 
inclosure was an Indian well. He operated not only 
the first, but the most extensive cheese dairy ever in 
Marion County. Beginning the business on his farm 
in 1830, he continued it for twenty years. He was 
a member of the first Presbyterian Church ever 
built in Indianapolis, and he hauled with his oxen 
the logs used in its construction. He joined the 
Presbyterian Church in early life, and was a con- 
sistent member of that denomination until his death. 
He took great interest in all church matters, and 
held various official positions in it. His vocation 
was that of a farmer. He was justice of the peace 
in this township for a period of twelve years. In 
politics he was a Whig, and then a Republican. He 
was one of the leading citizens of the township, and 
was noted for his strict integrity. His first wife 
died in November, 1863 ; he remarried, and in 
August, 1882, he died. Seven children survive 
him, viz. : Electa (widow of William P. Thornton), 
Helen (wife of Charles A. Howland), George, Hiram, 
Mary A. (wife of B. F. Tuttle), William, and Caro- 
line (wife of George W. Sloan). 

William Bacon was born in Williamstown, Mass., 
about 1798. He came to Indiana a single man soon 
after his brother Hiram, and settled on land about 
one mile north of where Malott Park now is. There 
he lived till his death, in about 1863. He married 
Deborah, daughter of Hezekiah Smith, Sr., soon after 
his arrival here. He was a farmer, and a member of 
the Masonic fraternity. In politics he was a Demo- 
crat. He lived a proper life for years, and left behind 
him a large and valuable estate. 

Hezekiah Smith, Sr., was born in Delaware, April 
18, 1*763. At the age of sixteen he entered the 
Revolutionary army, and was in nine battles. His 
eldest brother, Daniel, was killed in the Revolutionary 
war. His brother Simeon was also in the same war, 
and also in the war of 1812, and lived to enjoy the 
blessings for which he fought. The subject of this 



sketch married Mary Ann Rector, who was born in 
Virginia, Feb. 12, 1776. Her mother died when she 
was an infant, and she was raised by her uncle, Pres- 
ley Neville, in Pittsburgh, Pa. The Rector family 
was large, and many of them emigrated to Ohio, where 
a number of their descendants now reside on Mad 
River, in Champaign and Clark Counties. Hezekiah 
Smith was a local preacher of the Methodist Episco- 
pal Church ; by trade he was a wagon-maker, and 
worked at that business in the Bluelicks, Nicholas 
County, Ky. ; but subsequently he bought a farm on 
Indian Creek, and partially quitting his trade, followed 
farming. The following are the names of his chil- 
dren, viz. : Betty, Susan, Deborah, Daniel R., Peter, 
Hezekiah, Nancy, Simeon, Miles C , Carlton R., and 
Marcus L. The seven sons all reached manhood and 
became sober, industrious, and useful citizens. But 
two of the children are living, viz., Susan Chinn, in 
Colorado, and Marcus L. Smith, in Argos, Ind. In 
1820, Mr. Smith sold his farm in Kentucky and moved 
his family to this township, and settled in the woods 
Oct. 27, 1820, about one half-mile east of where 
Broad Ripple now is, and on the west half of north- 
east quarter of section 6, township 16, range 4 east. 
At that time there were but two or three cabins be- 
tween where he settled and the donation, as Indian- 
apolis was then called. Mr. Smith and his son Peter 
had came out to where the family settled and made 
an improvement, and raised a crop of corn the spring 
before. The family lived in camp for six weeks after 
arrival here, when a cabin was built, into which they 
moved before winter. 

Mr. Smith was a man of extraordinary memory, 
of strong and vigorous mind, and a great reader. 
After an illness of four weeks he died, on the 26th 
day of August, 1824, in the sixty-second year of his 
age, and his remains were buried in the burial- 
ground on the Hiram Bacon land. He was the first 
person buried in that graveyard. His widow re- 
mained on the old homestead, and kept the family 
together until her death, Oct. 3, 1837. 

Daniel R. Smith, son of Hezekiah Smith, Sr., and 
Mary Ann, his wife, was born in Mason County, 
Ky., near May's Lick, in a log cabin, on the 4th of 
October, 1801. He emigrated to this township with 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



627 



his parents Oct. 27, 1820. He remained with the 
family until shortly after his marriage to Margaret 
N., eldest daughter of John Nesbit, on Nov. 11, 
1834. He then began life for himself and wife, set- 
tling on the farm now owned by his son, John H. 
There he lived the remainder of his life. Whfn 
comparatively a young man he was elected justice of 
the peace, in which capacity he served five years, and 
was re-elected to the same office, and commissioned 
for five years on the 3d day of December, 1838. 
He served a part of the term, but resigned to accept 
the office of associate judge of the Circuit Court, to 
which he was elected in August, 1842, and served 
for a period of seven years from the 8th of April, 
1843. In 1849 he was re-elected to the same office 
for seven years from April 8, 1850, and served in 
that capacity until the office was abolished. On 
Sept. 20, 1851, he was admitted as an attorney and 
counselor-at-law, with authority to practice in the 
circuit and inferior courts of Indiana, and he fol- 
lowed that profession the rest of his life. Soon 
after the establishment of the new Constitution he 
was elected one of the township trustees, and served 
as such for three years, during which time he as- 
sisted in the organization of the public-school system 
in the township. He was a member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal Church at the time of his death, and 
for ten years prior to that time. He always took an 
active part in promoting the cause of religion. He 
was one of the leading citizens of the township ; of 
steady habits, moral, industrious, and sociable. He 
was a good and kind neighbor, and was a great en- 
courager of every laudable public enterprise. His 
wife died Aug. 11, 1854, and he died April 4, 1875. 
He left two children, John H. and Mary Ann. The 
son is now living on the old homestead where he was 
born, near Malott Park, and is by occupation a 
farmer. The daughter is the wife of Dr. Greenly B. 
Woollen, and resides in Indianapolis. 

Peter Smith, the second son of Hezekiah Smith, 
Sr., was born in Kentucky, Sept. 27, 1803. He 
emigrated to this township with his father's family 
in 1820, and remained with his parents till after his 
father's death. He learned the gunsmith trade, and 
afterwards became a physician and practiced medicine 



a few years in the neighborhood of Millersville. He 
married in 1825, and a few years afterwards went to 
Nashville, Tenn., thence to New Orleans, where he 
took the gold fever about 1849 and went to San 
Francisco, Cal., where he established a hospital. He 
was in South America a while, but returned and 
went to Europe, settling in England, where he died 
Oct. 9, 1866. He was a very successful practitioner 
of medicine, and for many years a consistent member 
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Hezekiah Smith, Jr., was born Nov. 29, 1805, in 
Kentucky, and in 1820 emigrated to this township 
with his parents, with whom he lived till after his 
father's death. He married in June, 1829, and 
lived for several years about half a mile southeast of 
Millersville, on the east part of the farm now owned 
by William A. Schofield. He joined the Methodist 
Church at an early date, and was ordained a minister 
of the gospel, and preached with good effisct for many 
years. He died in Indianapolis Dec. 4, 1879. 

James Ellis was born in- Tennessee about 1798. 
He came to the township a single man in March, 
1820, and settled one half-mile southwest of where 
Millersville now is. He lived for a while on the farm 
now owned by David Huff's heirs. He was an in- 
dustrious, moral citizen. He married Leah Cruise, 
who is now living on the old homestead. She has 
in her possession a large dish which her husband 
bought of Mrs. Garner sixty-five years ago. Mr. 
Ellis died in 1845. Mr. and Mrs. Ellis raised four 
children, three of whom are living. Alfred lives on 
the old homestead. Henry is in Colorado, and Palina, 
the wife of William J. Millard, Jr., lives in Iowa. 
When Mr. Ellis came into this township there were 
no' schools, no preaching, nothing but woods, wild 
animals, and Indians. He assisted in the burial of 
the first white person that ever died in Lawrence 
township, this county. 

Martin McCoy, wife, and children came from Ken- 
tucky to this township with Henry Cruise in 1820. 
His wife died in 1821. He was a great hunter and 
trapper. He was with the Indians most of the time ; 
was missing, and it was supposed that the Indians 
killed him. 

Henry Cruise was born in North Carolina in 1760. 



628 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTr. 



He came to Daviess County, Ind., from Ohio in Oc- 
tober, 1816, and thence to this township in June, 
1820. He came up White Eiver in a boat with his 
family, and Martin McCoy and family to within eight 
miles of Indianapolis, and the rest of the way in 
wagons. His wife's maiden name was Susannah 
Cress. He settled in the woods on Pall Creek, near 
where the Wabash Railroad crosses. In 1824 he 
went to Illinois, and died there. He was a member 
of the Presbyterian Church, and by occupation a 
farmer. He was the father of ten children, six of 
whom are now living. 

William Hardin was born in Virginia in 1780. 
He came from Lawrencebuig to this township in 
1820, and entered one hundred and sixty acres, now 
owned by Joseph Schofield. He lived there eighteen 
years, then went to Iowa, where he died about 1858. 
He was of Baptist belief, but not a member of the 
church. He was a very industrious, moral citizen, 
and by occupation a farmer. 

Joel Wright, one of the first settlers of Washing- 
ton township, was born in Stokes County, N. C, on 
the 5th of February, 1793, and was married to 
Sarah Byerby on the 10th of September, 1812, in 
North Carolina. They moved from there to Indiana 
in May 12, 1813, settling temporarily in what is now 
Wayne County, on the west fork of White Water. 
From there they moved to Washington township, 
Marion Co., on the 22d day of December, 1821. 

Joel Wright was appointed one of the first justices 
of the peace for Washington township. When his 
term expired he was run again, and received the 
largest vote, being elected over Hiram Bacon, Esq., in 
1826. 

On the 1st of April, 1828, Mr. Wright cut the 
artery in his left leg below the knee. On the 6th, 
Drs. Dunlap and Kitchen amputated the limb about 
four inches above the knee, and three days afterwards 
Mr. Wright died, leaving Sarah Wright, his wife, 
with seven children, — Alfred, Mary, Jincy, Emsley, 
Phebe, Elizabeth, and Lucinda. On the 25th of 
August, 1828, another child, Joel Wright, was born. 
Mrs. Wright lived a widow all the rest of her life, 
and raised the eight children. She died at the age 
of seventy-six years. 



Conrad Colip was born in Pendleton County, Va., 
about 1795. In 1821 he came to this township with 
his family and settled on one hundred and sixty acres 
now owned by James Bridges. He followed farming 
all his life, and was a moral man and a good citizen. 
He left the township about 1852 and went to St. 
Joseph County, Ind., where he died several years 
ago. 

Jacob Hushaw, who was of German descent, was 
born in Virginia. He came to this township from 
Ohio in 1821, and settled near where Broad Ripple 
now is. He was a carpenter by trade, and a good 
mechanic. He died on his old homestead about 
1843. 

Zachariah Collins, with his wife and family, came 
from Mason County, Ky., to this township about 
1821, and entered one hundred and sixty acres of 
land, now owned by David Allen. He was a farmer, 
industrious, and a good neighbor. He lived there 
till about 1840, then sold to Mr. Allen, and went to 
near Bloomington, Iowa, where he bought a farm, 
and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. He 
was one of the first settlers in the township. 

The earliest assessment-roll of Washington town- 
ship that can now be found is that of the year 1829, 
which, being complete, shows, of course, very nearly 
who were the male adult inhabitants of the township 
at that time. The following names, taken from it, 
are those of men then resident in the township who 
were assessed on no real estate, viz. : 
Alexander Ayers. Ellis Bunnell. 

Charles Allison. Robert Barnhill. 

Willis Atkins. Robert Brown. 

David Allison. Daniel Bowes. 

Jacob Applegate. James Cook. 

Thomas Blackerby. Daniel Clark. 

John Burrough. James Cochran. 

Robert Branson. George Clark. 

William Brunson. Richard Clark. 

Jonathan Brunson. Absalom Cruise. 

Thomas Brunson. William Deford. 

Evan Ballenger. Squire Dawson. 

John Burns. James Ellis. 

John Brady. Ephraim Elkins. 

John Brady, Jr. Charles Ecret. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



629 



Ralph Pults. 
Jacob Hushaw. 
William Hart. 
Caleb Harrison. 
John Harrison. 
Benjamin Inman. 
Thomas Jackson. 
John Jackson. 
Noah Jackson. 
Nathan Johnson. 
Milton Johnson. 
James Kimberlain. 
Jacob L. Kimberlain 
Jefferson Keeler. 
John Kimberlan. 
Samuel Leeper. 
Robert Leeper. 
Samuel Lakin. 
Andrew Leeper. 
John Mansfield. 
Zebedee Miller. 
John Miller. 
Michael Miller. 
Alexander Mills. 
John McCoy, Jr. 
William Mansfield. 
John Medsker. 
John G. Mcllvain. 
William McCoy. 

The same assessment-roll gives the following names 
of persons resident in Washington township in 1829, 
and who were owners or holders of the lands respec- 
tively described, viz. : 

John Allison, the west half of the southwest quarter 
of section 21, township 1*7, range 4, and the east half 
of the northeast quarter of section 29 in the same 
township. 

William Appleton, the north half of the northwest 
quarter of section 14, township 16, range 3. 

Abraham Bowen, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 24, township 17, range 3. Mr. 
Bowen lived in the north part of the township, and 
died only a very few years ago. Several of his family 
are now living in the township. 

James Brown, the east half of the southwest 



William Mcllvain. 
William McClung. 
Daniel Miller. 
Edmund Newby. 
William Orpurd. 
Barrett Parrish. 
Adam Pense. 
Nicholas Porter. 
James Porter. 
Jonathan Ray. 
John Ray. 
John Smith. 
Isaac Stephens. 
Isaac Simpkins. 
David Sharp. 
John Shields. 
Hezekiah Smith. 
Samuel P. Sellers. 
Harvey Steers. 
Thomas Todd. 
Jacob Triggs. 
Richard Vanlandingham. 
William Viney. 
Joseph Watts. 
Edward Watts. 
Richard Watts. 
Edward Wells. 
Robert Williamson. 



quarter of section 30, township 17, range 4. Mr. 
Brown came to this township from Kentucky in 
1824. 

Hiram Bacon, Esq., the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 5 ; the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 6, and the east half of the north- 
east quarter of section 7, all in township 16, range 4. 

William Bacon, the southwest quarter of section 
31, and the southwest quarter of section 32, in town- 
ship 17, range 4. 

James Bonnell, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 35 ; the southwest quarter of sec- 
tion 25 ; the east half of the southeast quarter of sec- 
tion 26, and the north half of the southwest quarter 
of section 35, all in township 17, range 3. 

Jesse Ballinger, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 9, township 16, range 4. 

Zachariah Collins, the northwest quarter of section 
18, township 16, range 4. 

Joseph Coats, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 21, township 17, range 4, and the 
north half of the northeast quarter of same section. 

Conrad Colip, the north half of the northeast 
quarter of section 12, township 16, range 3; the 
south half of the southeast quarter of section 1, same 
township, and one hundred and forty acres in the 
northeast and southeast quarters of section 19, town- 
ship 17, range 4. 

Jacob Coil, the south half of the southwest quar- 
ter of section 36, township 17, range 3 ; eighty-eight 
acres in the northwest quarter of same section ; the 
south half of the northeast quarter of section 12, 
township 16, range 3 ; and the north half of the 
northeast quarter of section 1, same township. 

William Crist, the east half of the southwest quar- 
ter of section 5, township 16, range 4. 

Isaac Coppuck, fifty acres in the southeast quarter 
of section 17 and northeast quarter of section 20, 
township 17, range 4. 

William Coats, the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 29, township 17, range 4. 

Solomon Cruise, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 31, township 17, range 4. 

Fielding Clark, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 32, township 71, range 4. 



630 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Robert Dickerson's heirs, the west half of the 
southeast quarter of section 6, township 16, range 4. 

William DufiBeld, all the land east of the river in 
section 2, township 16, range 3, and the east half of 
the northeast quarter of section 11, township 16, 
range 3. 

Elijah Dawson, the southwest quarter and the east 
half of the northeast quarter of section 6, and the 
west half of the northwest quarter of section 5, all 
in township 16, range 4; also the west half of the 
northeast quarter and the east half of the same sec- 
tion, in township 17, range 4; forty acres in the 
southeast quarter of section 12, township 16, range 
3 ; and the north half of section 36, township 17, 
range 3. 

John Fox, the east half of the southwest quarter 
of section 3, township 16, range 3, and the east half 
of the southeast quarter of section 9, same township. 

Noah Flood, the east half of the northeast quarter 
of section 24, township 16, range 4. 

John Gwin, the north half of the northeast quar- 
ter of section 14, township 16, range 3. 

Garret Garrison, the south half of the southeast 
quarter of section 10, township 16, range 3. 

Jonas Hoover, the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 14, township 16, range 3. 

William Hobson, the west half of the southeast 
quarter and the east half of the southwest quarter of 
section 24, township 17, range 3. 

Lewis Hoffman, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section IS, township 17, range 4. 

Philip Hardin, forty acres in the east half of 
the northwest quarter of section 12, township 16, 
range 3. 

Jonas Hoffman, the northwest quarter of section 
6, township 16, range 4, and the part east of the 
river (sixty acres) of the southeast quarter of section 
36, township 17, range 3 ; five acres east of river in 
the southwest quarter of the same section, and forty 
acres west of the river in the southwest and southeast 
sections, same township. 

William Hardin, the northeast quarter of section 
18, township 16, range 4, and forty acres in the east 
half of the northwest quarter of section 12, township 
16, range 3. 



Henry Hardin, Sr., the north half of the east half 
of the southeast quarter of section 7, township 16, 
range 4. 

John Johnson, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 18, township 16, range 4. 

Thomas Keeler, fifty acres in the south half of 
the southwest quarter of section 35, township 17, 
range 3. 

Elias Laming, ninety-eight acres in the southeast 
quarter of section 2, township 16, range 3. 

Noah Leverton, the south half of the northeast 
quarter of section 14, township 16, range 3. 

Thomas A. Long, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 5, township 16, range 4. 

Samuel McCormick, the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 15, township 16, range 3. 

James McCoy, the east half of the northwest quar- 
ter and the west half of the northeast quarter of 
section 5, township 16, range 4. 

John McCoy, the south half of the southeast 
quarter and forty acres in the west half of the same 
quarter of section 12, township 16, range 3. 

George Medsker, the southwest quarter of section 
17, township 17, range 4 ; also the west half of north- 
east quarter, and the east half of the northwest quar- 
ter of the same section. 

James Mcllvain, Sr., the east half of the south- 
west quarter of section 12, township 16, range 3. 

Nathan McMillen, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 12, township 16, range 3. 

Daniel McDonald, the northeast quarter of section 
13, township 16, range 3. 

Lyle BIcClung, the southeast quarter of section 8, 
township 16, range 4. 

Peter Negley, the southeast quarter of section 4, 
township 16, range 4. 

Edward Roberts, Esq., forty acres in the west half 
of the northwest quarter of section 10, township 16, 
range 3, and the west half of the southwest quarter 
of the same section. 

Jacob Roberts, the north half of the southeast 
quarter of section 34, township 17, range 3. 

Sargent Ransom, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 10, township 16, range 3. 

John Richardson, one hundred and three acres 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



631 



west of river in the southeast quarter of section 17, 
and northeast quarter of section 20, township 17, 
range 4. 

William Ramsey, the south half of the northeast 
quarter of section 21, township 17, range 4. 

David Ray, the northwest quarter of section 18, 
township 17, range 4. 

William D. Rooker, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 17, township 16, range 4. 

John Reagan, Jr., the whole of section 20, town- 
ship 17, range 4. 

Samuel Ray, the south half of the northwest quar- 
ter of section 28, township 17, range 3. 

Isaac Stipp, the west half of the southwest quarter 
of section 13, township 16, range 3. 

Peter Smith, one hundred and fifteen acres in the 

northwest quarter of section 6, township 16, range 4. 

Mary Ann Smith, sixty-eight acres in the west 

half of the northeast quarter of section 6, township 

16, range 4. 

John St. Clair, the north end (forty acres) of the 
east half of the southeast quarter of section 7, town- 
ship 16, range 4, and the southwest quarter of sec- 
tion 8 in same township. 

Daniel R. Smith, the 6ast half of the southwest 
quarter of section 4, township 16, range 4. 

Cornelius Van Scyook, the south half of the south- 
east quarter of section 34, township 17, range 3. 

John Van Blaricum, the west half of the south- 
west quarter of section 15, township 16, range 3. 

William Vincent, the east half of the southeast 
quarter of section 13, township 17, range 3. 

Isaac Whitinger, twenty-seven acres in the north- 
west quarter of section 20, township 17, range 4, and 
one hundred and forty-seven acres in the northeast 
and southeast quarters of section 19, same township. 
Henry Whitinger, the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 24, township 17, range 3, and 
the northwest quarter of section 19, township 17, 
range 4. 

John West, the west half of the northwest quarter 
of section 28, township 17, range 4. 

Abraham Whitinger, one hundred and nineteen 
acres in the northwest and northeast quarters of sec- 
tion 30, township 17, range 3, and eighty-one acres 



west of river, in the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 25, same township. 

Francis Whitinger, one hundred and thirty-nine 
acres in the northeast quarter of section 15, township 
16, range 4. 

Polly Wright, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 12, township 16, range 3. 

Jacob Whitinger, the southwest quarter of section 
19, township 17, range 4; the east half of the south- 
east quarter of section 24, township 17, range 3 ; the 
west half of the southeast quarter of section 23, 
same township, and sixty-seven acres in the west 
half of the southwest quarter of section 15, township 
16, range 3. 

Francis Williamson, the west half of the north- 
west quarter of section 2, township 16, range 3. 

James Mcllvain, Sr., was born in 1767 in Virginia, 
and moved from there to Kentucky, thence to Ohio, 
settling in each of those States. In the spring of 
1821 he emigrated to Marion County, with his wife 
and several children, settling at Indianapolis, where 
he remained a short time, then moved into this town- 
ship, settling on the land now owned by his son, S. H. 
Mcllvain, and the heirs of Uriah Hildebrand. He 
was a farmer by occupation, and was the first asso- 
ciate judge of the Circuit Court in the county. For 
years prior to his death he was a Christian, and was 
one of the leading men in the township. His death 
occurred Aug. 13, 1833. 

James Mcllvain, Jr., was born near Lexington, 
Ky., in the year 1798, and from there went to Ohio, 
and thence to this county with his parents, and set- 
tled where the city of Indianapolis now is in the 
spring of 1821. Subsequently he settled where 
North Indianapolis now is, and lived there till his 
death, April 5, 1848. By occupation he was a 
farmer, and he was one of the most extensive stock 
traders ever in this county. He was a man of great 
intelligence, shrewd and energetic. He was a mem- 
ber of the Christian Church for twenty-five years 
before his death. He was county commissioner 
many years ago, serving as such two terms. S. H. 
Mcllvain is his only child now living. 

Henry Kimberlain was born in Hagerstown, Md., 
in 1766, and, on reaching manhood, went to Ken- 



632 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tucky, where he was married to Olivira Patterson. 
Subsequently he came to Harrison County, Ind., 
where he resided a few years, and in 1821 came with 
his wife and ten children to this township, and en- 
tered land now owned by William Whitesell's heirs, 
half a mile north of where Allisonville now is. He 
lived there until 1826, when he died. He was a 
farmer all his life, and a member of the Methodist 
Episcopal Church for many years prior to his death. 
He was a good, industrious citizen. Of the ten chil- 
dren, but one is living, Sarah Ann, who lives in 
Hamilton County, this State. The first preacher 
who preached in the neighborhood of Mr. Kimber- 
lain's was Joel Cravens, about 1824, when the circuit 
extended from Pendleton to Morgan County. 

John C. Kimberlain, a son of Henry Kimberlain, 
was born in Kentucky in 1797, and came to this 
township with his parents in the year 1821. He 
never married, and was a farmer all his life, and a 
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church from 
boyhood. He died about 1844. 

Jacob L. Kimberlain, son of Henry Kimberlain, 
was born in Kentucky about 1803. He came here 
with his parents in 1821 and located with them, where 
he lived till he was married to Nancy Butler. He 
lived in this county several years, then moved to 
Hamilton County, Ind., where he lived twelve years, 
and thence went in 1861 to Iowa, where he died in 
1864. His wife died the same year. He was a min- 
ister of the Methodist Church for many years. 

John Kimberlain was born in Kentucky in March, 
1800. He came to this township in 1821, and entered 
eighty acres one half-mile northeast of where Allison- 
ville now is. He owned it but a short time, — worked 
on the Wabash Canal, and was a contractor in the 
work. He lived in this county seven years, and died 
at Anderson, Ind., in 1840. 

Fielding Clark came to this township a single man 
from Bracken County, Ky., about 1822, and settled 
on eighty acres now owned by Joshua Spahr, which 
he paid for by clearing land. About 1830 he sold 
the eighty acres to John Nesbit, and entered two 
hundred acres just north of the old home place. He 
lived there sixteen years and went to Missouri, where 
he died about 1879. He was a farmer. 



Thomas Brunson was born July 8, 1760, in Penn- 
sylvania. He came to this township in 1826 from 
Kentucky, and entered eighty acres, now owned by 
Rev. R. D. Robinson. He followed farming all his 
life, and lived there till his death, in 1839. He was 
the father of William, Robert, and Jonathan Brunson, 
and of four other children. 

William Brunson was born April 8, 1795. He 
married Martha Allison, and with her and four chil- 
dren — Madison, Hulda, Jane, and Jefferson — came 
to this township in the year 1825, and entered one 
hundred and twenty acres, now owned by Erastus 
Brunson and John Bear. He was a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church for twenty years prior 
to his death, which occurred in the year 1876. In 
all he had eight children, five of whom grew up to 
manhood and womanhood, and three of whom are 
now living, namely, Madison, Erastus, and Armelda. 
They all have families and live in this township. 

Robert Brunson was born Feb. 22, 1797, in Ken- 
tucky, and came to this township in the year 1825. 
He entered one hundred and sixty acres, now owned 
by his son Leonidas. He married Jennie Allison, 
whom, together with their daughter, Malinda, he 
brought with him. Mr. Brunson was the father of 
five children, three of whom are living, viz., Ma- 
linda, who married Anthony Williams, from Ken- 
tucky. She is now a widow, and and lives in Cicero. 
Leonidas and Caroline live on the old place. Mr. 
Bronson was a farmer ; a moral and industrious man. 

Jonathan Brunson, son of Thomas Brunson, was 
born in Harrison County, Ky., April 8, 1801. He 
was married there to Mary Ann Henry, and in Octo- 
ber, 1826, came from that State to this township with 
his wife and son, Asher. He entered one hundred 
and sixty acres, now owned by that son. He lived 
there until 1849, then went to Allisonville, where he 
lived until his death, Sept. 12, 1859. He followed 
farming all his life, and was industrious, moral, and 
frugal. He was a member of the Christian Church 
for twenty-five years prior to his death. He was the 
father of eight children. His widow, now seventy- 
seven years of age, is still living in the township on 
the old homestead with her son Asher. 

Jacob Ringer, Sr., was born in the year 1757. 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



633 



He came from Maryland, bringing his wife and one 
child with him to this township, in 1824, with a Lu- 
theran colony, and settled on land now owned by 
Perry Rhodes. His wife died there in 1842, and 
Mr. Ringer then lived with his children till his death. 
He was a Lutheran for many years. The daughter 
who came here with him was named Lydia. She 
subsequently married Hezekiah Smith, Jr., and lived 
in the township many years. She died at Cicero, Ind. 

Peter Negley was born in Pennsylvania in the 
year 1777. He moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, 
and thence, in March, 1823, emigrated to this town- 
ship, and settled on Fall Creek, where Millersville 
now is. He brought from Ohio with him his wife 
and nine children, — four sons and five daughters, — as 
follows: John, George H., David, Jacob, Elizabeth, 
Katie, Eva, Sarah, and Margaret. Of these children 
all are dead except Sarah (now Mrs. Mcintosh), who 
lives in Greene County, Ind. He purchased four 
eighty-acre tracts of land, and, in partnership with 
Seth Bacon, built the first mill at Millersville. He 
also founded the village of Millersville. He followed 
milling a short time, and then farming the remainder 
of his life. He was a Universalist in belief, and a 
moral, industrious, and respected citizen. He died 
at Millersville, Aug. 6, 1847. His wife survived 
him four years. 

Elijah Dawson was born in Virginia in 1781. 
His wife's maiden name was Mary Ann Hardin. 
He emigrated to Kentucky, lived there two years, 
and went to Dearborn County, Ind., from whence he 
came to this township in 1823, and settled on the 
land now owned by his son Ambrose, and where he 
resided till his death, in 1858. He was of Baptist 
persuasion, but not a member of the church. He 
was strictly moral and temperate in all his habits ; 
was an industrious and valuable citizen, and good 
neighbor, and he was never at law. He raised seven 
sons to be sober, moral, good citizens. In all there 
were ten children, named Squire, Matthias, Uriah, 
Isabel, Ambrose, Mary Ann, Charles, Amanda, An- 
drew, and Jackson. The first three named and Mary 
Ann are dead ; Amanda lives in Knoxville, Tenn., 
the wife of Joseph Schofield; Andrew lives in Cowles 
Co., Kansas. The remainder are highly-respected citi- 



zens of this township. There are several families of 
Dawsons, all descendants of this one family, now 
living in the township. 

Squire Dawson, the eldest son of Elijah and Mary 
Ann Dawson, was born in Lawrenceburg, Ind., in 
1807. He came to this township with his parents in 
1823. He was an exhorter and member of the Chris- 
tian Church. He raised a large family of children, 
of whom two are now living. He died in 1871. 

Jacob Coil, Sr., was born in Hamilton County, 
Va., about 1790. He was of German descent. He 
emigrated to Fayette County, Ohio, where he lived 
several years, and from there came to this township 
with his family, consisting of wife and several chil- 
dren, in the year 1823, and settled on eighty acres 
now owned by James Bridges. In 1835 he moved 
to near Broad Ripple, and died there in the fall of 
1837. By occupation he was a farmer. He was 
moral and industrious, and in business a persevering 
man. He took an active interest in all matters per- 
taining to the public good. He followed the burning 
of lime for several years during his residence in this 
township, obtaining the rock for the purpose out of 
the bed of White River. He burned many thousands 
of bushels of lime every year. Most of the lime 
used in the building of the old State-house was 
burned by him. He married Barbara Colip, and 
was the father of eight children, four of whom he 
raised to maturity. Two are living, viz., Casandra, 
the wife of Swartz Mustard, who lives in Broad 
Ripple, and Sabina, the wife of Lewis H. Rickard, 
who resides in Norton County, Kansas. 

William Crist came to the township from White- 
water in 1824, and settled on land now owned by 
William Schofield, just north of Malott Park. He 
served through the war of 1812, and was severely 
wounded in the service. He with his family went to 
Iowa about 1842. 

Jonas Hufi'man was born in Virginia, and from 
there went to Kentucky, where he settled for some 
time. He then went to Ohio, and from there emi- 
grated to this township with his family about 1824, 
and entered one hundred acres on White River. The 
land is now owned by James Hufi'man, his son. He 
was a carpenter by trade, but followed farming for a 



6S4 



HISTOEr OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



iir^kood. He vas a BtoraL vpraiit ciiiKB, and 
took espaenl iotacst in aS fauidaMe p«bfie entcr- 
pnses. He lived on die old bo—catcad dU his deatiu 
n ISfil. His wife fied ia 1856l flwy were tbe 
pareMs of aue ciyidieB, seven of wfcoB, — fimr soae 
and tkiee da^^tens, — beeaHe wtea aad woi.a 

TImnbk a. Lo^ was bom is Cufi^ Niebobs 
Go- Kj- aboHt 1796. He en^iated to dus town- 
diq> about 1821 vidi bis wife flutuBedy Peggy 
MedanabaB) aad two ddldiea, aad eateied dg-btr 
acTK, BOW owaed bjr Mis. Muj A. WooDea. He is 
a Uaeksautb by tzade, and 6 bow fivii^ in Howard 
Oonaiy, Ind., wberebewe^abontlBM. For axty 
jBus be has bees a Member (riT tbe F^i^jtieriaB 
Cbmck. and wk (we of the first aad leading nMwi- 
bos «f tbe old Wa^ii^taa R t ajbytm ian Obnn^ 
1m Howard GonnSy he served as saodate jo^e of 
1^ CSieait Gout, and afierwar^ as a jnsfiee of As 
peace &r nanj jeais. He k an iafiaeatial bnsiaeaB 
atan: x^ed a bvge ftmihr. and tbey are aB sood 
titrnte^ amd wealtbj. 

John JobBSOB wis bom and rased in Kentadj, 
aad enn^ated to Infiaaa, aad fiist settled on Wbite- 
waiter, near IbnokviDe, where be leMained tlD 1824, 
whoi he eane to this towasibi^ with bis wife (Itfoisa 
Slawsaa) aad two cbilditeB (Lanka aad Oliver), aad 
setded ob oae hnadit id aad sixlj aoes <rf laad now 
kaowB ae die G. H. Yoss furnt, wfaeie he eoadnaed 
to leade tin bb death. He fiiDowed &w^ all be 
fife, and WK a Honl, npii^t, wtam, and a valnable 
ddim. He was dwajs bad to the pm, aad helped 
those aroBad him as BBch ^ bk dieuBEtaaeeB wonld 
allow. He £ed abont 18^ at tbe ^e of fi%-£3x 



Josqph CBlbertBoa was Ikmb in Fnakfin GoHBty, 
Pa., ia 17<S€, and e«gnted to Kentatiky, wboe he 
fived dD 1829, when be cane to due towadi^ with 
trife and £unlj, and settled ob land bow owned by 
WilBaH CnlbatsaB, te son, vAere he died in 1S50. 
He wae a maJbat and the feaader rf the Wadn^- 
tSB Presbyterian Chmch, which was buk on bis 
£arBL He was an eider in dat dinrdi. He took. 
special iatocat ia tbe nrhoolB aad the pnblie b^- 
way% aad was a foomater of aD wwthy eBteqMiBe&. 
Ia all be hid e'*T^n ebU&ieB, two of 



livii^ WilUam CnlbotfOD and Esther Jaoe Hahn, 
die latter of whom reades in Maryland. 

John Neshit was bwn in Bonibon Coantr, Ky., 
in 17S2. and with wife and e^t duldren onigrated 
to this township in 1S29. He bought eighty acr^ 
4^ land (now owned by Joshoa Spahr), and ent^ed 
dgfaty acres adjoinii^. He was a feraao', a mem- 
ber of the Pre^ytoian Chnreh aboat thirty years, 
and an elder and tnastee of the Washington Presby- 
terian Chtuvh. His wife's maiden name was Mary 
McGore. She died in Oetober, 1835. Mr. Nesbit 
died in Ango^ of tbe same year. There were three 
SOBS and five danghteis. Joanna and William A. 
died sing^ Nancy T. is tbe widow of A.- G- Raddle, 
M.D., M. J. is the widow of Henry B. Evans, 
Mai^aret martied Danid R. Smith, and Eliz. E. 
manied John P. Moore. 

J<eeph A. Nsbit. son of John . and Mary NesiMt, 
was bnn in 1S21 in Keomeky. He emigrated to 
this wwndiip with his parents, with whom he lived 
■ndl tbdr death, in 1835. He then went to Ken- 
todky and r^nained one year, wbm he retomed to 
AffisoBville, wha« be lived on a farm until 1841. 
He then atteaded sdiool at Centreville, Ind., for 
two jeais, after which be tangfat sduK^ during the 
winter maaffe and farmed dmii^ the summer tiD 
tbe winta- of 1846. He then began the stody of 
tmi-dim^fi vidi Dr. Chailes Bay, and daring the 
winter ci 1848-19 he attended Jeffeison Medieal 
OoD^ie at Fbiladdpbia. He located at Allisonville, 
aad pcMdeed media ne till 1S56, when he took the 
aeeond eomse of lectures in tbe above-named eoOe^ 
and in Mardi, 1837, giadnated. Sinee that time he 
has been a promiBent and sneeessfol practitioner of 
medidne at AffiamvilleL On the 22d of July, 1858, 
he married Maigaiet Stenett. Dr. Nesbit has been 
a member of tbe Methodist Episeopal Chnrdi for 
nine years, and he is a menbo' of Keystone Lodge. 
No. 251, of F. and A. M. In polities he is a Be^ 
pabiiean. 

Thooms MeCfiatn^ who was an early settler ia 
MaiioB Conn^, aad fived for several years nearly on 
the fine of Wadiii^tMi and Gentre townships, was a 
eon of Josqth McOintodc, who emigrated from Maiy- 
laad to Kentae^, and settled at Hiakston Station, 



WA5HIXGT0X TOWXSHIP. 



633 



in a block-house bnilt for defense against Indians. 
In that honse Thomas-waa bom in 1788. The &m- 
ilv afterwards moved to Harrison Connty. Ky.. near 
Cynthiana. whence, in Norember. 1329. he emigrated 
to Indianapolis, coming at the s«£eitation of the Ber. 
AVilliam B. Morehead. a Pre^yterian clergyman, who 
had previonsly come to Indianapolis &om Keotn^y. 
Thomas McClintock lived in the town during the 
winter following his arrival, and in the spring of 
1830 moved out about one mile to the Johnson 
farm, where he remained one year, and then removed 
to lands which he had porehased at Sogar Flat, 
where he died in September, 1837. 

Thomas McClintock w^ a life-long member of the 
Presbyterian Chnrch. He had three sons and two 
danghters. Of the latter. Bebecca died aboat 1353, 
and Martha is now Irving in Greensbnrg, Deeatnr 
Co.. Ind. The mother died at her daughter Martha's 
bonse about 1873. Of the sons. Joseph is living in 
California. Thomas J. died about 1S53. in Marion 
Connty. The other son, William H. MeCiintoek, 
was bom in the old block-honse at Hinkston StatioD, 
Ky., March 13, 1813, and moved with his father's 
family to Harrison Connty. Ky., and thenee to In- 
dianapolis. He lived with the family till his ^th^'s 
death, and after that event owned eighty of the one 
hundred and axty acres of his father's &rm at Snsar 
Flat. In 1373 he sold out and moved to Indian- 
apolis, where he remained eight years. In ISSl he 
bought a house and land at Mapleton (about a half- 
mile from his father's homestead), and is now Hvins 
there. At the age of fourteen years he joined the 
Presbyterian Church at Stonermonth meeting-house, 
Bourbon County, Ky. In January. 1S43. he married 
Sarah Ann Manox. near Boonevilie, Union Co.. Ind. 
His wife being a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, induced him to leave the Presbyteriaiis and 
join the Methodists, and he is now cMie of the boec 
prominent membos of the ehuich of that denomina- 
tjon at Mapleton. He reared three sons. viz. : Thomas 
A; (now a class-leader in the Mapleton Church "l. 
Edmund A., also a member of the same church, and 
living at San Jose, Cal., and William D.. who joined 
his mother's church at the age of nine vears, after- 
wards sradied medicine with Dr. Harvev. of Indian- 



apolis, and located in practice in Kansas, where be 
died in December, 1880. 

An examiiiatiaB of the list of tax-payas of lo2d 
shows that rf the ADiaoa &iii]Iy, fi>r whan AIEaoB- 
ville is Daned, there only lemaios in this tows- 
ship William, SOD <^ John ASaBoa. Tbae hsmjib 
in this towBsUp of the diildreM of Akabam BoveB, 
Peto-, James, and Abraham, Jr„ all honorable citi- 
aens and tumeis. James is, in addition to famaag, 
engaged in modiaBdiai^ at the fiown of Nofa. Of 
the BroBSOB &«iin«^ tb^e wMwam EiastBs and 
Madison, sons of WilHam, and A. "her and NoUe, tbe 
sons of Jonathan Brmtson. Leonid^ tbe sob al 
Bobert Branson, is yet living in this towndbipt Of 
Hiram Bacon's :&mily there are stiQ Evi^ boe Mb. CL 
A. Howiand and William Bacon. Gemge and WWaam 
Jr.. live in Shdby Connty, Ind. Mis. B. F. Tmule, 
daughter of Hiram Bacon, fives in Indiaaapcds. Of 
William Bacon's famfly thoe lemaiBe a giaa^oo 
(John Sciange}. a voy pro^aoos and weald j 
yoBi^ hama. Of James BBnadTs Smiily. Bfahgi* 
is sdn Irving here, a pnoEperoos and boncsed g»tT«m^ 
having served several tarns as town^iip tn^tee. 
Bobert Barahill is sdul livii^ D. Bowers has two 
daughters and one son living in this township. Of 
Jacob Coil's family there are stUI Svi^ in this towi». 
ship two daughters, )Irs. Yofaiey Dawson and Mis. 
Hamilton Thompson. William Christ, so ofkeB eie^ed 
eoBstable in the early histoiy of this towa^iipi, has ma 
deseoidants left. He, in addition to saving as ecm- 
stable, wae or had been quite an Indian-fighter. It 
is said by his niece, Mrs. G^nrd Bhie, vho is stiD 
living here, that Mr. Cryt. in tbe early settli^ of 
this county, went with two of bis ne^ibcKs to the 
mills on White Water, in the eaSarn part <£ tbe 
State, and on their way back they were attacked hj 
the Indiaiis in ambs^. The two n^bhois ware botb 
killed and Crist severdy woanded, hot boldii^ on is 
his horse he was enabled to m^te bis escape. He 
had dnrii^ hk life on tbe fitrnfier received asbteen 
boll^-woonds &om In&n guns. 

Of the De Ford firaily tbae remains only Geixge 
W., son of William De Ford. He is an bonoiaUe 
£inna' and good dtiaen. Of El^ab Dtivsoa's fimily, 
Ambrose, Charles Jackson, and 3Irs. IsabeDa Col- 



636 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



bertson, the mother of Alexander Culbeitson, or, as 
he is familiarly called, Squire Culbertson. Ambrose 
Dawson is one of this township's best and most hon- 
ored citizens, and has been a very successful farmer. 
A few years since he divided his property to his chil- 
dren, giving all of them a good farm, and in his old 
age and declining years has the pleasure of seeing his 
children all well started in life. Charles Dawson is, 
in addition to being the wealthiest citizen of this 
township, an honorable gentleman. He has a large 
family of children, all of whom are at home except 
the eldest daughter, who is married to Dr. Collins. 
Matthias Dawson, one of Elijah's sons, has been dead 
about six years. His son, W. M., is now living in 
this township, and also two young sons by a second 
wife. Jackson Dawson, son of Elijah, is still living 
in this township, and is one of its best citizens, a suc- 
cessful farmer and honorable citizen. 

Of the heirs of James Ellis there remains in this 
township Alfred Ellis. Of John Fox there remains 
his son, Raney Fox, a wealthy farmer. Of the Noah 
Flood family there remains here Mrs. Gerard Blue, 
with a family of four children, — one son, William J. 
Blue, and three daughters. The oldest daughter was 
the wife of G. W. Lancaster. She died in 1875, 
leaving one son, Edwin G., and one daughter, Dovie. 
The second daughter is the wife of L. G. Akin ; the 
third daughter is the wife of C. G. King. Of the 
heirs of John Johnson there remain Luther, Oliver, 
and John V. Johnson, all very successful farmers, 
honorable citizens, and intelligent men. Luther has 
a family of two sons and three daughters, all at home 
except the eldest daughter, Mrs. Amos Butterfield. 
Oliver Johnson has three sons — -James, Silas H., and 
Frank P. — and one daughter, Mrs. Mary Lowe, wife 
of W. A. Lowe, an attorney-at-law. Silas H. and 
Frank P. are living in this township, and are intelli- 
gent, honest young farmers. John V. Johnson is 
a bachelor, a very successful farmer, and good citizen. 
Mrs. Ambrose Dawson (deceased), Mrs. Jackson 
Dawson, Mrs. W. M. Dawson, and Mrs. Hiram 
Haverstick are daughters of John Johnson. 

Of James McCoy's heirs there remains Mrs. Rich- 
ard Hope. Of James Mcllvain's family only S. H. 
Mcllvain,. a successful farmer, remains. Of Ed- 



mond Newby's family there remains Mrs. George 
Stipp. Of Jacob Roberts' heirs there remains only 
Mrs. William Scott. Of the heirs of David Ray 
there are in this township Mrs. Jacob Whitesel, Mrs. 
Jane McCoy, and another married daughter. Of the 
heirs of David Sharpe there remains William H. 
Sharpe, a wealthy farmer and successful business 
man. Of the heirs of John Shields there are John 
Shields, Jr., a successful farmer and thorough busi- 
ness man, and Mrs. Jane Dodd, wife of Peter Dodd. 
Of the heirs of Daniel R. Smith, generally known as 
Judge Smith, there remains John H. Smith, an in- 
telligent farmer and one of our honored citizens, 
having served two terms as township trustee and one 
term as county commissioner, which term expired 
Nov. 1, 1883. He is known as a careful, pains- 
taking man in all of his business transactions, both 
public and private. To him the writer of this brief 
history of Washington township feels under lasting 
obligations for counsel and assistance in the adminis- 
tration of a public office. Mrs. Dr. Woollen and 
Mrs. W. W. Woollen are both daughters of Daniel 
R. Smith. Of the heirs of Cornelius Van Scyoc 
there only remains his granddaughter, Blrs. James 
Mustard, and daughter of Lorenzo Van Scyoc, who 
was a son of Cornelius. Isaac Whitinger's widow is 
still living in this township, being now the Widow 
Kinsley. Henry Whitinger, son, and Mrs. Mary 
Newby, daughter, of Isaac Whitinger, are living in 
this township. Of Joel Wright's family there re 
mains his son, Emsley, an attorney-at-law and ex- 
tensive farmer, and the oldest settler in the township 
now living. Mrs. Jincy Osborn is also a daughter of 
Joel Wright. James T. Wright, an old citizen of this 
township, is a grandchild, as are also Mrs. Mary John- 
son and John Wright. 

Of other old settlers who have come to this town- 
ship since 1829 may be mentioned Dr. J. A. Nesbit, 
who lives at Allisonville, a successful practicing phy- 
sician, and also a large farmer. Jacob S. and James 
Mustard, who are among the old settlers, are both 
honored and intelligent citizens. James, the younger 
of the two brothers, has a national reputation as a 
breeder of the best strains of Poland China swine, 
has also served as township trustee, and is in every 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



637 



particular an excellent citizen. R. R. and Thomas C. 
Hammond are also among the esteemed citizens and 
wealthy farmers of the township. Benjamin Tyner 
is another intelligent, successful old settler. James 
Parsley is an old settler here, a successful business 
man, and a good citizen. 

Among the oldest and best citizens of the township 
are the Hessong family, — John J., M. L., H. M., 
George, and Charles. Thomas and Jacob Sutton 
are old settlers here. Jacob Whitesel came to this 
township in 1835, and is one of its best citizens. He 
has a large family of sons and daughters, most of them 
yet at home. 

The Blue family is among the oldest of the town- 
ship. There are now in this township Uriah and 
George, sons of the late Benjamin Blue, both intelli- 
gent, upright farmers ; Mrs. S. H. Mcllvain is also 
daughter of Benjamin Blue. Mrs. Elizabeth F., 
widow of Peter Blue, has a large family of sons and 
daughters, most of whom are at home. C. A. How- 
land, a wealthy and honored citizen, who has repre- 
sented this county in the Legislature, served as county 
commissioner, and filled numerous places of trust in 
this township and county, is living here. Isaac 
Bomgardner is among the prosperous and thorough - 
going citizens. William Bradley is another of the 
substantial citizens. 

The sons of Daniel Pursel are among the best citi- 
zens. Samuel, 0. J., and J. 0. are all living here, 
prosperous and thorough farmers. James Hubbard, 
aged ninety-nine years, who is probably the oldest 
person living in Marion County, lives here. He is 
hale and healthy, works regularly, and converses 
with intelligence on any subject with which he has 
ever been familiar. 

There are no manufactories in Washington town- 
ship, nor any very important towns or villages. 
Broad Ripple and Wellington villages, on White 
River, in the central part of the township, are the 
most important. Malott Park, Millersville, and Al- 
lisonville are villages in the eastern and southeastern 
part of the township. Mapleton is on the south line, 
adjoining Centre township, part of the village being 
in Centre. 



Nora is a village in the northern part of the town- 
ship, having a railroad station on the Chicago Air- 
Line, a post-office, two general country stores, two 
blacksmith-shops, and a population of about one hun- 
dred and fifty. 

Sutton's Corners, also located in the north part of 
the township, has a school-house (No. 11), one gen- 
eral store, a blacksmith-shop, a drain-tile factory, and 
a sub-post-office, which receives and distributes mail- 
matter for and from Nora. 

Broad Ripple village is situated seven miles north 
of Indianapolis, on White River, and the Chicago 
and Indianapolis Air-Line Railroad. It was laid 
out into forty-eight lots by Jacob Coil, on April 
20, 1837. It was so called from the fact that the 
ripple in the river at that point was the largest and 
widest in the country, and the place was known by 
that name from the time of the first settlement. 
The town is just south of the feeder-dam of the old 
Wabash and Erie Canal, which was begun in 1837, 
and finished in 1839, by John Burke, contractor. 
About two-thirds of the original town, as laid out, 
has been thrown back into farming land. At present 
the town contains only one water-mill, one railroad 
depot, and a few dwelling-houses, with a population 
of thirty-five. 

The first merchant of the village was Robert Earl ; 
the second was Zachariah Collins ; the third was 
William Earl ; and the last one was Joseph Ray, 
who left the business in 1860. 

Dr. Harvey Kerr, the first physician, was there 
from 1851 to 1880. The present physician is Dr. 
R. C. Light. The first postmaster was William 
Earl, who took charge of it about 1850 for a time, 
and it went to Wellington, and afterwards returned 
to Broad Ripple, when William Earl again kept it 
for a short time. The office is now called Broad 
Ripple, but is kept in Wellington. 

About 1843, John Burk built a saw-mill on White 
River, just below the feeder-dam, and operated it 
till 1845, when Peter W. Koontz became a partner, 
and together they operated it till 1851, when it was 
abandoned and torn down. In 1845, near the same 
place, John Burk and Peter W. Koontz built a grist- 
mill, and operated it till 1847, when the former sold 



638 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



to the latter, and Abraham Koontz became a partner. 
About 1851, Peter W. Koontz died. The mill then 
passed into the possession of Abraham H. Turner, 
who operated it until about 1853. Mr. Fairbanks 
then rented it, and operated it one year. In the fall 
of 1855 the ownership again became vested in Abra- 
ham Koontz. He ran it a while, and Samuel W. 
Hetsellgesser became partner, and together they 
operated it till the spring of 1862. William Craig 
and George A. Kirkpatrick then bought it, and oper- 
ated it three or four years, when the former retired, 
and Mr. Kirkpatrick operated it till it was washed 
away by the great freshet in 1875. Shortly after- 
wards Mr. Kirkpatrick built a new mill where it 
now stands (being several rods down the river from 
the place where the old mill stood), and operated it 
until 1880, when Harrison Sharp and Samuel Sheets 
became the owners by purchase at sheriff's sale, and 
they still own it. The water supply is furnished by 
the feeder-dam, as it has been from the beginning. 

Wellington village is situated on White River, 
seven miles north of Indianapolis, on the opposite 
bank of the old Wabash and Erie Canal from Broad 
Ripple. It was laid out into thirty two lots by James 
A. Nelson and Adam R. Nelson on May 17, 1837, 
and so named in honor of the Duke of Wellinoton. 
A part of the original town has gone back into farm- 
ing lands, yet it is something of a village. It con- 
tains one store, a blacksmith-shop, a post-office, called 
Broad Ripple, an Odd-Fellows' lodge, and a Union 
Church ; also the township graded school. The 
present population is one hundred and eight. 

The first merchant was William Switzer, and after 
him came the following in the order named, viz. : 
Reed Hardin, Gurdon C. Johnson, Swartz Mustard, 
Jackson Dawson, Oliver P. Johnson, Samuel Sheets 
(who kept there longer than all the rest, from 1866 
tilll 1882), and Reuben and Hillary Morris. The 
last two named are in partnership, and are the 
present merchants. 

The first physician was Dr. Atler, and the follow- 
ing named came after him in the order named, viz. : 
Horatio Johnson, Edward Collins, W. B. Culbertson, 
and Joseph B. Bates. The last named is the present 
physician. The present postmaster is Hillary Morris. 



Broad Ripple Lodge, No. 548, I. 0. 0. F., was 
instituted June 2, 1877, the following named being 
the original members, viz. : Austin Bradley, George 
Parsley, James Garrity, Piatt Whitehead, John Mc- 
Cormick, James Mustard, John W. Stipp, N. M. 
Hessong, Frank McCormick, Levi Johnson. In 
June, 1881, the Castleton Lodge was consolidated 
with this. The Broad Ripple Lodge is the most 
prosperous one of the order in Marion County out- 
side of Indianapolis. It has a good two-story build- 
ing for lodge purposes, built in the village of Wel- 
lington, at a cost of about one thousand dollars. Its 
membership now numbers eighty-three. The present 
officers of the lodge are Piatt Whitehead, N. G. ; 
Isaac N. Jackson, V. G. ; Henry Whittinger, Treas. ; 
Lewis Aiken, Sec. ; Trustees, Hillary Morris, James 
McCoy, Daniel Stanley. 

This lodge meets every Saturday evening in their 
hall at Wellington. 

The village of Millersville, situated north and west 
of Fall Creek, seven miles north-northeast of Indian- 
apolis, was never formally laid out. The ground was 
never platted, but was sold in lots of from about one- 
fourth of an acre to one acre. The ground upon 
which the town is located was owned as follows : That 
portion north of the road running east and west, by 
Peter Negley ; that portion situated east of the old 
Pendleton State road and south of Cross-roads, by 
G. G. F. Boswell ; and that portion embraced in the 
triangle, by Brubaker and Speaker. The existence 
of the town dates back to the year 1838. There are 
eighteen lots of land embraced in the town, and the 
present population is eighty-six. 

The first merchant was Ira Thayer, who owned the 
merchandise, and James K. Knight kept the store for 
him. The following merchants came after him, viz. : 
James G. Featherston, William Sheets, George Webb, 
Ad. Ehrisman, George Ewbanks, and Lewis Kern. 
The last named is the present merchant. 

William J. Millard, Sr., was the first postmaster, 
appointed about forty years ago. During the last 
twenty years there has been a post-office there only 
one year, and then (about four years ago) it was kept 
by Lewis Kern. James G. Featherston had the office 
for several years prior to 1859. Mrs. Mary F. Ringer 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



639 



had it for a short time about 1864. The first physi- 
cian was Dr. Ducat, who remained only one year. 
Gr. M. Shaw, John W. Bolus, and others have located 
there since. John V. Bower is the present physician. 

A great deal of business was transacted in the 
place prior to 1860, but since that time the trade has 
decreased, and the village has retrograded contin- 
ually. The village now contains fourteen dwelling- 
houses, one blacksmith-shop, a Masonic Hall building, 
two business houses, and one (water) flouring- and 
grist-mill. The post-office, when kept in the village, 
was called Millersville, but when kept by Elijah 
James, two miles west, was called Hammond's, and 
afterwards James' Switch. The residents of the vil- 
lage receive their mail at present from the Malott 
Park post-office. The place where the village of Mil- 
lersville now is was called Brnbaker's Mill before it 
gained its present name, which was nearly a half- 
century ago. 

In the year 1824, Seth Bacon and Peter Negley 
formed a partnership for the purpose of building 
and operating a saw-mill on Fall Creek, near where 
Millersville now is. The mill was built, and the 
dam they erected was nearly one-fourth of a mile 
east of the present mill building, and it backed the 
water up against Daniel Ballenger's mill, which stood 
just below where the present mill-dam stands. Bal- 
lenger's mill was a frame structure, but so badly 
erected that it was insecure. In consequence of the 
injuries sustained because of the back water, Ballen- 
ger sued Bacon & Negley for damages. Bacon was 
worth nothing, and Negley compromised the case at 
a sacrifice of two eighty-acre tracts of land and his 
mill, which stood upon one of the eighty acres, two 
horses, and a wagon. John Essary was Ballenger's 
lawyer and ran the mill from 1826 for six years, 
when Noah Leverton bought Ballenger out and 
erected a grist-mill where the present one stands, 
which is a few rods west of where the old saw-mill 
stood. Leverton cut the present race and built a dam 
a few feet below the present one. The charter for 
the present dam was granted in the year 1836 by the 
Circuit Court, William W. Wick presiding, the dam 
to be not more than four and a half feet above low- 
water mark in the place where it then stood, desig- 



nated by certain marks named. A jury was empan- 
eled and damages assessed for injury to the property. 
Ballenger, after selling out, went with his family to 
the Wabash and Erie Canal, and subsequently to 
Stillwell, Ohio, his place of birth. Mr. Leverton 
operated the mill about three years, and sold to 
Chauncey True and Samuel True. These men put 
two run of burrs in the mill and did a good business. 
The Trues owned the mill until Sept. 23, 1839, and 
sold to Jacob Brubaker, and went to Michigan and 
engaged in farming. Brubaker built a still-house 
adjoining the mill, and owned the property three 
years. On Aug. 8, 1842, he deeded the property to 
Christ. Haushey and went to parts unknown. 

Mr. Haushey was a resident of Pennsylvania, and 
never lived here. He owned the property one year 
and then died. After his death, Jacob Spahr bought 
the mill and operated it until 1848. About that 
time William Winpenny and Jacob Spahr formed a 
partnership, rebuilt the mill and distillery, and op- 
erated them until May 10, 1855. The partnership 
was then dissolved, and Mr. Winpenny continued the 
business until his death, in 1861. He did a large 
custom business, operating two wheat-burrs and two 
corn-burrs, one of which was used to grind the corn 
for mash to be used in the distillery. At no time 
during its history was it more successfully managed 
than when owned by Mr. Winpenny. After bis 
death it was owned by his heirs and operated by 
various parties until Oct. 21, 1872, when it was sold 
to Tobias Messersmith, since which time Jacob J. 
Ringer, William Sala, and John Carlisle have in turn 
purchased it, but each time the ownership reverted 
to Tobias Messersmith. In April, 1883, it was sold 
at sherifi^'s sale, and purchased by N. S. Russell, 
of Massillon, Ohio, and is now being operated by 
William H. Spahr. The mill has been destroyed by 
fire three times, the first time when owned by Bru- 
baker ; again about the year 1848, when owned by 
Jacob Spahr ; and again in August, 1878, when 
owned by John Carlisle. The mill was rebuilt at 
once by Mr. Carlisle, supplied with all the latest im- 
proved machinery, and contains the only genuine 
buckwheat-bolt in the county. The mill-seat com- 
prises seventy-one acres. The building is a substan- 



6-10 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



tial structure, and the water-power ample for four 
run of burrs at all seasons of the year. The prop- 
erty has been a source of annoyance and a continual 
expense to every person that has had anything to 
do with it. A still-house, with a capacity of eight 
barrels per day, was built adjoining the grist-mill on 
the south by Messrs. Spahr & Winpenny, about the 
year 1849, and the business carried on four or five 
years, when it was suspended, and the still removed 
by Mr. Winpenny. 

Millersville Lodge, No. 126, F. and A. M. This 
lodge was instituted at Millersville by dispensation 
granted by A. C. Downey, Grand Master, on March 
3, 1852. The first meeting of the lodge was held, 
March 6, 1852, at the residence of William J. Mil- 
lard, Jr. The charter was granted by the Grand 
Lodge May 25, 1852, the following named being the 
charter members: William J. Millard, Jr., Jonah F. 
Lemon, Jacob Spahr, William J. Millard, Sr., Hiram 
Haverstick, William Bacon, Joseph A. Nesbit, John 
R. Anderson. The first meeting under the charter 
was held May 29, 1852. 

The lodge held its meetings for some time in the 
upper story of the grist-mill, in a room fitted up for 
it. Subsequently they moved to the new hall, which 
was dedicated Oct. 26, 1853, by A. M. Hunt, 
proxy of the M. W. Grand Master. The oration 
was by Thomas H. Lynch. The following persons 
have served as Worshipful Master the number of 
years noted, viz. : William J. Millard, Jr., 9 years ; 
Samuel Cory, 13 J years; W. H. Hornaday, 1 year; 
Robert Johnson, 4 years; W. W. Henderson, 2 
years; John W. Negley, 1 year; B. W. Millard, 1 
year. 

The following have served as secretary the number 
of years noted, viz. : William Winpenny, 1 year ; 
Samuel Cory, 8 years ; William J. Millard, Jr., 2 
years ; James G. Featherston, 2 years ; Lewis Y. 
Newhouse, 6 J years; Peter L. Negley, 1 year; W. 
W. Henderson, 6 years ; Joseph E. Boswell, 1 year ; 
W. H. Hornaday, 2 years; A. Culbertson, 2 years. 

The following is an exhibit of the lodge since its 
organization: number deceased, 11 ; number expelled, 
2 ; number suspended, 7 ; number demitted, 61 ; 
number of present members, 32. Robert Johnson 



is the present Worshipful Master, and W. W. Hen- 
derson is the secretary. Four of the charter mem- 
bers are now living, namely, William J. Millard, Jr., 
Jonah F. Lemon, Hiram Haverstick, and Joseph A. 
Nesbit. This lodge meets in its hall in Millersville 
on the Saturday evening of or before the full moon 
in each month. 

Valentine Lodge, No. 1390, Knights of Honor, 
was instituted at Millersville by dispensation on Feb. 
18, 1879, by David M. Osborn, Deputy Grand Dic- 
tator. The following were the charter members, viz. : 
William H. Wheeler, William W. Foster, William 
H. Hornaday, William H. Spahr, Frederick Karer, 
Henry G. Gerstley, John P. Goode, George W. 
White, Frederick Steinmier, Henry C. Greene, John 
H. Wineow, Thomas Doyle, William H. Negley, A. 
A. Vangeson, George W. Winpenny, and Jacob Vol- 
mer. The lodge was duly chartered by the Grand 
Lodge Oct. 9, 1879. The following have served as 
Dictators of the lodge : W. W. Foster, John P. Goode, 
William H. Spahr, William H. Wheeler, William H. 
Heath, John V. Bower, Thomas T. Lankford. 

The following named are the ofiicers for the year 
1884: John W. House, Dictator; William H. 
Wheeler, Treasurer ; Silas Tyner, Reporter. John 
V. Bower is the representative to the Grand Lodge. 
William A. Schofield, John V. Bower, and Jacob 
Stiltz are the present trustees. The number of mem- 
bers in good standing at present is twenty-five. The 
lodge meets every two weeks on Saturday evenings 
in the Winpenny Hall in Millersville. 

The Millersville Free Library was made up by sub- 
scription, and was opened to the public June 1, 1882. 
It contains five hundred and fifty-five volumes of the 
most judiciously selected books. Many of the most 
popular magazines and valuable papers are regularly 
received. In July, 1883, a library association was 
formed, with Hiram B. Howland as president, W. 
W. Henderson secretary, and Alfred Ellis treasurer. 
Dr. J. V. Bower is librarian. The following are the 
trustees : Albert E. Fletcher, Benjamin Tyner, Wil- 
liam H. Wheeler, Mrs. Hettie M. Hunter, and Miss 
Lou HuflF. 

Free lectures are regularly held under the auspices 
of the above society, and prove to be a source of 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



641 



both pleasure and knowledge. Additional volumes 
will be added to the library from time to time. The 
liberal patronage given the library by the citizens in 
the vicinity is assurance that its advantages are duly 
appreciated. 

Allisonville is situated ten miles from Indianapolis, 
on the Noblesville State road, about three miles east 
of north from Indianapolis. It was laid out into forty 
lots by John Allison on the 8th day of February, 
1833, and the town was named after Mr. Allison. 
The population at present is about fifty. The first 
merchants were Leven T. McCay and George Bruce, 
in partnership. They kept for three years. A. 6. 
Ruddle was the first physician, and he practiced 
medicine there for forty years. At one time, some 
forty years ago, there were two hotels there, and they 
did a good business. Richard Brown was the first 
hotel-keeper, and followed the business seven years. 
There is no post-office there, and has not been for a 
great many years. Mail-matter intended for the peo- 
ple of the village is sent to Castleton. Lewis Droan- 
berger was the merchant in Allisonville many years 
from about 1850. The present merchant is John D. 
Gerstley, who has been in the business there about 
thirteen years. The present physicians are Joseph 
A. Nesbit and Isaac N. Craig. James Armentrout 
carried on a tan- yard just south of the village for six 
years, about 1832. 

Keystone Lodge, No. 251, P. and A. M., was in- 
stituted at Allisonville by dispensation Oct. 22, 1858, 
and the following officers elected: I. N. Craig, W. M. ; 
P. A. Leaver, S. W. ; Jacob W. Ray, J. W. The 
following were the petitioners, all of whom became 
charter members, viz. : I. N. Craig, Sidney Cropper, 
A. S. Ellis, Samuel Farley, Philip A. Leaver, Joseph 
A. Nesbit, William Whitesell, John R. Anderson, E. 
S. Cropper, J. S. McCarty, John Tate, Samuel C. 
Vance, James Farley, Samuel B. Beals, John Har- 
vey, Stephen Harvey, Isaac Michener, F. Farley, T. 
P. Farley, Milon Harris, J. W. Ray, Jacob White- 
sell, George Metsker, Hiram A. Haverstick, Daniel St. 
John, Lewis Farley, Jacob Eller, F. M. Beck, Isaiah 
Williams, Charles Whitesell, B. Todd, and John Bruce. 
The charter was granted by the Grand Lodge May 
26, 1859. The following were elected under the 



charter : Isaac N. Craig, W. M. ; Philip A. Leaver, 
S. W. ; Jacob W. Ray, J. W. 

For about seventeen years the lodge held its meet- 
ings in a small, inconvenient room in Allisonville. 
In the spring of 1875 the lodge built a new hall in 
that village, at a cost of fifteen hundred and seventy- 
five dollars. The first meeting held in the new hall 
was July 24, 1875. The building committee were 
Joseph A. Nesbit, Samuel Farley, Reuben Bunnel, 
John H. Smith, and John Johnson. The first trus- 
tees were Joseph A. Nesbit, John H. Smith, and 
Isaac N. Craig. 

The present membership is forty-three. The fol- 
lowing persons have served as Worshipful Masters 
the number of years noted, viz. : Isaac N. Craig, 8 
years ; Samuel Farley, 1 year ; Thomas N. Williams, 
3 years; John H. Smith, 6 years; David D. Negley, 
1 year; John Johnson, 2 years; Hillary Silvey, 3 
years. Hillary Silvey is the present Worshipful 
Master, and George W. Kesselring is secretary. 
This lodge meets in its hall in Allisonville ou the 
Saturday evening of or after the full moon in each 
month. 

The village of Mapleton is on the Jine of Washing- 
ton and Centre townships, the main street being on 
the township line, and the village being on both sides 
of it. It was laid out in 1871 (town plat recorded 
September 18th in that year). That part of the site 
which is on the Washington township side was 
owned by John Messersmith, who purchased from 
Thomas Ruark. 

The first and present merchant of the place is 
Theodore F. Harrison. The village now contains the 
Methodist Episcopal Church edifice and parsonage, a 
brick school-house, in which is a graded school, one 
store, a post-office (Theodore F. Harrison, post- 
master), a blacksmith-shop, and about three hundred 
inhabitants. 

Malott Park, located in the eastern part of the 
township, was laid out in 1872 (plat recorded May 4th 
in that year) by Daniel and John H. Stewart. The 
first merchant was George Byers, who is also the 
present merchant of the town. The first postmaster 
of Malott Park was Warren W. Bowles ; the second 
was Barbara Spahr, who was succeeded by George 



t542 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Byers, who is the present postmaster. The town has 
now one store, a post-office, a blacksmith-shop, the 
Malott Park station of the Wabash and Pacific Rail- 
way, one church (Methodist Episcopal), and about 
fifty inhabitants. 

Churches of the Township. — The Washington 
Presbyterian Church edifice was built about the year 
1838 by subscription, on the farm of Joseph Culbert- 
son, now the land of William Culbertson. It was a 
small frame building, and was used as a church about 
ten or twelve years. The building soon afterwards 
became dilapidated and was torn down. It stood 
about one half-mile north of where Malott Park 
now is. 

The number of members at organization was about 
twenty-five, among whom were the following : Hiram 
Bacon, Mary Alice Bacon, Joseph Culbertson, John 
Nesbit, Elizabeth Culbertson, Mary Nesbit, Paulina 
McClung, old Mrs. McClung, John Johnson, Cynthia 
McClung, Samuel McClung, Nancy Nesbit, Margaret 
Nesbit, James Brown and wife, James Gray, and Sallie 
Gray. John Nesbit, Joseph Culbertson, and Hiram 
Bacon were the first trustees. 

The first preacher was John Moreland, who re- 
mained with them four years. The next was William 
Sickles ; he remained with them four or five years. 
After which there was no regular preaching, and 
when services were held there it was by transient 
ministers. After the place was abandoned the class 
went to Broad Ripple and united with the Union 
Church. 

The Ebenezer Lutheran Church. In the year 
1823 a small number of persons residing in Maryland 
conceived the idea of forming a colony and taking 
their departure for Indiana, hoping thereby to better 
their condition. They were all Lutherans, and all 
related, and Abraham Reck was their pastor. They 
organized a colony composed of the following persons 
and their families : Conrad Ringer, David Ringer, 
Jacob Ringer, Daniel Smay, Daniel Sharts, John 
Brown, Peter Brown, Solomon Easterday, Daniel 
Bower, and Jacob Ringer, Sr. 

Their pastor then said to them, " You are like lambs 
going among wolves ; I will go with and take care 
of you." The colonists, determined to brave the 



dangers and undergo the hardships incident to a new 
country, started in the year 1823 for their destina- 
tion. They came in wagons as far as the Ohio River, 
where they built a flat-boat, and on it came to New 
Harmony, Ind., where they resided one year, and 
then came to this county and settled in the same 
neighborhood, most of them in Washington, and the 
remainder in Lawrence township. For several years 
after their arrival here they held religious services 
at " old man" Reek's barn, and afterwards at the resi- 
dences of the new colonists, — Rev. A. Reck officiating. 

On Aug. 6, 1836, a church organization was formed 
under the leadership of Abraham Reck, with the fol- 
lowing members: George P. Brown, Jacob Ringer, 
Sr., Daniel S. May, Sr., Folsom Swarm, Jacob Ringer, 
Jr., Conrad Ringer, Daniel Sharts, Peter Brown, 
David Ringer, Daniel Bower, King English, John 
Brown, George Brown, Aaron Sour, Falser Sour, 
William Clow, and Solomon Easterday. 

The first account we have of the election of officers 
is that it was held on May 20, 1839, when David S. 
May, Sr., was elected elder, and Peter Brown, Jr., 
deacon, of the church. 

The congregation built a bewed-log church near 
the northeast corner of the present cemetery grounds, 
situate about one half-mile east of where the Wabash, 
St. Louis and Pacific Railroad crosses Fall Creek, in 
Washington township. The congregation held ser- 
vices in the log church until 1853, when they built 
a frame church on the site of the old log house, and 
soon afterwards dedicated it. The dedicatory sermon 
was delivered by Rev. D. Altman, and a debt of one 
hundred and seventy-five dollars was removed. From 
the organization, in 1836, until 1868 the following 
were the pastors for the number of years noted, 
viz. : A. Reck, 4 years ; A. A. Trimper, 3 years : 
Jacob Shearer, 2 years ; Abraham H. Myers, 5 
years; A. F. Hill, 1 year; George A. Exline, 5 J 
years ; A. J. Cramer, 5 years ; Jacob Keller, 5 
years. 

The church was without a pastor in 1852. During 
Rev. Cramer's charge sixty names were added to the 
church-roll. Under the charge of Rev. George A. 
Exline the church experienced four revivals and 
began an era of great prosperity. 



WASHINaTON TOWNSHIP. 



643 



In the year 1868, during the pastorate of Rev. 
Jacob Keller, a disagreement or difficulty arose among 
the members, which finally resulted in a separation 
and the formation of two distinct churches. With 
some difficulty a committee of two from each faction 
was appointed to fix upon terms of settlement. The 
following were appointed, viz. : John Mowry and 
John Negley, in behalf of the upper, and Samuel 
Harper and David W. Brown in behalf of the lower, 
settlement. On the 26th day of February, 1868, 
the committee met and agreed upon the following 
terms of settlement : The party represented by 
Messrs. Harper and Brown to retain the Ebenezer 
Church building, and pay the party represented by 
Messrs. Mowry and Negley the sum of three hundred 
and fifty dollars, in two equal installments, the first 
due in two months, and the second due on Dec. 25, 
1868. Messrs. Harper and Brown were to give their 
notes for said amounts. The article of agreement 
signed and sealed by all the members of the com- 
mittee on the 26th of February, 1868, and attested by 
John C. Hoss, their secretary, concludes as follows : 

" And the party represented by Samuel Harper 
and David W. Brown do hereby surrender to the 
party represented by John Mowry and John Negley 
all their interest in the privilege of Ebenezer Church. 
The committee also agree that the ground on which 
the church now stands and adjoining graveyard shall 
be held and controlled jointly by the two parties." 

Tiiis action of the committee was duly ratified by 
the members of the congregation, and a separation 
ensued. Those that remained and worshiped in the 
old church were ofiered letters, but a slight misunder- 
standing occurred and they refused the profi'er. 

The Lower Ebenezer Lutheran Church was organ- 
ized with sixty members in 1868, after the division 
in the Ebenezer Church. The congregation con- 
tinued to worship in the old frame building until 
1872, when the present two-story brick edifice was 
completed, when they occupied it and sold the old 
building to George W. House, who subsequently 
sold it to the Northwood Methodist Episcopal Church. 
The Ebenezer Church recently acquired it again and 
made it a parsonage. It stands about forty rods west 
of the church building. 



The following pastors have been with the congre- 
gation since 1868, the number of years noted, viz. : 
Obadiah Brown, 7 years ; David Hamma, 11 years; 
Henry Keller, 4 years. The last named is the present 
pastor. The present membership is seventy-five. 

The new brick church was dedicated to the service 
of God during the pastoral charge of Rev. Obadiah 
Brown ; the Rev. Richards preached the dedicatory 
sermon. 

The first elders after the separation were Samuel 
Harper and John A. Sargent ; and the first deacons 
were Luther Johnson and Robert C. Heizer. The 
present elders are Luther Johnson and Luther 
Easterday, and the present deacons are Samuel 
Harper, Silas Johnson, and Franklin Bower. Sab- 
bath-school is held in the church every Sunday in 
the year. The present superintendent is John P. 
Goode. The average attendance the year round is 
about fifty-five. 

This church is situated in a wealthy neighborhood. 
Its members are zealous in the cause of religion, and 
consequently take an interest in all church matters, 
hence the church organization is exceedingly pros- 
perous. 

The Pleasant View Lutheran Church was organ- 
ized on the 26th of February, 1844, with seven 
members, viz.: Jacob Schearer (pastor), Peter Hes- 
song, George Bomgardner, David Hessong, Barbara 
Bomgardner, Catharine Hessong, and Rebecca Hes- 
song. Their meetings for worship were held at the 
house of Peter Hessong. In 1854 a meeting-house 
was erected at Old Augusta, which was removed to 
Pleasant View and there rebuilt in 1863. 

The first pastor of the church was Jacob Schearer, 
who was succeeded (in the order named) by A. H. 
Myers, J. Giger, George A. Exiine, A. J. Cramer, W. 
G. Trester, Jacob Keller, John Boon, William H. 
Keeler, and the Rev. 0. Brown, who is the present 
pastor. The church has now forty members, and a 
Sabbath-school attended by fifty scholars, under the 
superintendence of J. J. Hessong. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Allisonville 
dates back to about the year 1827, when services 
were held by a preacher named Ray at the house of 
Mrs. Kimberlin, where and at other dwellings in the 



644 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



vicinity preaching continued to be held occasionally 
until the building of a school-house (in 1836), which 
then became the preaching-place. After Mr. Ray 
preaching was held by a Mr. Miller, during whose time 
a small class was organized. After Miller came the 
preachers Berry and Smith, and after them a local 
preacher from North Carolina, named James T. 
Wright, who was somewhat instrumental in causing 
their first church building to be erected. He cut the 
logs for the building, and hauled them himself to a 
spot about half a mile east of Allisonville, where he 
proposed to have the church built, but the people of 
Allisonville, unknown to him, hauled them to the 
village and raised the house on the ground where the 
present church stands. At about the time the church 
was built they had a preacher named Donaldson. 

Afterwards came Burt, and after him 

Posey, who was the preacher in 1850, when the log 
church was destroyed by fire, and the present frame 
church was erected in its place. Among the preach- 
ers who followed Posey were Harden, Barnhart, 
Grenman, Cartet, Harden, McCarty, Speelman, Ha- 
vens, White, Langdon, Jones, Thornton, Stalard, 
Jameson, Harris, Grubbs, and Ruggles. 

The Millersville Methodist Episcopal Church. 
For twelve years prior to the year 1846 religious 
services were held by the Methodists in the neighbor- 
hood of Millersville, at the residences of Robert 
Johnson, Sr., George H. Negley, David Hufi', Hillary 
Silvey, Gideon True, Samuel True, and in Peter Neg- 
ley's barn and cooper-shop, and other places. The 
class held services in an old log school-house that 
stood on the southeast corner of Daniel R. Smith's 
land, about a quarter of a mile west of Millersville, 
for two years (about the years 1846 to 1848). In the 
year 1848 the class fitted up an old log cabin, situate 
a few rods north of the cross-roads in Millersville, 
where they continued to worship for four years, hav- 
ing regular preaching every four weeks. It was there 
that a church organization was formed. The number 
of members at organization was about thirty-three. 
The following were among the number, viz. : David 
Huff and wife, Elizabeth Huff, William J. Millard, 
Sr., and wife, Mary Hunter, Richard Shelly, Debba 
Shelly, Annual Sweeny and wife, Hillary Silvey and 



wife, Robert Johnson, Sr., and wife, George H. Neg- 
ley and wife, Mrs. C. G. Wadsworth, Mary Meldrum, 
George Day and wife, Isaac Record, Hannah Record, 
Andrew McDaniel and father, John Essary and wife, 
Mrs. House, Debba Bacon, and Anna James. In 
1853 the congregation bought the lower story of the 
Masonic lodge building, and occupied it from that 
time until 1877. 

By order of the Quarterly Conference the church 
property was sold in 1877, and was purchased by the 
Masonic lodge, and the church class was consolidated 
with Malott Park Church. This caused much dis- 
satisfaction, and many of the forty members belong- 
ing at the time refused to take their membership to 
Malott Park. Some of them went to Castleton, a 
few to Allisonville, and others to Broad Ripple, while 
many have not held membership in any organized 
class since. The following are the most prominent 
ministers that preached at the private houses prior to 
the purchase of the church, viz. : John V. R. Miller, 
Meliades Miller, George Havens, Henry A. Cotting- 

ham, and McCarty. The following ministers 

preached in the old log cabin, viz., James Scott and 
Prank Hardin. The latter was the first regular min- 
ister who preached in the new church, and it was 
during his pastoral charge that the house was dedi- 
cated to the service of God. The dedicatory sermon 
was delivered by Thomas H. Lyuch, on Oct. 26, 1853. 

The first trustees of the church property were 
Hillary L. Silvey, David Huff, and Richard Shelly. 
The last trustees were Alexander Culbertson, Robert 
Roe, and William H. Hornaday. There has been no 
church organization at Millersville since 1877 ; how- 
ever, through the kindness of the Masonic lodge, 
the building formerly used as the church is at the 
disposal of the citizens to be used for Sabbath-school 
and any kind of religious meetings free of charge. 
A union Sabbath-school is carried on during the 
summer months only. The attendance during the 
past summer averaged about sixty, and John Roberts 
was the superintendent. The Rev. Mr. Cobb, an 
Episcopalian missionary, preaches every Sabbath 
evening. 

The Mapleton Methodist Episcopal Church dates 
back to the year 1843, at which time a class was 



WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. 



645 



organized at the house of Delanson Slawson, who had 
come here from Switzerland County. The class then 
organized consisted of six or seven members, all fe- 
males, among whom were Sarah A. McClintock, Delia 
Hildebrand, Hannah Blue, Mrs. Rachel Ruark, and 
some of the Slawson family. Their first meetings 
were held at Slawson's, subsequently at the residences 
of other members, and in the old log school-house 
of the neighborhood. Their first preachers were 
John L. Smith and Lucien Berry, after whom were 
Frank Hardin and H. J. Meek, — then a local, but 
afterwards a regular preacher on the circuit. 

In the summer of 1855, Rev. H. J. Meek, assisted 
by George Havens, a local preacher, held a protracted 
meeting in the woods at Sugar Grove, which resulted 
in the formation of tliie Sugar Grove Methodist Epis- 
copal Church by the Rev. Mr. Meek ; the following 
being the original t lembers, viz. : James and Mary 
Ruark, William H. and Sarah A. McClintock, Pame- 
lia Johnson, Hannah Blue, Martha F. Hammond, 
Joseph Ruark, Thomas Ruark, Rachel Ruark, Peter 
Ruark, Winnie Ruark, Henry and Rachel Wright, 
John A. and Rebecca Smay, Elias Blue, Joshua and 
Sarah Huston, L. D. Beeler, B. P. Slate, Pamelia A. 
Slate, Isaac and Susan Wheatley, Mary Willis, Mary 
Ann McWhorter, Deliah Hildebrand, David Howver, 
Wilhelmina Beeler, Lavina Walters, Margaret Armen- 
trout, Thomas Wright, and Susan Wright. 

On the 23d of August in the same year the society 
met, and elected John Armstrong, Thomas H. Johns, 
James M. Ruark, John F. Hill, and S. M. Brister, 
trustees; and Thomas Ruark, Gerard Blue, Henry 
Wright, William McClintock, and William Roe were 
appointed a building committee to supervise the erec- 
tion of a church edifice. Thomas Ruark donated 
half an acre of ground in Sugar Grove on which to 
build the church, and one acre was also given by Noah 
Wright for church purposes. The present parsonage 
stands on it. A frame building was immediately 
erected, at a cost of about eight hundred dollars, and 
is still standing and in use, having been repaired and 
refitted during the past year, at a cost of about eight 
hundred dollars. 

The Rev. H. J. Meek continued to minister to the 
church for about three years after the organization. 



after which they were served by the preachers of the 
circuit. The present minister is the Rev. S. F. Tin- 
cher. The name of the church has been changed 
from Sugar Grove to Mapleton Church, which has at 
the present time about fifty members. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Malott Park 
was organized in 1876, with sixteen members, viz. : 

David Huff, Hannah Huff, Huff, E. Bowles, 

Albert Culbertson, Margaret J. Culbertson, Charles 
A. Culbertson, W. H. Hornaday, Kate Hornaday, 
Thomas J. Wright, Susan Wright, Clara Wright, W. 
D. C. Wright, Robert Roe, E. Roe, and Martha E. 
Roe. Their church building was erected in 1875, 
and is the same that is now in use by the congrca- 
tion. 

The preachers who have served this church are, 
and have been, Amos Hanway, Thomas Wyell, J. D. 

Widman, Early, B. F. Morgan, J. S. Alley, 

and S. F. Tincher, the present minister in charge. 
The church has now about thirty members, and con- 
nected with it is a Sabbath-school (not taught in 
winter), with about seventy scholars. The superin- 
tendents have been A. Culbertson, W. D. C. Wrio-ht, 
and J. W. Negley. 

The Broad Ripple Union Church is located in 
Wellington, and was erected in 1851 by subscription. 
John Burk was the principal leader in the buildin"- 
of the church. It is a frame structure, built by 
Wilson Whitesell and Richard Miller, carpenters. 
Jacob C. Coil donated the land upon which the 
church stands. The building is in good repair, and 
is kept up by the Methodists. 

The first preacher was Henry Coe, a Presbyterian. 
The Washington Presbyterian class worshiped in the 
house a while, and afterwards a Baptist class was or- 
ganized, and Madison Hume preached for them. The 
present Methodist class was organized in 1852. by 
the Rev. Frank Hardin, who for some time was their 
minister. The following are the ministers who have 
preached in the house • regularly for the Methodists 
since the Rev. Hardin, viz. : Henry A. Cottingham, 

Barnhart, Burch, John C. McCarty, 

Blake, White, Spellman, George Havens, 

Stallard, Longdon, Jones, 

Thornton, Jamison, Harvey, C. Harris, 



646 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Grubbs, and the present minister, the Rev. S. 

F. Tincher, of Mapleton. The present membership 
is thirty. 

The first trustees were Jacob C. Coil and John 
Burk. The present trustees are Jacob C. Wright, 
Wm. M. Dawson, Hamihon Thompson, Swartz Mus- 
tard, and Isaac Morris. A Sabbath-school is held 
during the summer months only, with an average at- 
tendance of fifty. Wm. M. Dawson is superinten- 
dent. 

The Crooked Creek Baptist Church was organized 
in 1837, with fourteen original members, viz. : 
Madison Hume, Joseph Watts, Patrick Hume, Jane 
Hume, Esther Hume, David and Eliza Stoops, John 
Kinsley, Achsah Kinsley, John and Rachel Dunn, 
Samuel Hutchinson, Martha Hutchinson, and Morley 
Stewart. Their first meetings were held in the old 
log school-house near the location of the present 
church. Their first church edifice was built in 1842, 
which, having become insufficient for the use of the 
congregation, was replaced by the present church 
building, which T^as erected on the same site in 1856. 

The first pastor of this church was the Rev. Madi- 
son Hume, whose successors have been Revs. ■ 

Poin, A. Hume, Stewart, Craig, A. J. 

Martin, A. J. Riley, R. N. Harvey, T. J. Conner, 
and Lewis. The present membership is ninety-eight. 
Connected with the church is a Sunday-school, with 
an attendance of sixty-three pupils, under the super- 
intendency of T. F. Wakeland. 

The Union Church at Nora was built in 1864. A 
church organization had been previously formed (in 
1861), with the following-named members, viz.: 
Isaiah Applegate, James Gray, Margarette Gray, 
Theodosia Gray, Elizabeth Gray, James McShane 
and wife, Franklin Hall and wife, Samuel Tooley 
and wife, Allan Stewart and wife, Henry Whitinger, 
Susan Whitinger, Abraham Bowen, Ruth Bowen, 
Peter Lawson, Catharine Lawson, Sarah Somers, 
Nancy Ray, William McCoy, Jane McCoy, Louisa 
Dawson, Samuel Whitinger, Ann Whitinger, Rachel 
Smith, Mary J. Dodd, Sally Whitesell, William 
Shields, Charles Hufi'man, and Susan Wright. Meet- 
ings for worship were held in the school-house until 
the erection of the church edifice, three years after 



the organization. The first minister to this congre- 
gation was John McCarty, who was followed by 
Isaac Hardin, Henry Cottingham, and a number of 
other preachers. At present there is no church or- 
ganization, but a flourishing Sunday-school is kept 
up, with an attendance of fifty-five scholars, under 
the superintendence of Mary Barr. 

Schools. — There are fifteen public schools in this 
township, including the graded and high school at 
Broad Ripple. The school-houses are all common 
frame, except the school-house at Millersville, No. 2, 
and No. 12, in the northwest corner of the township, 
which is a new brick house, built in 1881 ; also the 
new graded school-house at Broad Ripple is a sub- 
stantial brick, with rubble limestone foundation, four 
rooms finished in modern style, and is the best pub- 
lic-school building in Marion Co^inty outside the city 
of Indianapolis. The cost of the building, including 
out-building, furniture, etc., was about seven thou- 
sand five hundred dollars. This graded, or high 
school, as it is commonly termed, was built to accom- 
modate the advance pupils for the entire township, 
and is, therefore, a township graded school. It is 
located at Broad Ripple, the geographical centre of 
the township, and was built in 1883. The schools 
of Washington township are taught seven months in 
the year, a term which should be increased to nine 
months. 



BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. 



, OLIVER JOHNSON. 
The lineage of the Johnson family is distinctively 
Irish. Jeremiah Johnson, Sr., the grandfather of 
Oliver, early resided in Virginia, and subsequently 
removed to Kentucky, the Territory of Indiana ulti- 
mately becoming his home. His children were Sam- 
uel, Jeremiah, Thomas, John, Milton, Nancy, Jane, 
Mary, and Sarah. Of these sons, John was born Jan. 
1, 1798, in Kentucky, and removed to Franklin 
County, Ind. In 1821, Marion County became his 
home. He married Miss Sarah Pursel, daughter of 
Peter Pursel, Esq., formerly of New Jersey, and one 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



647 



of the early residents of Franklin County, Ind. Their 
twelve children were Oliver, Luther, Volney, Newton, 
John v., Charles P., Louisa, Elizabeth, Mary Ann, 
Nancy Jane, Lucinda, and Sarah. Oliver was born 
Nov. 22, 1821, in Franklin County, Ind., and brought 
with his parents while an infant to Marion County. 
His youth was passed at the home of his father in 
the various employments of the farm, interspersed 
with periods at the neighboring school. At the age 
of twenty-two he was married to Miss Pamelia How- 
land, daughter of Powell Howland, Esq., of Marion 
County. Their children are Mary E. (Mrs. Wm. A. 
Lowe), of Terre Haute; James P., of Terre Haute, 
who married Miss Rebecca Shoemaker, of the same 
place ; Silas H., of Washington township, married to 
Miss Laura Wright, of the same township ; and Frank- 
lin P., also of Washington township, married to Miss 
Georgie Ann Pursel, of Tuscola, 111. Mr. Johnson for 
several years after his marriage rented a farm, but de- 
siring to be independent of landlords, purchased a 
tract of land in Washington township, which was soon 
after sold and his present home secured. He has 
during his active career been engaged in farming of a 
general character, and is regarded as one of the most 
practical and successful farmers of the county. He 
has in politics been a lifetime Democrat, but not a 
working partisan. He is in religion a supporter of 
the Lutheran Church, of which his wife is a member. 



CHAPTER XXVII L 

WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 

The township of Wayne is the central one in the 
western range of townships of Marion County. On 
the north it is bounded by the township of Pike ; on 
the east by Centre ; on the south by Decatur town- 
ship, and on the west by Hendricks County. 

The only streams of any importance in the town- 
ship are White River, and Eagle and Little Eagle 
Creeks. The former barely touches the township on 
its eastern border, where, in its meanderings, it enters 
from Centre, and immediately afterwards returns to 
the same township. Eagle Creek, flowing in a south- 



erly direction from Pike township, enters Wayne in 
the northwest, traverses the township diagonally in a 
very meandering course to the southeast corner, 
touching the southwest corner of Centre and then 
entering the northeast point of Decatur township, 
where it joins its waters with those of the White 
River. Little Eagle Creek, coming from the north, 
crosses the boundary between Pike and Wayne, and 
flows southwardly across the eastern part of the latter 
township, to a point near its southeastern corner, 
where the stream enters Eagle Creek. 

Several of the railway lines diverging from Indian- 
apolis cross the territory of Wayne. The Indian- 
apolis and Vincennes road is the most southern of 
these, traversing the township only a short distance 
across its southeastern corner. Next, north, is the 
Vandalia line, which crosses the southern half of the 
township in a northeasterly and southwesterly direc- 
tion. The Indianapolis and St. Louis Railroad crosses 
Wayne in nearly an east and west direction, near the 
centre of the township. The Indiana, Bloomington 
and Western Railway runs across the north part of 
the township to a point near its northwest corner, 
where it passes into Hendricks County. 

Three small towns or villages lie within the terri- 
tory of Wayne township. Of these, Bridgeport is 
located in the southwest part of the township, on the 
old National road, and also on the line of the Van- 
dalia Railroad. The village of Clermont is in the 
northwest corner of the township, on the line of the 
Indiana, Bloomington and Western Railway ; and 
on the south line of the township, near its southeast 
corner, is the village of Maywood, located on the 
line of the Vincennes Railroad. The population of 
the township oy the United States census of 1880 
was four th' asand seven hundred and seventy-two. 

Wayne with the other townships of Marion 
County, was set off, and its boundaries defined, by 
order of the board of county commissioners, on the 
16th of April, 1822, and on the same date the board 
ordered that Wayne and Pike be temporarily joined 
together in one township organization, and for judi- 
cial purposes, the union to continue until each town- 
ship should become sufiGiciently populous for a sepa- 
rate organization. They remained joined in this 



648 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



manner for more than two years, and on the 10th of 
May, 1824, the commissioners ordered Pike to be 
separated from Wayne and independently organized, 
" the inhabitants being sufficiently numerous" in the 
former township ; the inference, therefore, being that 
they were still more numerous in Wayne than in 
l^ike. 

Following is a list of persons appointed or elected 
to the principal offices of Wayne township from its 
erection to the present time, viz. : 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 

Abraham Hendricks, June 15, 1822, to December, 1825; re- 
moved. 

Isaac Stephens, June 22, 1822, to February, 1824; removed. 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, May 10, 1824, to March 29, 1829. 

William Logan, Feb. 8, 1825, to Nov. i, 1828; resigned. 

James Johnson, Jan. 3, 1829, to Jan 3, 1834. 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, May 4, 1829, to April 6, 1834. 

James Johnson, Feb. 24, 1834, to Aug. 4, 1838; resigned. 

James W. Johnson, June 7, 1834, to June 7, 1839. 

Allen Jennings, June IS, 1834, to June 18, 1839. 

Martin Martindale, Sept. 8, 1838, to Oct. 12, 1843 ; died. 

James W. Johnston, Oct'. 8, 1 839, to Oct. 8, 1844. 

John W. Mattern, March 19, 1840, to March 19, 1845. 

William Taylor, Deo. 1, 1843, to March 29, 1844; resigned. 

Thomas Morrow, May 11, 1S44, to May 11, 1854. 

George Hoover, Nov. 19, 1844, to Nov. 19, 1849. 

Robert Taylor, March 10, 1846, to April 30, 1846; resigned. 

Jesse Pugh, Nov. 20, 1849, to March 5, 1851 ; resigned. 

Oliver P. Meeker, April 15, 1850, to Oct. 12, 1850 ; resigned. 

Alexander Jameson, April 19, 1851, to April 18, 1855. 

Daniel Catterson, April 19, 1851, to Nov. 8, 1851; died. 

Patrick Catterson, Feb. 11, 1853, to Sept. 18, 1855; resigned. 

John P. Martindale, May 11, 1854, to Feb. 23, 1857; resigned. 

Alexander Jameson, Nov. 8, 1855, to Nov. 7, 1859. 

Ransom Wooten, April 2.S, 1856, to Feb. 26, 1857; resigned. 

Isaiah Hornaday, April 17, 1857, to March 1, 1860 ; resigned. 

Henley H. Mercer, April 18, 1857, to April 17, 1861. 

Sylvester T. Zimmerman, Nov. 6, 1858, to May 24, 1859 ; re- 
signed. 

Alfred Clark, July 23, 1859, to March 8, 1860; resigned. 

Hiram Rhoads, Nov. 7, 1859, to Nov. 7, 1867. 

John B. Johnson, April 17, 1860, to March 6, 1862; resigned. 

George MoCray, April 21, I860, to March 27, 1862; resigned. 

Richard \V. Thompson, June 19, 1 862, to Nov. 8, 1869 ; resigned. 

Robert McFarland, April 23, 1863, to Dec. 30, 1864; resigned. 

John P. Martindale, April 14, 1866, to April 14, 1870. 

William W. Webb, April 18, 1868, to April 18, 1872. 

John T. Turpin, Oct. 25, 1870, to March 6, 1877; died. 

Gazaway Sullivan, Oct. 25, 1872, to Oct. 25, 1876. 

Leonard Avery, Oct. 28, 1872, to Oct. 21, 1876. 



Apollo S. Ingling, Oct. 25, 1876, to Oct. 25, 1880. 
Leon S. Avery, Feb. 24, 1877, to June 7, 1880; resigned. 
William A. Davidson, March 26, 1877, to April 9, 1878. 
James T. Morgan, April 9, 1878, to April 9, 1882. 
Jacob A. Emerich, June 7, 1880, to Oct. 25, 1884. 
William A. Davidson, April 25, 1882, to April 25, 1886. 
Ezra G. Martin, June 23, 1883, to April 14, 1884. 

TRUSTEES. 
Joseph Ballard, April 11, 1859, to April 21, 1860. 
William N. Gladden, April 21, 1860, to April 16, 1861. 
John H. Harris, April 16, 1861, to April 18, 1863. 
Edward Dunn, April 18, 1863, to April 16, 1864. 
Alexander Jameson, April 16, 1864, to Oct. 21, 1872. 
Lazarus R. Harding, Oct. 21, 1872, to March 13, 1876. 
Jesse Wright, March 13, 1876, to April 16, 1880. 
Hiram W. Miller, April 16, 1880, to April 19, 1882. 
William H. Speer, April 19, 1S82, for 2 years. 

ASSESSORS. 
James Johnson, Jan. 1, 1827, to Jan. 5, 1829. 
William Logan, Jan. 5, 1829, to Jan. 3, 1831. 
Asa B. Strong, Jan. 3, 1831, to Jan. 1, 1833. 
William Logan, Jan. 7, 1833, to Jan. 6, 1834. 
Abraham H. Dawson, Jan. 6, 1834, to Jan. 4, 1836. 
Alexander Felton, Jan. 4, 1836, to March 7, 1836. 
Abraham H. Dawson, March 7, 1836, to Jan. 1, 1838. 
Aquilla Hilton, Jan. 1, 1838, to Jan. 7, 1839. 
Asa B. Strong, Jan. 7, 1839, to Jan. 6, 1840. 
W. Miller, Jan. 6, 1840, to Jan. 4, 1841. 
Abraham H. Dawson, Jan. 4, 1841, to Dec. 6, 1841. 
Hiram Wright, Nov. 20, 1852, to Dec. 17, 1853. 
John Vansiokle, Dec. 17, 1853, to Nov. 25, 1854. 
William N. Gladden, Nov. 25, 1854, to Jan. 1, 1857. 
John W. Larimore, Jan. 1, 1857, to Oct. 27, 1858. 
John B. Corbaley, Oct. 27, 1858, to Oct. 29, 1860. 
Martin B. Warfel, Oct. 29, 1860, to Dec. 24, 1864. 
Abraham H. Dawson, Dec. 24, 1864, to Oct. 29, 1870. 
Conrad Brian, Oct. 29, 1870, to Aug. 1, 1873. 
Ezekiel M. Thompson, March 25, 1875, to Oct. 18, 1876. 
Conrad Brian, Oct. 18, 1876, to April 14, 1884. 

The first settlements within the territory of Wayne 
township were made in 1821, from which time they 
increased slowly, though steadily, and with more 
rapidity than those in the eastern townships of the 
county. Among the earliest of the settlers upon 
lands in Wayne township were the Corbaley and 
Barnhill families, who came from Ohio to this county 
in 1820, first making a temporary settlement within 
the limits of the present city of Indianapolis, where 
they spent the sickly summers of 1820 and 1821, 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



649 



then removed westward to Wayne township, where 
they became permanent settlers. 

Jeremiah J. Corbaley, one of the most widely 
known and respected inhabitants of Wayne township 
for nearly a quarter of a century, was a native of the 
State of Delaware, but grew to manhood in Cecil 
County, Md. At the age of twenty-seven (in the 
year 1816) he went West, as faa- as Hamilton, Ohio, 
having with him his portion of his father's estate, 
about six hundred dollars in cash, which he deposited 
with a merchant of Hamilton, who failed soon after- 
wards, thus leaving him almost entirely without 
means. He was not, however, discouraged by his 
loss, but went resolutely to work to earn a livelihood. 
In 1819 he married Jane, the eldest daughter of 
Robert Barnhill, who then resided near Hamilton, 
and in March, 1820, the families of Barnhill and 
Corbaley migrated to Marion County, Ind., where 
they settled just outside the donation, near the site 
of the City Hospital of Indianapolis, on land after- 
wards owned by the late Samuel J. Patterson. There, 
in a log house, on the 7th of August, 1820, was 
born Richard, the first child of Jeremiah and Jane 
Corbaley, and who is said to have been also the first 
white child born in Marion County. 

On account of the prevailing sickness which 
afflicted nearly all the settlers at that time, and also 
by reason of the death of Robert Barnhill in 1821,' 
Mr. Corbaley, with his wife and young son, and the 
widow and family (who were numerous, and nearly 
all adults) of Mr. Barnhill, removed from the vicinity 
of Indianapolis to lands which they had purchased 
on Eagle Creek in Wayne township, where Mr. Cor- 
baley settled on the northeast quarter of section 28, 
township 16, range 2, and became, at once, one of the 
most prominent citizens of Wayne. He was a mag- 
istrate for many years, and in that capacity and posi- 
tion caused the amicable settlement of many disputes 
among the people of the township, and was in general 
the adviser and business man of his neighbors through 
all his life. One of the official positions which he 
held was^ that of commissioner appointed by the 
Legislature to locate the seats of justice of Clinton 



1 Robert Barnhill's estate was the first entered for probate in 
Marion County. 
~^- 42 



and Fulton Counties. During the time (nearly 
twenty-three years) of his residence in Wayne town- 
ship he cleared about eighty acres of his lands there, 
and purchased about four hundred acres in Marshall 
County, of this State. He died Jan. 11, 1844. 

Mr. and Mrs. Corbaley reared ten children, viz. : 
Richard, Sarah, Emily, John B., Mary C, James J., 
Samuel B., Eliza J., Robert C, and William H. Cor- 
baley, all of whom had reached maturity and were 
married before the death of their mother, April 7, 
1870. Three of them have since died. One of the 
sons, Samuel B. Corbaley, born at the homestead in 
Wayne township, Feb. 17, 1834, is a prominent citi- 
zen of Indianapolis, in which city he has resided for 
more than twenty years. 

The family of Robert Barnhill and his wife con- 
sisted of twelve children, viz. : Samuel, John, Wil- 
liam, Daniel, Robert, James, Hugh, Jane, Katie, 
Sally, Nancy, and Mary, — who became Mrs. Speer, 
and mother of William H. Speer, one of the most 
prominent citizens of the township. The widow of 
Robert Barnhill moved with her family (as before 
stated) to Wayne township soon after the death of 
her husband, and in 1829 she was assessed on eighty 
acres of land in the township, described as the south- 
east quarter of section 22, township 16, range 2. 
She married a second husband, Jacob Whitinger. 
Her sons, Robert and Hugh Barnhill, are now living 
near the north line of the county. 

John Barnhill, born in 1796, came to Marion 
County about 1823, and located on land in Wayne 
township. In 1829 he was assessed on the northwest 
quarter of section 27, township 16, range 2. He had 
several daughters, of whom Sarah, Beulah, and Ann 
are now living. His son, J. C. Barnhill, lives in 
Wayne township, and is one of its well-known 
citizens. 

The Harding family, from Washington County, 
Ky.,were also among the earliest emigrants to Marion 
County, Ind. Robert and Martha Harding, both 
natives of Pennsylvania, and emigrants to Kentucky, 
were married about the close of the Revolutionary 
war, and became the parents of twelve children, viz. : 
John, Eliakim, Ede, Robert, Samuel, Israel, Laban, 
Ruth, Avis, Sarah, Martha, and Jemima. In the 



650 



HISTOKT OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



spring of 1820, Mrs. Harding, then a widow, came to 
Marion County with her children, excepting two of 
her sons who had preceded her, and two who came 
afterwards. The family settled first on the " dona- 
tion" tract, just outside the town of Indianapolis, and 
built the first dwelling (a log cabin) erected on the 
banks of White River, in Marion County. The log 
house of Robert Harding (who was a married man, 
and lived separate from the rest of the family) was 
located on the bluff bank, just north of the east end 
of the National road bridge, as described by Mr. 
Nowland,' who also says that Robert Harding's 
second son, Mordecai, was the first white child born 
on the donation. 

Mrs. Martha Harding, widow of Robert Harding, 
Sr., and mother of the large family referred to, died 
in 1841. She owned a farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres in Wayne township, near Eagle Creek, 
and three of her sons — Ede, Samuel, and Israel 
Harding — were resident tax-payers in Wayne in 1829, 
as shown by the assessment-roll of the township for 
that year. Samuel Harding's land is described on 
that list as the northeast quarter of section 6, in sur- 
vey-township 15, range 3; that of Ede Harding, as 
the northwest quarter of the same section, being 
directly west of the farm of his brother Samuel ; 
and Israel Harding's land as the southeast quarter of 
section 5, in the same survey-township. 

Ede Harding was born in Washington County, 
Ky., March 16, 1792, and in his youth (1805) 
removed with the family to Butler County, Ohio, 
where he attended a backwoods school for a short 
time during each of several successive winters, hav- 
ing had no educational advantages whatever in his 
native State. In 1816 he married Mary Robinson, 
and removed to Fayette County, Ind., where he pur- 
chased and cleared a small tract of land. This he 
afterwards traded for land in Wayne township, 
Marion Co., and came to his new purchase in 1821, 
though he did not bring his family until February of 
the following year. After a long, useful, and honor- 
able life, he died, in January, 1876. Mrs. Harding 
died in 1857. One of their sons, Oliver Harding, is 

1 Sketches of Prominent Citizens, etc., by John H. B. Now- 
land. 



living at Danville, 111. Another son (John) and two 
of their daughters (Lavinia and Sarah) reside in 
Hendricks County, Ind. Laban Harding, the eldest 
son of Ede and Mary Harding, was born in Fayette 
County, Oct. 17, 1817, and came in childhood with 
his parents to Wayne township, where he is now 
owner of a fine farm of two hundred and twenty-five 
acres, located on sections 20 and 21, of survey-town- 
ship 16, range 3, about six miles from Indianapolis. 
He was married in December, 1837, to Jemima 
McCray, and they became the parents of eleven 
children, of whom seven are now living. 

Samuel Harding, son of Robert and brother of 
Ede Harding, was born in Washington County, Ky., 
in 1795. He removed with other members of the 
family to Butler County, Ohio. Some years after- 
wards he went with his brother Ede to Fayette County, 
IniJ., and emigrated thence, in February, 1820, to 
Marion County, where the family located, first on the 
banks of the White River as before mentioned. Thence 
he removed to his lands in Wayne township, a mile west 
of where the Insane Asylum now is. In 1824 he 
was married to Jeremiah Johnson's daughter Jane, 
with whom he lived for forty years. She died in 
1864. They had ten children, of whom four are 
now living. Samuel Harding was prominent in the 
Baptist Church, and a member of the Indiana Legis- 
lature in 1846-47. He died in 1874. 

Israel Harding, brother of Ede and Samuel Hard- 
ing, was also a native of Washington County, Ky., 
born in 1798. His farm in Wayne township was 
that where William H. Speer (his son-in-law) now 
lives. He was married about 1825 to Nancy John- 
son, daughter of Jeremiah Johnson, and sister of his 
brother Samuel's wife. Israel Harding was, like his 
brother Samuel, a prominent member of the Baptist 
Church. He served as a member of the Indiana 
Legislature in 1841, and was a candidate for re- 
election, but died in July, 1842. His widow sur- 
vived him nearly thirty-nine years, and died in June, 
1881. 

Obadiah Harris, who was a well-known citizen of 
Wayne township for more than half a century, was 
born in Guilford County, N. C, Feb. 5, 1789. At 
the age of eighteen he emigrated to Ohio, and less 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



651 



than a year afterwards (in the fall of 1807) pushed 
on to Wayne County, Ind., where he remained nearly 
fifteen years, and in 1822 removed to Wayne town- 
ship, Marion County, where he settled on a farm lo- 
cated on the National road, near the site of the Insane 
Asylum, described as the west half of the northeast 
quarter and the east half of the northwest quarter 
of section 9, survey-township 15, range 3, on which 
he reared one of the earliest and best apple-orchards 
in the county, and on which he lived till his death, 
April 2, 1875. He was famed as a skillful hunter, 
was a widely-known and highly-respected man, and 
was once elected to the Indiana Legislature, in which 
body he served creditably. 

Mr. Harris was married, in December, 1811, in 
Wayne County, Ind., to Sarah Lewis, of the same 
county. They became the parents of eight children, 
viz. : Hannah, born in November, 1812 ; Avis, 
March, 1815 ; Betsey, January, 1817 ; Lewis, Feb- 
ruary, 1819; Benjamin, September, 1822; John 
Harvey, January, 1824; Nancy, January, 1827; 
and Naomi, born May 19, 1832. The mother of 
these children died in November, 1842. In 1846, 
Mr. Harris married Ruth Huff, who is still living. 
One of Mr, Harris' daughters (Mrs. Carpenter) is 
still living on the homestead. Another (Mrs. An- 
drew Wilson) lives in the southeast part of the town- 
ship. His son, John Harvey, died recently in 
Kansas. 

Asa B. Strong, who was a highly-respected citizen 
and often filled responsible public ofiices during the 
period of more than fifty years that he lived after 
becoming a settler in Wayne township, was born in 
Addison County, Vt., Sept. 28, 1799. In 1821 he, 
■with an older brother, emigrated to Ohio, and thence, 
in the fall of 1822, he moved with his family in an 
ox-wagon to Marion County, Ind., arriving at Indian- 
apolis on the 14th of November. The land on 
which he settled in Wayne township is described in 
the assessment-roll of 1829 as the southwest quarter 
of section 27, township 16, range 2. He was four 
times married : first, at Oxford, Ohio, in April, 1822, 
to Frances Shurtleff, who died Sept. 19, 1836; sec- 
ond, in April, 1837, to Sarah Ballard, who died in 
1845 ; third, in January, 1849, to Marearet Ballard, 



who died in March, 1852 ; and fourth, in January, 
1856, to Emily Sanders, who died in November, 
1867. Mr. Strong had eight children by the first 
marriage, four by the second, and one by the third, 
his last marriage being childless. He died Feb. 14, 
1873. His sons, Samuel P., John T., and Asa M., 
are still living ; also several of his daughters, among 
the latter being Mrs. Charles Murray, of Indianapolis. 
Robert, Richard, and Jacob Helvey were among 
the earliest of those who came to Wayne township, 
though it does not appear that they were among the 
original land-owners, as in the assessment-roll of 
1829 they were not so classed, and they then paid 
only a poll-tax except Jacob, who was assessed on 
two horses and two oxen. Robert Harding was 
known through all the region near and far as a 
great fiddler. Mr. Nowland^ mentions him as " Old 
Helvey," and says he " lived on the school section 
(No. 16) west of Eagle Creek, and near what was 
called the ' big raspberry patch.' His house 
was the headquarters for dances and sprees of all 
kinds. He made it a point to invite all the new- 
comers on first sight to visit him." It appears that 
Helvey had several fine, robust daughters, whose 
presence was not among the least of the attractions 
which brought visitors to their father's house. Con- 
cerning these and " Old Helvey's" estimate of them, 
Mr. Nowland makes the father say, " Thar's no such 
gals in the settlement as old Helvey's ! Thar's Bash 
(Bathsheba), and Vine, and Tantrabogus, and the 
like o' that. I'll tell ye, stranger, that Bash is a 
boss. I would like you to come over and take a 
rassle with her. She throwed old 'Liakim Harding 
best two in three ; 'tother was a dog-fall, but Bash 
soon turned him and got on top on him. . . . I'll 
tell ye, stranger, that gal Bash killed the biggest 
buck that's been killed in the New Purchase. She 
shot off-hand seventy-five yards. He was a real 
three-spiker, no mistake." With regard to the pe- 
culiarities of " Old Helvey," Mr. Nowland says, 
" He distinguished himself in many hotly-contested 
battles at Jerry Collins' grocery, and never failed to 
vanquish his adversary, and fairly won the trophies 



1 Sketches of Prominent Citizens, 1876. 



652 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



of war, which were generally an eye, a piece of an 
ear, a part of a finger, or a slice of flesh from some 
exposed part of his antagonist's person. In Mr. 
Helvey's house could be found a great variety of 
munitions of war, such as rifles, shot-guns, muskets, 
tomahawks, scalping- and butcher-knives. In his 
yard were all kinds of dogs, from the surly bull-dog 
to the half-wolf, or ' Injun dog.' In his pound, or 
stable, was a variety of Indian ponies. . . . After 
the treaty with the Miamis of the Wabash, at the 
mouth of Little River, in the year 1832, Mr. Helvey 
moved to the treaty-ground, and there died." 

James M. McClelland came with his father's family 
to settle within the boundaries of Wayne before it 
had been set off as a separate township. He was 
born in Dickson County, Tenn., in December, 1807, 
and in the fall of 1814 emigrated with the family to 
Union County, Ind., whence, in February, 1822, they 
moved to Marion County. In April, 1833, James 
M. McClelland was married to Anna, the eldest 
daughter of Jesse Jphnson. Their children were 
two who died in infancy, and seven others, viz. : 
Mary J., Samuel J., Tilghman H., George M., Mar- 
garet H., Francis M., and John W., the last-named 
four being still living. Their mother died Aug. 4, 
1882. Mr. McClelland now resides in Indianapolis. 

Andrew Hoover, who came to Marion County in 
1822, was a native of Randolph County, N. C, born 
March 12, 1788. At the age of twelve years he 
went with the family to Montgonery County, Ohio, 
where he was married (in 1808) to Sarah Sinks, who 
was also a native of North Carolina., In 1821 he 
attended the government land sale at Brookville, and 
purchased a quarter-section of land in that part of 
Marion County which afterwards became Perry town- 
ship, and removed to it November, 1822, but after a 
short stay in Perry removed to Wayne. The lands 
on which he was assessed in Wayne in 1829 were 
described as the northeast quarter of section 20, and 
the east half of the northwest quarter of section 17, 
in survey-township 15, range 3. The location of 
Mr. Hoover's farm was not far from the village of 
Maywood. He was a man of excellent character 
and standing among the people of the township, and 
held several responsible public offices. He died on 



the 25th of November, 1863. He was the father of 
ten children, viz. : Abijah (dead), George (dead), 
Daniel D. (dead), Hannah, Mary Ann, Jacob E. 
(dead), Alexander W., Sarah J., Cary S., and Perry 
C, the last two being twins. 

John Cossell was an early settler, and a resident in 
Wayne township for more than thirty years. Born 
in Maryland in 1770, he emigrated, after the Revo- 
lution, to Kentucky, and thence to Ohio, where he 
was married, in 1807, to Mary Holme. They be- 
came the parents of thirteen children. Mr. Cosseli 
came to Wayne township in 1823, and died May 10, 
1854. 

William Cossell, son of John, was born in Butler 
County, Ohio, in 1811, and came to this county with 
his father in 1823. In October, 1835, he married 
Hannah, daughter of Andrew Hoover. The land of 
the farm on which he now lives was purchased by 
him with money earned in the building of the old 
National road bridge across White River. 

Nicholas Robinson, a native of Washington County, 
Tenn., came to Marion County in 1832. Od his 
arrival he was employed at work for Nicholas Mc- 
Carty. He was married in 1842, and in 1847 moved 
to Wayne township, where he is still living. His first 
wife dying, he was again married in 1853. By the 
first marriage he had four children (all dead), and by 
the second marriage six children. 

William Gladden, who is still living, and almost a 
nonogenarian,' has been a resident of Marion County 
and Wayne township for sixty years ; always a highly- 
respected citizen, and for many years a prominent 
man in public affairs. He was born in York County, 
Pa., and moved with his father's family to Maryland 
when six years, of age, and afterwards emigrated to 
Ohio, where he was married in August, 1823, and 
came in the same year to Wayne township, Marion 
Co., Ind. In 1829 he was assessed on two hundred 
and forty-seven acres of land, described as the north- 
east quarter, and the east half of the northwest 

1 When this was written (December, 1883) Mr. Gladden and 
his aged wife were living and in good health. He died Jan, 
29, 1884, and she died on the day following. After a married 
life of more than sixty years, they rest together in Crown Hill 
Cemetery, 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



653 



quarter of section 4, survey-township 15, range 2. 
Afterwards he added largely to his lands by purchase, 
and in 1835 was the owner of about five hundred and 
forty acres. The children of William and Eva Glad- 
den were nine in number, viz., William, John, Wash- 
ington, Alfred, George, David, Elizabeth, Hannah, 
and Mary.' Five of them are now living, viz. : Alfred, 
in Indianapolis ; George, John, and David, in the 
country ; and William, in California. 

Martin Martindale was born in South Carolina in 
1788, and when a youth emigrated to Ohio, and at 
the age of nineteen was married to Elizabeth Pearson, 
who also was born in South Carolina about the year 
1799. They settled on the Little Miami and re- 
mained there a few years, then moved to Indiana 
and settled on White Water, near New Castle, on a 
small stream called Martindale's Creek. There he 
remained, working at the wheelright trade making 
flax- and wool-wheels, which were in demand at that 
period, until the year 1823, when he came to Marion 
County and settled in Wayne township, five miles 
northwest of the city of Indianapolis, in an unbroken 
forest, having entered a half-section of land that 
winter before coming. There were six children in 
the family at that period, viz. : Charlotte, Miles, 
David, Hannah, Rebecca, and John P. There were 
also born in Marion County, Lucinda, Priscilla, 
Elizabeth, and Joseph, all of whom, except Priscilla, 
are deceased ; also Charlotte, Miles, and Rebecca, 
leaving David, Priscilla, Hannah (Mrs. McCaslin), 
and John P. the only children of Martin Martin- 
dale now living, the last two named living in Wayne 
township. David lives in Cedar County, Mo. ; Pris- 
cilla (Mrs. Benedict), lives in Ellsworth County, 
Kansas. Martin Martindale held no office in the county 
except justice of the peace two terms. He was a 
member of and elder in the Christian Church at 
Old Union for many years. He died Oct. 12, 1843. 

Miles Martindale, Martin's brother, was born in 
South Carolina about the year 1790. He married 
Nancy Hill and came to Marion County, Ind., about 
the same time that Martin did, and settled on adjoin- 
ing lands. They had seven children,— Elmina, Wil- 
liam, Martin, Elizabeth, James, David, and Elijah, 
the last two named being born in Marion County. 



All of these are dead except Elmina, Elizabeth, and 
David. Elizabeth (Mrs. HoUiday) now lives in 
Wayne township, and the other two in the West. 
Miles Martindale died about the year 1830. 

David Martindale came from South Carolina, where 
he was born, to Indiana, and married Priscilla Lewis 
in Wayne County; then moved to Marion County; 
located on lands adjoining Martin and Miles, his wife 
dying soon after, leaving one child, whose name was 
Allan. He married a second wife, whose name was 
Rachel Houston, and who had two children, Eliz- 
abeth and William. Allan and William are now 
dead, and Elizabeth is living at Newcastle, Ind. 
David died about the year 1830. Neither he nor 
Miles ever held office or were members of any 
church. 

Jesse Frazier was born in Chatham County, N. C, 
April 7, 1790. He came vo Marion County in 1827 
or 1828 ; was a preacher in the " New Light" faith 
for some time ; then embraced the doctrines of the 
Reformation, and died an acceptable evangelist in the 
Christian Church, Dec. 30, 1839. 

Jeremiah Johnson came to Marion County with 
his family in 1821 , and settled first on lands located 
north of Indianapolis, near the site of the present fair 
grounds. He was the first jail-keeper of Marion 
County, and later he kept a public-house in Indian- 
apolis. In or about 1832 he moved to Wayne town- 
ship, and erected a steam-mill at Bridgeport, one of 
the earliest of that kind in the county. Afterwards 
he lived for some years on his farm, thr«e miles east 
of Bridgeport. He died in 1876, at the age of 
eighty-two years. 

Samson Houghman was born in Virginia in 1795, 
and moved thence to Butler County, Ohio, where he 
passed the years of his youth. He was married very 
early in life, and became the father of five daughters 
and one son, Peter N. Houghman, born in 1820. 
Mr. Houghman came to Marion County in 1829, 
and settled first in Decatur township, but about 1844 
moved to Bridgeport, where for a short time he 
carried on merchandising with his son. Afterwards 
he moved to the farm now occupied by his son, Peter 
N. Houghman, on the National road, about one-fourth 
of a mile east of Bridgeport. He died in 1852. 



^^J-^^ 



654 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



The following-named persons, early settlers in 
Wayne, were resident tax-payers in the township in 
1829. The names are given, with a description of 
the lands on which each was assessed, according to 
the assessment-roll of that year, viz. : 

^ames Anderson, part of the northeast quarter of 
section 33, survey-township 16, range 3, ninety -seven 
acres. 

George Avery, east half of northeast quarter of 
section 25, township 16, range 2. 

Matthew Brown, east half of northeast quarter 
of section 32, township 16, range 3. 

Henry W. Barbour, part of southeast quarter of 
section 11, township 15, range 2. 

George Cossell, Sr., west half of southeast quarter, 
and east half of southwest quarter of section 6, town- 
ship 15, range 3. 

Daniel Closser, three hundred and twenty acres ; 
the southeast quarter and the east half of the north- 
east quarter of section 19, township 15, range 3, and 
the west half of the southwest quarter of section 21, 
in the same township. 

Martin Davenport, the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 19, township 15, range 3, eighty 
aures. 

John Evans, east half of southeast quarter of sec- 
tion 7, township 15, range 3. 

John Fox, the southeast quarter of section 20. 
township 16, range 3. 

Elijah Fox, the southeast quarter of section 29, 
township 16, range 3, one hundred and sixty acres. 

David Fox, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 29, township 16, range 3, eighty 
acres. 

Joseph Hanna, the southeast quarter of section 
32, township 16, range 3, and the west half of the 
northwest quarter of section 33, in same township, 
two hundred and forty acres. 

Jonas Hoover, the west half of southwest quarter 
of section 29, township 16, range 3, eighty acres. 

George R. Hanna, the east half of the northeast 
quarter of section 5, township 15, range 3, eighty acres. 

Ephraim Howard, the east half of the south- 
east quarter of section 6, township 15, range 3, and 
the west half of section 5, in same township. Mr. 



Howard was a brother of Samuel Howard and 
Reason Howard. The last named was known as a 
great hunter and fishermen. 

John Hanna, the northwest quarter of section 28, 
township 16, range 3, one hundred and sixty acres. 

John Hawkins, the west half of the southeast 
quarter of section 24, township 16, range 2, eighty 
acres. 

Samuel Howard, forty acres in the east half of the 
southeast quarter of section 11, township 15, range 2. 

John Johnson, the east half of the southeast quar- 
ter of section 36, township 16, range 2. 

James W. Johnston, the southwest quarter of sec- 
tion 17, and the southeast quarter of section 18, in 
township 15, range 3. 

William Johnson, the west half of the southeast 
quarter of section 36, township 16, range 2, eighty 
acres. 

Isaac Kelly, the east half of the northeast quarter 
of section 20, and the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 21, in township 16, range 3, one 
hundred and sixty acres. 

James Logan, the east half of the northeast quarter 
of section 25, township 16, range 2. 

William Logan, the north half of the southeast 
quarter of section 31, and the west half of the north- 
west quarter of section 32, and a part of the south- 
west quarter of the same section, all in township 16, 
range 3 ; total, one hundred and eighty acres. 

James Leonard, the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 5, township 15, range 3. 

James Miller, the northwest quarter of section 26, 
in township 16, range 2, one hundred and sixty 
acres. 

Francis McClelland, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 34, and the south half of the north- 
east quarter of section 33, in township 16, range 2. 

Thomas Martin, the north half of the northeast 
quarter of section 33, township 16, range 2. 

William Morris, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 19, township 15, range 3. 

Enoch McCarty, the southwest quarter of section 
32, in township 16, range 3. 

Benjamin S. McCarty, the south half of the south- 
east quarter of section 31, township 16, range 3. 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



655 



Israel Phillips, the northwest quarter of section 33, 
in township 16, range 2. 

Benjamin Patterson, part of the southwest quarter 
of section 18, township 16, range 2, fifty acres. 

Minor Roberts, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 28, township 16, range 2. 

Jesse Roberts, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 22, township 16, range 2. 

James Rains, the east half of the southeast quarter 
of section 17, township 15, range 3. 

James Rhodes, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 24, township 15, range 2. 

EPiVam and Joseph R. Rhodes, the east half of the 
nortjhwest quarter of section 24, township 15, range 
2. miram Rhodes was born in Gloucester County, 
N. I 5. in 1805; arrived in Marion County, Ind., in 
February, 1824. 

Caleb Railsback, the west half of the southeast 
quarter of section 23, township 16, range 2. 

Joseph J. Reed, the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 22, township 16, range 2. 

Andrew W. Roberts, the east half of the southwest 
quarter of section 28, township 16, range 2. 

Thomas Stoops, the east half of the northwest 
quarter of section 32, township 16, range 3. 

William Speer, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 9, township 15, range 2. 

Oliver Shurtliff, the west half of the southeast 
quarter of section 28, township 16, range 2. 

Abraham Sadousky, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 1, and the east half of the north- 
east quarter of section 2, in township 15, range 2. 

Luke Strong, the northeast and southeast quarters 
of section 21, in township 16, range 2. 

David Stoops, the east half of the northeast quar- 
ter of section 32, township 16, range 3. 

Thomas Triggs, Jr., the west half of the northeast 
quarter of section 25, township 16, range 2. 

David Varner, the southwest quarter of section 26, 
in township 16, range 2. 

John Van Blaricum and David S. Van Blaricum, 
the southwest quarter of section 33, township 16, 
range 3. 

Noah Wright, the northwest quarter of section 21, 
in township 15, range 3. i 



Levi Wright, the southeast quarter of section 20, 
township 15, range 3. 

Michael Woods, the southeast quarter of section 
24, township 15, range 2, and the west half of the 
southwest quarter of section 19, township 15', range 3. 

Sarah Whitinger, the southeast quarter of section 
22, in township 16, range 2. 

Jordan Wright, the southwest quarter of section 
22, township 16, range 2. 

John Wolf, the east half of the northwest quarter 
of section 33, township 16, range 3. 

James Johnson, Esq., the southwest quarter of 
section 31, township 16, range 3. A biographical 
sketch of Mr. Johnson is given on another page of 
this work. 

William Speer, the west half of the northwest quar- 
ter of section 9, township 15, range 2. Mr. Speer was 
born in 1802, and came to Marion County in 1824. 

Adam Thompson, assessed on no property, except 
one horse and two oxen. He was well known as the 
keeper of a tavern on the National road, near 
Bridgeport. 

Wolfgang Coifman lived near the southwest corner of 
the township, but was not assessed on any real estate. 
He had been a soldier in the armies of the Emperor 
Napoleon, and was fond of relating incidents of the 
conqueror's campaigns and of the disastrous retreat 
from Moscow in 1812. 

William McCaw, the southwest quarter and the 
west half of the southeast quarter of section 21, 
township 16, range 3. Lands located near Eagle 
Creek, northwest of Mount Jackson. He was a 
native of Westmoreland County, Pa., born in 1787, 
and came to Marion County in April, 1822. 

Isaac Pugh, the northeast quarter of section 26 
and the west half of the northwest quarter of section 
25, township 16, range 2. Mr. Pugh was born in 
Chatham, N. C, in 1794 ; came to Marion County 
in July, 1822, and became one of the wealthiest 
farmers and most prominent men in Wayne town- 
ship, being frequently elected to responsible offices. 
His farn' — .:.3 near where the Indiana, Bloomington 
and Western Railway crosses Eagle Creek. 

Jacob Pugh's heirs, the southeast quarter of sec- 
tion 26, the northeast quarter of section 27, and the 



656 



HISTOKY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



northeast quarter of sectioa 35, in township 16, range 
2. Jacob Pugh was a North Carolinian, who emi- 
grated to Marion County in the summer of 1822, 
and died before 1829. He was the father of Isaac 
Pugh before mentioned. 

Joseph Pense, not assessed on any real estate, but 
afterwards owned a farm located on the Rookville 
road, near Eagle Creek. Enoch Pense was his son. 

Jesse Johnson, the west half of the southwest 
quarter of section 35, township 16, range 2. Mr. 
Johnson was a native of Grayson County, Va. ; born 
in 1787 ; arrived as a settler in Marion County, 
Nov. 16, 1826 ; died July 9, 1879. 

Isaac Harding, the west half of the northwest 
quarter of section 4, township 15, range 2, eighty- 
three acres. Mr. Harding was born in Wayne 
County, Ind., in 1804, and came to Marion County 
in November, 1826. 

G-eorge L. Kinnard, assessed on no property in 
Wayne township ia 1829, except one horse and a 
silver watch. He was one of the earliest (if not the 
first) of the school-teachers of the township. Col. 
Kinnard had charge of the surveying and laying out 
of the Lafayette State road. In 1833 he was elected 
to Congress against William W. Wick as opposing 
candidate. His death was caused by an accident on 
a steamboat. 

William Holmes, the northeast quarter of section 
8, in township 15, range 3 ; the west half of the 
northwest quarter of the same section ; and the west 
half of the northwest quarter of section 9, same 
township and range. Mr. Holmes was born in 
Westmoreland County, Pa., in 1792, emigrated with 
his father's family to Ohio in 1800, and in 1820 re- 
moved to Wayne County, Tnd. In 1821 he married 
Elizabeth Lyons, and settled on his lands in Wayne 
township, Marion Co., where he made his home 
during the remainder of his life. He built the 
Billy Holmes saw-mill on Eagle Creek, just below 
the National road bridge. In 1832 he was one of 
those who volunteered for service in the Black Hawk 
war. He was the father of William Canada Holmes, 
one of the best-known citizens of Marion County, 
and also of eleven other children, viz. : John B., 
Jonathan L., Ira N., Isaiah, Jeremiah, Uriah, Noah 



P., Marcia Ann, Martha Ann, Elizabeth, and Sarah. 
He died in 1858. His younger brother, John, came 
to this county with him, and settled' in Wayne, on 
the northwest quarter of section 8, township 15, 
range 3. He, with his brother William, took the 
contract for the brick-work of the old (first) court- 
house of Marion County. John also built the 
Kunkle mill, in Wayne township. He died a few 
years after he made his settlement here. 

Abraham Coble, the northeast quarter of section 
29, township 16, range 3. He was a native of North 
Carolina, emigrated to Ohio, and thence, in 1821, to 
Wayne township, Marion Co., where he settieci on 
the lands described. He built one of the first .sa-?- 
mills of Marion County, located on Crooked Vj'eek, 
near his homestead. With lumber sawed a( ^, his 
mill he loaded a flat-boat and senL it down White 
River, it being the first lumber-freighted boat that 
ever descended that stream. He died in May, 1842. 
His son, George Coble, is now living in Indianap- 
olis. 

Joshua Glover, the southwest quarter of section 
18, township 15, range 3. A daughter of Mr. 
Glover married James W. Johnson, of this town- 
ship. Joshua Glover died in 1836. 

David Faussett, the south part of the southwest 
quarter of section 9, township 15, range 2, one hun- 
dred and seven acres. He was born in Warren 
County, Ohio, in 1802, and arrived in Marion 
County as a settler March 4, 1824. 

Lewis Clark (colored), the east half of the south- 
east quarter of section 8, township 15, range 3. 
Clark was a fugitive slave, and it is said of him that 
he was the first colored man who paid taxes on real 
estate in Marion County. In 1836, at the "raising" 
of Clark's frame house, an accident occurred, by 
which William Cool lost his life. Cool was a settler 
in Wayne township before 1829, and reared one of 
the first orchards in the township. His daughter, 
the widow of Theodore Johnson, is still living in the 
township. 

Cyrus Cotton, the west half of the southeast quar- 
ter of section 8, township 15, range 3. His lands 
were located west of Eagle Creek, on the present 
line of the Vandalia Railroad. On his farm h^ 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



659 



Noah Keagan, S. W. ; Samuel G. Owen, J. W. The 
present officers of the lodge are Humphrey Forsha, 
W. M. ; Peter P. Blank, S. W. ; Woodford Thomp- 
son, J. W. ; Daniel Broadway, Treas. ; K. W. Thomp- 
son, Sec. The lodge has now thirty-five members. 

The village of Maywood is situated on the south 
line of the township near its southeastern corner, and 
on the line of the Indianapolis and Vincennes Kail- 
road. On a part of the site now occupied by the 
village a twostory brick house was built in 1822 
(some accounts say 1821), by John P. Cook, who 
was the first resident in that locality. There was no 
village at the place, nor was it in any way different 
from other farming neighborhoods for forty years 
after Cook's settlement there. In 1854, James A. 
Marrs and Ira N. Holmes built a steam grist-mill in 
Decatur township, on the southwest quarter of section 
36, township 15, range 2. Holmes sold out to Marrs, 
who ran it until his death, in October, 1857, and it 
was afterwards run by his administrator till 1863, 
when it ceased operation, and was sold to Fielding< 
Beeler and Calvin Fletcher, who moved the machinery 
to a new mill building which they erected on land 
owned by Fletcher at what is now Maywood. They 
added a saw-mill and some new machinery, and ran 
it until the spring of 1873, when it was sold to other 
parties ; but it was not a financial success, and was 
finally abandoned, the machinery sold, and the build- 
ing dismantled. 

At the building of the mill at Maywood and during 
the occupancy of Messrs. Beeler and Fletcher they 
erected nine dwelling-houses for their workmen, of 
whom they employed about twenty. There was no 
store there, but a cooper-shop and a blacksmith-shop 
were opened at the place, which was called Beeler's 
Station, on the Vincennes Kailroad. The mill enter- 
prise, and what grew out of it, created the village, 
which was laid out as Maywood, June 4, 1873. It 
is yet a very small village, containing about twenty 
dwellings, one general store (by Charles Litter), one 
grocery, at the depot, a post-office (Charles Litter, 
postmaster), one blacksmith-shop (by George Crowe), 
one wagon-shop (John Russell's), one physician (Dr. 
Harrison Peachee), one shoemaker, one school-house 



(no graded school), a Methodist Episcopal Church 
(Rev. Mr. Payne, pastor), and nearly one hundred 
inhabitants. 

Fielding Beeler, one of the earliest born and best 
known of the native citizens of Marion County, is a 
son of Joseph Beeler, and born in Decatur township, 
March 30, 1823. He remembers seeing at least one 
party of the Indians of the country before their final 
departure from it ; has heard the wild wolves howl 
around his father's cabin at night, and remembers 
when what few sheep were in his neighborhood were 
regularly penned at night near the owner's dwelling, 
to keep them from being devoured by these voracious 
prowlers. Most of his education was obtained in the 
primitive log school-house, and under the tuition of 
the primitive teachers of these early times. His 
school-books were Webster's " Spelling-Book" (old 
edition), in which he became very proficient, " The 
American Preceptor," " English Reader," Weems' 
" Lives of Marion and Washington," and Pike's 
" Arithmetic." These schools were taught in the 
winter, and from one and a half to three miles from 
his home, and most of the way through the woods ; 
but the trips were almost invariably enlivened by 
the sight of deer, sometimes a dozen of them in a 
herd, and flocks of wild turkeys. He says it seems 
to him now that there were sometimes hundreds of 
them in sight at once. 

During these school-terms he generally did the 
going to mill for the family, part of the time to the 
old Bayou Mill, which stood a little north of the 
present site of the Nordyke Machine- Works, and at 
other times to the Ede Harding Mill, on Eagle Creek. 
The man was to take a sack on a horse, and he ride 
on the sack. As the grinding was done by turns, 
and it usually required from one to three weeks for 
the turn to be reached, it was of importance to com- 
mence in time. After beginning his Saturday trips, 
usually in a couple of weeks he could begin taking a 
grist home, and thus during the course of the winter 
enough was accumulated to last well into the summer. 

One of the important occurrences of his boyhood 
years was a trip to the then important town or city of 
Madison with a two-horse wagon loaded with wheat ; 



660 



HISTOKY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



as he remembers, about twenty-five or twenty-six 
bushels constituted the load, and was sold on arrival 
at sixty-two and a half cents per bushel, and the pro- 
ceeds invested in a sack of coffee, with perhaps some 
additional funds in salt at seventy-five cents per 
bushel, which constituted the return load. The trip 
was made in company with a neighbor. Feed for the 
trip for team and boy was hauled in the wagon, out- 
doors used for dining-room, and wagon-bed or the 
ground under it for sleeping-room. It was to him, 
however, an important journey as he passed down 
and up the Madison hill, saw the to him great Ohio 
River and several steamboats, and also what seemed 
to his boyish imagination a great town. 

Afterwards Mr. Beeler had the advantage of two 
winter terms in the old Marion County Seminary, 
under that paragon of teachers, James S. Kemper. 
Shortly after reaching his majority he was married to 
Eliza A. Marrs, and the nest spring (1845) settled 
in Wayne township, on the northeast quarter of sec- 
tion 21, township 15, range 3, where he still resides. 

Mr. Beeler has been actively identified with the 
advancement of the agricultural and industrial indus- 
tries of the county and State. He has done much 
in the improvement of the cattle, hogs, and sheep of 
the county by the purchase and dissemination of im- 
proved breeds, and by his earnest advocacy of the 
great advantage of the same to farmers. He has 
been an officer in all the county agricultural societies 



and consequent expense of hauling, and the great 
improvements made in grist-mill machinery, it was 
found to be unprofitable and the business abandoned 
in 1873. 

Mr. Beeler, though having decided views on the 
political questions which have attracted the attention 
of the country since he has been old enough to take 
an interest in the subject, cannot properly be con- 
sidered as a politician, as is usually understood by 
that term, at least in later years. 

In 1850 he was nominated by the Whig County 
Convention of that year as one of its candidates for 
the Legislature, but was defeated, though receiving 
the full vote of his party. He was one of the nomi- 
nees of the Republican party for the same position in 
1868, and elected and served through the regular 
and special sessions of that somewhat exciting period ; 
was chairman of the Committe on Agriculture, be- 
sides being on a number of other committees, and 
took an active part in all questions relating to the 
agricultural interests of the State, as well as to the 
•particular interests of his constituents. He intro- 
duced a bill for the appointment of a State geologist 
and geological survey of the State, which became a 
law and which has had a very marked influence on 
the development of the coal-mining and quarrying 
interests of the State. He was again nominated in 
1870 and elected, and served through the session of 
1871, beina; ac;ain a member of the committee on 



which have existed since his majority ; was secretary [ agriculture, and taking an active part in its delibera- 



of the Indiana State Board of Agriculture for 1869, 
the State fair of that year being the most successful 
one held to that time, and he has been for four years 
past the general superintendent of the same, and has 
been highly complimented for his efficient and suc- 
cessful management. 

Mr. Beeler has always given his special attention 
to his farm, but was from 1863 to 1873 engaged in 
the milling business, in connection with his brother- 
in-law, Calvin Fletcher. They owned and operated a 
steam grist- and saw-mill near Mr. Beeler's residence, 
at what is now Maywood, doing a large business in 
flour and lumber, their flour being well known, and 



tions, as well as in general legislation. During each 
of his terms in the Legislature, he introduced and 
advocated bills for a homestead law, exempting the 
same from sale for debt, etc. ; advocated and voted 
for bills increasing allotment to widows and exemption 
to debtors. 

Mr. Beeler has always given much attention to the 
raising of stock. Some fifteen years ago he had a 
herd of thirty to forty head of short-horn cattle, but 
on going more extensively into dairying, gradually 
gave up that specialty. He keeps about one hun- 
dred fine Berkshire swine, and a flock of about ninety 
Cotswold sheep. He is now, and has been for four 



holding a high reputation in home and eastern mar- j years, president of the Indiana Wool-Growers' Asso- 
kets, but in consequence of the distance from the city ] ciation. He is an excellent farmer, and has the 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



661 



reputation of keeping more stock in proportion to tlie 
acreage of his farm than any other man in the 
county. 

During the time when Mr. Beeler was operating 
the mill at Maywood he had, on one occasion, a very 
exciting and unpleasant experience, in being the vic- 
tim of a daring highway robbery. At twilight, on 
an evening of November, 1867, as he was returning 
home from Indianapolis in a buggy, with his little 
daughter, nine years of age, after having crossed 
Eagle Creek, and being in sight of his house, he was 
suddenly confronted by three masked men, one of 
whom seized the horse by the bridle, while the 
others quickly advanced, one on each side, and with 
cocked revolvers pointed at his breast, commanded 
him to deliver up his money and valuables, and to do 
it quickly. After a little hesitation, seeing that re- 
sistance was hopeless, he handed them his pocket- 
book (containing about one hundred dollars) and a 
valuable watch. The robbers, having satisfied them- 
selves that they had secured all of value that he had 
about him, allowed him to pass on, the ruffian at the 
horse's head quitting his hold of the bridle, and with 
a theatrical wave of the hand bidding him to " move 
up lively." 

It is said by some who know Mr. Beeler that, 
though naturally rather slow to act, he is fully in 
earnest when aroused, and that opinion was fully 
verified in this case, for he acted with such prompt- 
ness and energy that in less than twenty-four hours, 
he, with the assistance of the city police, had secured 
the arrest of two of the robbers, while the other (a 
property-owner in Indianapolis) had fled from the 
county. In less than a week the robber who had 
held the horse's head had been tried and sentenced 
to eight years in the penitentiary. A friend and 
accomplice (though not one of the three who robbed 
Mr. Beeler) had falsely sworn an alihi for the one 
convicted, and in less than another week he was 
himself on the way to the penitentiary under an 
eight-years' sentence for perjury. The other arrested 
robber had a father who was possessed of considera- 
ble property, and it was supposed that the criminal 
fraternity also contributed largely towards his de- 
fense. When his trial came on (the prosecuting 



attorney who conducted the proceedings against the 
other robber having resigned his office) the prosecu- 
tion of the case devolved on a young lawyer of good 
talents, but little experience, and thereupon Mr. 
Beeler, being determined that the villain should not 
escape from justice, employed at his own expense an 
eminent and experienced lawyer to assist the prosecu- 
tion. After a protracted trial, in which there was a 
great amount of false swearing, and money freely 
used to save the prisoner, he was convicted, and sen- 
tenced to the penitentiary for three years (the verdict 
being a compromise one, some of the jury holding out 
for eight years and others being for acquittal). This 
ruffian, after serving out his term, returned to Indian- 
apolis, and a short time afterwards was engaged in 
the attempted robbery of a farm-house, in which he 
received several severe wounds, was captured, tried, 
and sentenced to the southern prison for eight years. 
Shortly after his incarceration there he became the 
leader in an attempt by a number of convicts to 
escape, in which attempt he killed one of the guards, 
for which he received sentence of death, but suc- 
ceeded in obtaining a new trial, which resulted in a 
sentence of imprisonment for life in the penitentiary. 
The village of Mount Jackson, situated on the east 
line of the township, had its origin in a public-house 
built by W. C. Holmes and others, about 1837, on 
the National road, at that point. Adjoining the 
place were the lands of Obadiah Harris and Nathaniel 
Bolton. The village was laid out by Harris and Muir 
in 1838, and the plat recorded October 27th of that 
year. A store was opened by Daniel Hoover, and 
another by Moore & Kempton. The buildings of the 
Asylum for the Insane, which have been erected just 
north of the hamlet of Mount Jackson, are more fully 
mentioned in the history of Indianapolis, though not 
within the city limits. 

Clermont village is situated in the northwest cor- 
ner of Wayne township, on both sides of the old 
Crawfordsville road, and on the line of the Indiana, 
Bloomington and Western Railway, which runs 
along the south side of the town. The west line 
of the county is the western boundary of the village. 

The town plat — recorded April 6, 1849 — shows 



662 



HISTORY OP INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



that it was laid out, as " Mechanicsburg," by Percy 
Hosbroolj, on land owned by William Speer. The 
plat embraced about seven acres, divided into nine- 
teen lots, most of them being sixty-four by two hun- 
dred and thirty-one feet in size, fronting on the one 
street of the village, — the Crawfordsville road. The 
name of the town was soon afterwards changed from 
Mechanicsburg to the present one of Clermont, and 
two additions to it were laid out, one by Mr. Mar- 
tindale (recorded April 2, 1855) and one by 
Bzekiel Dill (recorded June 30, in the same year). 

There was a little settlement at this place before 
the laying out of the village of Mechanicsburg, and 
that name was given to the new town because several 
of those who first located there were engaged in 
mechanical vocations. The first building erected on 
the site was built for a cooper-shop by Charles W. 
Murray. John Larimore, a wagon-maker, was also 
located there, and there was a blacksmith-shop, 
owned by Ezekiel Dill and John W. Smith. The 
earliest dwelling-houses in the place were those of 
Larimore, Ezekiel Dill, John W. Smith, Squire 
Smith, William R. Smith, George Ballard, James 
D. Thompson, G. G. Minnefee, John Ross, James P. 
Graham, and Charles W. Murray, — before mentioned 
as the first cooper. He was the owner of the shop 
and business at the time of his death, though in the 
mean time it had passed through several other hands. 
It now belongs to Alfred Parker. The Dill black- 
smith-shop is now owned by John Goldsborough, 
and the business carried on by Robert H. Miller. 
Another (started by John M. Foreman about 1870) 
is now owned by J. N. Johnson and carried on by 
Mr. Erhart. 

The first stores in the village were those of John 
Larimore (where the post-office was kept) and Sam- 
son Barbe, whose partner in the business was James 

C. Ross. The next was opened by Yohn, 

whose partner was Robert Taylor. Yohn sold out 
his interest to Taylor, with whom Frank Kennell 
became partner and afterwards sole owner. Another 
store was opened by John T. Turpin and Isaac S. 
Long about 1852. This went through several 
changes of proprietorship, but was owned by Tur- 
pin at the time of his death. A grocery is now 



kept in the Turpin store-house by William L. 
McCray. 

A saw-mill was put in operation in Clermont in 
1860 by James P. Graham, who removed the ma- 
chinery not long afterwards, but brought it back to 
the village. It was never very successful, however, 
and was again and finally removed in or about 1875. 
Another saw-mill, started and owned by Henry Cal- 
vin, is still in successful operation. 

At present Clermont is a village of two hundred 
and thirty inhabitants, containing two school-houses, 
one graded school, three churches, viz. : the Chris- 
tian (L. H. Jameson, pastor), Presbyterian (Joseph 
Patton, pastor), and the Methodist (G. H. Vought, 
pastor), a post-office (J. N. Johnson, postmaster), 
an Odd-Fellows' lodge, three general stores (dry- 
goods and groceries combined), kept, respectively, 
by J. N. Johnson & Bro., E. V. Johnson, and W. T. 
McCray, one drug-store, by Dr. W. M. Brown, one 
saw-mill, by Henry Calvin (before mentioned), and 
several mechanic shops. It has no liquor-saloon or 
drinking-place of any kind. A dram-shop was 
opened in the place some twenty years ago, but 
the citizens suppressed the traffic and forced its 
abandonment. Clermont is, and has ever been, 
noted for the orderly conduct and sobriety of its 
people. 

Foster Lodge, No. 372, I. 0. 0. F., was insti- 
tuted June 22, 1871. It is located at Clermont, 
where a hall has been erected for its use, valued 
at fifteen hundred dollars. The lodge has twelve 
Past Grands, and an active membership of eighteen, 
with the following officers: John B. Miller, N. G. ; 
M. V. Norris, V. G. ; R. H. Miller, Sec. ; David 
Wall, Treas. ; A. F. Smith, Per. Sec. 

Churclies. — A church building was erected by the 
people of Clermont and vicinity at an early day for 
the free occupancy of any and all denominations for 
religious worship, and it was so used for a number of 
years. A cemetery was laid out about 1850 on land 
of Isaac S. Long, donated to the public use. It is on 
the north side of the town, and includes about one 
acre. 

The first church organized at " Old Union" was 
what was then called "New Lights, or Christian 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



663 



Body," about the year 1826, under the labor of 
Jesse Frazier and Henry Logan. The organiza- 
tion took place before there was any house of wor- 
ship erected. Meetings were held from house to 
house until for want of room they erected a large 
shelter covered with boards put on cabin-fashion, 
with knees and weight-poles, so that the boards 
might be used in covering the house when it could 
be built. In the course of a year a hewed-log house 
was erected, about thirty feet square, with a gallery 
above. 

About this time the question of the Reformation 
was agitated, and most of the members fell in with 
the new idea without schism or division. Hence the 
Christian Church was established, with the following 
members : Martin and Elizabeth Martindale, Jordan 
and B*'rbara Wright, David and Jemima Varner, 
John and Maria Barnhill, William and Nancy Dodd, 
Joel and Catharine Conarroe, Sarah Barnhill, George 
Cossell, Jesse and Margaret Frazier, Caleb and Nancy 
Eailsback, Matthew and Sarah Raiisback, Jesse and 
Jane Johnson, Dorcas Pugh, and Sarah Jones. 

pjlder Jesse Frazier was the preacher in charge, 
with other preachers from time to time, viz. : Henry 
Logan, James MoVey, Andrew Prater, T. Lockhart, 
J. Matlock, and George W. Snoddy, under whose 
labors the church lived together in harmony, many 
being added thereto from time to time. 

About the year 1850 or 1851 a new frame house, 
thirty by forty feet, was built on the same ground 
occupied by the former log structure, in which the 
church prospered under the labors of Thomas Lock- 
hart, L. H. Jameson, J. L. Rude, and others, until 
the division took place on account of the agitation of 
the soul-sleeping doctrine introduced by J. W. By- 
waters, J. C. Stephenson, Nathan Horniday, and 
other of its adherents, they remaining in the house, 
while those opposed to that doctrine moved their 
membership to Clermont, and were instrumental in 
building a free church-house in which all denomina- 
tions might worship, and in which the Christian 
Church was again organized, Aug. 1, 1853, having 
been dedicated by Oliver P. Badger. 

The church was organized by the members sub- 
scribing to the following : " We, whose names are 



hereunto subscribed, in order to form a congregation 
for the worship of Almighty God, and for our mutual 
edification in the Christian religion, do agree to unite 
together in church-fellowship, taking the Bible and 
the Bible alone for our rule of faith and practice." 

J. P. Martindale and William P. Long were ap- 
pointed to take the oversight of the following charter 
members : Joel and Catharine Conarroe, Mary J. 
Martindale, Squire and Sarah Smith, Arnold and 
Nancy Call, V. J. and Susan Brown, Isaac S. and 
Sarah V. Long, Mercy Murry, Sarah D. Long, Re- 
becca David, Gaten and Zerelda Menifee, Rodney 
and Sarah Gibbons, Isaac and Eliza Wiler, John and 
Maria Barnhill. 

In the years 1865 and 1866 there was erected a 
new house of worship by the Christian Church, a 
substantial brick, thirty-six by fifty-six by sixteen 
feet story, well finished, and costing about three 
thousand dollars. The church was dedicated Aug. 
20, 1866, by Love H. Jameson, who has done more 
preaching at Clermont than any other man. He had 
been preaching for the church the past year, up to 
the time of his leaving on his Eastern voyage, as he 
had been more or less ever since the first organization 
at Clermont, though there have been many others 
that have preached for the church, among whom we 
might mention the names of 0. A. Burgess, Prof. 
S. K. Hoshour, W. R. Jewell, J. C. Canfield, James 
Conner, and many others. 

The first Sunday-school in Clermont was superin- 
tended by Joseph Patton, a Presbyterian, and was 
conducted as a union school, in which all denomina- 
tions took part. After the erection of the free 
church in Clermont the Christian Church organized 
a Sunday-school in the year 1852, and ever since 
that time there has been a school under the super- 
vision of the Christian Church. 

At present the school numbers about seventy-five 
pupils, and is in a flourishing condition. There are 
other schools in the village, under the supervision of 
the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Clermont was 
organized about 1849, with eight or ten members, 
among whom were J. W. Larimore, William K. 
Johnson, James D. Johnson, John Ross, William R. 



664 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



Smith, Jonathan Biatton, Owens, and William 

Speer. The first meeting was held at the house of 
Dr. John Ross. Subsequent meetings were held at 
private dwellings until the erection of the church 
(frame) building about 1850. The first preacher 

was the Rev. Heath, among whose successors 

Were the Revs. McDonald, Davy,.Mashaun, Baker, 
Webster, Lewis, Ricker, Demott, McMannie, Mahan, 
Hazelton, and G. J. Vought, the present minister. 
The church has now a membership of between forty 
and fifty, and there is connected with it a Sabbath- 
school, which was started by Mr. McDaniel, at about 
the time when the church building was erected. 
The present superintendent is J. T. Jones, and the 
school is attended by nearly one hundred pupils. 

The Presbyterian Church at Clermont was organ- 
ized under charge of the Rev. George Long, and 
among the small band of original members were 
John Moore, Martin Warfel, William B. McClelland, 
and Joseph Patton. The church edifice (a frame 
building) erected aboUt 1858 is the present house of 
worship of the congregation. The church has now 
between twenty-five and thirty members, under pas- 
toral charge of Mr. Patton. 

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Bridgeport 
was organized as a class about the year 1832. The 
first meetings were held at the houses of Aaron 
Homan, Robert Speer, and other members, and after- 
wards in the school-house, until the erection (about 
1850) of their meeting-house, which was a frame 
structure, about thirty by forty feet in size. One of 
the earliest preachers to this churcli was the Rev. 
Asa Beck, who was exceedingly earnest and enthu- 
siastic (and, as some said, violent) in his preaching. 
After him came the circuit preachers Dorsey and 
Smith. The present pastor of the church is the 
Rev. Mr. Switzer. About 1844 a burial-ground was 
laid out in connection with this church, but after a 
very few interments had been made the ground was 
abandoned for that use. 

The Maywood Methodist Episcopal Church dates 
its class organization back about fifty years, at which 
time their place of meeting was in a log church 
building, which was erected on land of Samuel Dar- 
nell, one of the most prominent of the members. 



After a time this old building was given up, and a 
new frame church was built, about three hundred 
yards north of the old site, on the Darnell land 
(which had in the mean time passed to the owner- 
ship of Charles Robinson). This frame church, which 
was sometimes called the Robinson Church, was lo- 
cated about two miles north of Maywood, at the 
crossing of Morris Street and the Maywood road, on 
the southwest corner. This church building was 
destroyed by fire some fifteen years ago, and about 
the year 1875 the present church at Maywood was 
erected for the use of the congregation. The re- 
moval to Maywood, and the erection of the new 
church building there, was largely due to the enthu- 
siastic energy and perseverance of a young circuit 
preacher, the Rev. Mr. Kelsey. The church now 
numbers about fifty members, among whom are 
Charles Robinson, James H. Porter, C. S. Hoover, 
Henry Johnson, David Robinson, Jesse Wright, and 
others of prominence. 

An old Baptist Church building, erected more than 
half a century ago (one of the first frame churches 
in Marion County), is still standing near Mount Jack- 
son, a little west of the Insane Asylum. The first 
church organization that worshiped here included 
among its prominent members Israel, Samuel, and 
Ede Harding, with others of the pioneer settlers of 
that vicinity. The organization ceased to exist many 
years ago, and the church building was abandoned as 
a house of worship. 

The Friends' meeting-house of Bridgeport is a 
good brick building, standing about a half-mile out 
from the village. John Furnas, the original owner 
of the land which forms the town site, was a Quaker, 
and most of the first inhabitants of Bridgeport and 
its vicinity were members of the same sect. Samuel 
Spray, James Mills, John Johnson, John Owens, 
David Mills, Samuel Starbuek, Joseph, Isaac, and 
Robert Furnas, and Asa, Joel, John, and David Bal- 
lard were all prominent men in the Friends' Meeting. 
The first meeting-house of the society at this place 
was a frame building, wliich, after some years' use, 
gave place to the present brick house. A burial- 
ground, in connection with the church, embraces 
about a half-acre, donated to the society for that pur- 



J^ 




iiiP iiii<ii'ii'iiili'''i I iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii 

JAMES JOHNSON. 



WAYNE TOWNSHIP. 



665 



pose by Samuel Spray at about the time of the erec- 
tion of the old meeting-house. The principal min- 
ister of the Friends at this place at the present time 
is Wilson Spray. 

Schools. — One of the earliest (and said to be the 
first) of the school-houses in Wayne township was 
on the Daniel Barnhill farm, near the farm of Asa 
B. Strong. Another was on the farm of William 
Gladden. Both these, as also all the others of the 
earliest school-houses, were merely log cabins, built 
by the people of their respective neighborhoods, 
without the aid of any public funds either in build- 
ing the houses or supporting the schools. The Barn- 
hill school-house, above mentioned, was built in the 
fall of 1823, and in it the first teacher was George L. 
Kinnard (afterwards a member of Congress), who 
taught two terms. Following him were several 
teachers, among whom were Hugh Wells and John 
Tomlinson. This old school-house went to decay 
many years ago. 

There is an old log building still standing east of 
Eagle Creek and about a half-mile north of the 
Crawfordsville road, which was erected for a school- 
house in 1824 by Isaac Pugh and others, and which 
was the only place of education in that part of the 
township. One of the earliest teachers in it (and 
believed to be the first) was a man named Barker. 
A few years later a school was taught there by 
George Sanders. The old building was used as a 
school-house until about 1847, and then abandoned 
for that use. 

Another log school-house, built by the people of 

the neighborhood in the same manner and at about 

the same time as that above mentioned, was located 

on the John T. Presley farm. Like the other early 

school-houses, it had logs cut out for window-spaces 

and these covered with greased paper. The floor, 

seats, and writing-bench for pupils were made of 

puncheons, — that is, split logs hewed tolerably smooth 

on the split side. Mr. Barker also taught in this 

house, and Kobert G. Hanna was a teacher there 

about 1826-27. It was used as a school-house for 

nearly a quarter of a century, and was abandoned 

about 1847. 

A school-house, built about 1834, was situated on 
43 



the turnpike near the Crawfordsville road. It was 
a log building, of the same style outside and inside 
as the others mentioned. The first teacher in this 
building was Freeborn Garretson, who was followed 
by Joseph Darby, who taught from about 1838 till 

1841, when the building was abandoned and demol- 
ished. 

In Bridgeport a school-house was built at about 
the time of the laying out of the town by S. K. 
Barlow. This was used for school purposes until 

1842, when a brick house was built by subscription, 
and schools were maintained in it also by subscrip- 
tion until the inauguration of the county system of 
schools. 

Wayne township has now eighteen school districts 
and the same number of school-houses, ten frame and 
eight brick. The schools taught in these include 
four graded and two colored schools. The number 
of teachers employed in 1883 was twenty-two white 
(thirteen male and nine female) and two colored 
teachers. The average length of school terms was 
one hundred and forty days. Total average attend- 
ance, five hundred. Six teachers' institutes were 
held in the township during the year. Value of 
school-houses and sites in the township, twenty-two 
thousand dollars ; value of school apparatus, three 
hundred dollars ; number of children admitted to 
schools in Wayne in 1883: white male, four hundred 
and twenty-three ; white females, three hundred and 
forty-one ; colored males, thirty-one ; colored females, 
forty-two ; total, eight hundred and thirty-seven. 



BIOGPaPHICAL SKETCH. 



JAMES JOHNSON. 

Mr. Johnson was a native of Grayson County, 
Va., from whence he early removed to Butler 
County, Ohio, and to Indianapolis on the 11th of 
March, 1823, his first home being a hewed log 
house on the present Market Street. Mr. Johnson's 
own account of his experience as a pioneer conveys a 
graphic idea of the privations and hardships of the 
early settler : 

" I then made another wheelbarrow trip to an old 



666 



HISTORY OF INDIANAPOLIS AND MARION COUNTY. 



frame on the corner of Wasliingtoa and New Jersey 
Streets. In this old shell I wintered and served a 
regular apprenticeship to the chills and fever, shaking 
sometimes three times a day, and sometimes only once 
in three days. I moved to a cabin I built on the 
farm [which was his home during his life, five miles 
from the city on the Crawfordsville road] on the 15th 
of March, 1824, without its being chinked or daubed, 
or loft or floor being in it, having only a door, but no 
shutter, and fireplace cut out and built up of wood as 
high as the mantel log. In this situation I com- 
menced trying to make a farm, ague still visiting me 
now and then. I was there in the woods, and not 
very well situated, without a horse or anytliing of 
consequence, except a very good cow with horns, 
and a dog which had a disease called the sloes. But 
I succeeded that spring in clearing out about three 
acres of ground and fencing it, cutting and splitting 
the rails and carrying them on my shoulder to make 
my fence. I got my corn planted on the 15th of 
June, 1824. I succeeded, with the help of a neigh- 
bor and his horse to do the plowing, in raising a crop 
of fodder and some sound corn, of which I used a 
part for bread. In the mean time I had to carry my 
meal from Indianapolis on my shoulder, having made 
a small crop of corn the year before on the donation 
land, and what is now known as Blackwood's addi- 
tion to Indianapolis. Whenever we wanted a grist 
of meal I would go over to town, shell the corn, and 
take it to old Mr. Isaac Wilson's mill on Pall Creek, 
get it ground, shoulder it up and start for home, 
wade White River, and make the trip with about one 
bushel of meal, which would generally last us about 
four weeks." 

And he adds: " In the fall of the year 1824 my 
father died, and at the sale of his personal property 
I bought an old horse and his blacksmith tools. 
Being rather handy with tools, I soon learned the 
blacksmithing business, so as to do the work of some 
of my neighbors. In fact, I was not very particular 
whether it was iron- or wood-work they wanted, I 
could turn my hand to anything. I did dress out the 



guns, mend the locks, shoe the horses, sharpen the 
plows, repair the old wagons, and make and mend 
shoes for the neighbors, and so in this way I have 
been able to get along a part of my time, always 
ready to take hold of any work that was proper to be 
done, and if I could not get the largest price for my 
work I would take what I could get." 

Mr. Johnson for fifty years was identified with the 
advancement and prosperity of Indianapolis and the 
county adjacent. He began life without the usual 
aids to success, but developed in his business career 
those qualities which made prosperity almost a cer- 
tainty, and enabled him to acquire a competence. 
He possessed untiring energy, and believed that one 
of the aids not only to aifluence but to happiness 
was constant employment. He was, therefore, never 
idle, and always profitably employed. He was in his 
political faith a Democrat, and during his life identi- 
fied with that party, always manifesting great intel- 
ligence and decided convictions on questions of public 
policy. He was a man of strict probity in all business 
and social relations, and faithful to every trust con- 
fided in him. He was honored with many official posi- 
tions during his lifetime, being for eleven years 
justice of the peace for Wayne township, one of the 
superintendents appointed by the government for the 
construction of the National pike, sheriif of the 
Supreme Court, deputy marshal under Hon. Jesse 
D. Bright, member of the State Legislature for the 
years 1838 and 1839, and Presidential elector. His 
home relations were always foremost in his thoughts. 
Whether as son, husband, or father, he was equally 
tender and affectionate. Mr. Johnson was married 
at the age of nineteen to Miss Hannah, daughter of 
Samuel and Catherine Snively. Their children are 
Catherine (Mrs. W. C. Holmes), Mary E. (Mrs. 
W. R. Hogshire), John, James, Jesse, and Isaac, 
now living, and Samuel, Sarah, and Henry, de- 
ceased. He was a second time married, to Annie 
Heath Branham, of Madison, Ind. The death of 
Mr. Johnson occurred on the 16th of May, 1882, in 
his eighty-first year. 



1^ . 



-I_^^ ^ 










LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



H If 







• ':: '-.4' >1:^^^-;n^,: 



M 







